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| Pinaculan Treasure Island Resort Master Plan |
By: Bennie A. Recebido
SORSOGON CITY, June 28 (PIA) – Being
determined to achieve the goal of Health, Education/Environment, Agriculture,
Rural Development, Tourism and Shelter Program or simply H.E.A.R.T.S. Program,
the provincial government of Sorsogon endorses projects that would advance
economic development of the province and its constituents. One of which is the
development of the Pinaculan Treasure Island Resort.
The development of the Pinaculan Treasure
Island Resort is one of the priority projects identified by the Province of
Sorsogon, which looks forward to stimulating economic growth in the area. The
project is located in Barangays Talisay and Bitan-o-Dalipay in Sorsogon
City. It is situated in a three-hectare
quiet island off the shore of the Urban Capital within the Central Business
District, right next to the existing Sorsogon City Baywalk (Rompeolas).
Pinaculan Island has a longitudinal
distance of three hundred ninety-six (396) meters. The highest elevation is approximately eight
(8) meters above sea-level. The distance
of its tail to the mainland of Barangay Bitan-o-Dalipay is approximately eighty
(80) meters and is connected during low tide.
Its tadpole is about four hundred fifty-seven (457) meters to the port.
The project was already presented during the
Regional Development Council (RDC) Full Council Meeting on June 7, 2013 at the
National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Office in Legaspi City
which call for the RDC’s approval to include said venture in the Regional
Investment Development Program (RIDP), and endorse its Phase II to the Private-Public
Partnership (PPP) Center for feasibility study under the Project Development
and Monitoring Fund.
Provincial Public Information Officer Von
Andre Labalan said that tourism development is one of the major flagship
programs of Sorsogon Governor Raul R. Lee, and now that he was again trusted by
the Sorsoganons to govern the province of Sorsogon for another three years,
Gov. Lee is more than resolute to carry out the goal under the H.E.A.R.T.S.
Program.
“The development of Pinaculan Island, as a
major tourism project complements the Sorsogon Waterfront Development Project
as stated in Provincial Development Physical Framework Plan and Provincial Development
and Investment Plan,” said PIO Labalan.
He further added that the task contributes
equally to the realization of President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III’s
Ten-Point-Agenda on comprehensive growth and poverty reduction, and is in
harmony with the 2011-2016 Philippine Development Plan (PDP) and the Bicol
Regional Development Plan 2011-2016, which aims to promote private sector
investments in new tourist destinations, predominantly on Eco-Tourism.
The Pinaculan Treasure Island Resort
Project aspires to build up a resort that will cater to conventions, meetings,
seminars, exhibits and other activities for day-tour guests. It has a total
investment requirement of P160 Million to be implemented in two phases.
Phase
I is
a P30 Million LGU-funded project to be implemented by the Provincial Government
of Sorsogon with the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) and
Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO) as the technical arm, and the Provincial
Treasurer’s Office (PTO) and Provincial Budget Office (PBO) as the financial
support within a period of two years of detailed planning, design and
construction of road network, jetty with two-bay cruiser and swimming
enclosure, as well as utilities structure.
Phase
II
will be a P130 Million Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Project expected to be
completed over a period of two years including planning, procurement and
construction of facilities such as convention pavilion, nine duplex cabanas, 50-room
hotel, Spanish lighthouse, sunken galleon resto-bar, infinity pool and bar, 10
units handicrafts village stalls, picnic forest and landscaping, white sand
beach swimming enclosure, and seahorse floating resto grille with fish cage.
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Pinaculan
Island at sunset.
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PIO Labalan
recounted that aside from those who frequent the baywalk area that comes in
hundreds early in the morning and in the afternoon, the project will also
benefit tourists, domestic and foreign, hotel operators, handicraft industry
and small business operators.
“While the province is blessed with three
natural endowments like the whale shark in Donsol; the four-kilometer stretch
powder-white sand in Rizal, Gubat, longer than the stations 1, 2 and 3 in
Boracay Island in Aklan; and the Bulusan Mountain Lake, dubbed as the
“Switzerland of the Orient”, tourists who come to Gubat and Bulusan are no more
than spill over of those who come to Donsol.
It is noteworthy that Donsol has already gained its international
tourism record because of the whale shark inter-action. The challenge is to
capture the market of Donsol to visit the Capital City and other attractions in
the southern part of the province. The Pinaculan development project will keep
the tourists travelling around and extending their stay in the province,” he
explained.
He said that compared to other provinces in
the Bicol Region, from year 2000 to 2012, Sorsogon carved up the lowest number
of tourist arrivals with only 3.6% of the total. Nevertheless, the overall
tourist arrivals in the province between the periods 2009 to 2010 significantly
improved with a growth rate of 20.68%. But, foreign tourist arrivals declined
by 15.33%, while local tourist arrivals increased to 43.73%.
“If the growth rate of 20.68% will be
sustained, the province should be able to
provide further tourist destinations and hotel accommodation,” he further added.
Based on interview with hotel operators in
Sorsogon City, the average occupancy rate of nine (9) hotels is about 38.15%
and the average stay is about two days. Two of the best hotels registered an
occupancy rate of 60%.
At present, the growing Capital City of
Sorsogon is short of leisure and recreation areas which are easily accessible,
except for the short baywalk which already attracted hundreds of residents in
nearby areas.
The Provincial Planning and Development
Office meanwhile, explicates that the proposed project is financially viable
with a positive net present value Php 17.84 Million, and 15.33 % financial
internal rate of return, greater than the weighted 7.8 % average cost of
capital.
The Economic Development Committee, in its
meeting past May 9, 2013 recommended the inclusion of the project in the RIDP,
and endorsement of Phase II of the project to the PPP Center for funding in
preparation for a feasibility study under the Project Development and
Monitoring Fund. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon/PPDO/Photos: VLabalan)
