|
MANILA,
July 4 (PNA) -- Mactan Island has risen over the years as a unique
blend of beach gateways, tourist and recreation enclaves, light
industries and suburban living.
The
Island is comprised of Lapu-Lapu City and the municipality of Cordova.
Formerly known as the swampy town of Opon, Lapu-Lapu City comprises
most parts of Mactan and several islands.
It
is connected to mainland Cebu by 2 bridges, known as the
Mactan-Cebu-Mandaue Bridge and the Marcelo Fernan Bridge which span the
Cebu Strait.
The
presence of the two bridges has greatly improved the accessibility
between Lapu-Lapu City and other areas in Cebu by reducing
transportation cost and travel time.
The
city of Lapu-Lapu was formerly the swampy town of Opon until June 17,
1961 when R.A. No. 3134, the charter of Lapu-Lapu was finally passed.
The city got its name from Datu Lapu-Lapu who, on April 27, 1521 fought
the invading Spanish conquistadores led by Ferdinand Magellan, and
successfully repelled the assault on the shores of Mactan. An old
shrine still stands as a testament to the battle.
The
historic encounter, now known as “Kadaungan sa Mactan” is still
celebrated yearly as a week-long affair featuring musical plays and
cultural events culminating with a re-enactment of the battle at the
shores where it actually happened.
The
vibrant tourism industry, the upbeat and supportive business sector,
sun, sand, sea and music make up the core of Lapu-Lapu as being the
“Sunny Side of Mactan.”
Arturo
Radaza, mayor of Lapu-Lapu who have assumed his office since 2001, has
been steadily implementing projects and programs geared towards
developing the City of Lapu-Lapu as an internationally competitive city
in the Philippines.
“I have envisioned a Lapu-Lapu City as a world-class Gateway of the Philippines to the world,” said Adaza.
Owing
to its long stretch of white sand beaches, sparkling blue water and
coral formations, Mactan Island of which Lapu-Lapu is the there, is
home to the most sought-after resorts in the world.
The
Plantation Bay Resort & Spa, set in 7 hectares of secluded grounds,
offers one of the largest privately-owned waterways in the world;
Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort & Spa, only 15 minutes away from
the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, on a beautifully-landscaped 13
hectare site; the Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa, Maribago Bluewater
Resort and Costabella Tropical Beach Hotel.
For
those who want simpler and less expensive accommodation, there is an
equally long stretch of budget resorts along the eastern beachfront to
choose from. The neighboring Cordova town had Cordova Reef Village
Resort, which have one of the country’s best dive heavens.
An
emerging tourist attraction is the Olango group of islands across
Mactan which become the temporary habitat of migratory birds from
northeast Asia to escape from the cool winter months.
An
eco-tourism and coastal resource management program has been put in
place in Olango to encourage bird watching and other nature-oriented
activities. During summer, the island is ideal for snorkeling,
sea-kayaking, sailing and island-hopping.
History
buffs should not miss the Magellan marker and the towering monument of
his vanquisher, Lapu-Lapu. There is also the Spanish-era Muelle Osmena
which was once the major port of Opon. One can also visit the Virgen de
la Regla Shrine, the only Catholic Church in the city.
World-class
guitars have given music to some internationally famed musicians. Many
products like wood carvings and shell crafts have been made important
pieces in homes the world over.
Golfers
can satisfy their insatiable longing for the fairways at the Ebuen Air
Base Golf Course located just a few minutes from the airport. The
sprawling greens, the scenic seascape can surely make for a perfect
swing.
The
bounty of surrounding seas make Lapu-Lapu City’s cuisine incomparably
fresh. Sumptuous seafood delights are available at hotel outlets or
seaside sutukil eateries.
Variuous
restaurants also offer Americans, European or Asian culinary
specialties. Don’t forget to bring home “lechon” cause it’s the number
1 in Cebu.
Investing
in the city is always a winning proposition. It will be noted that
Lapu-Lapu City emerged as the 2nd in the overall ranking in the area of
“Starting a Business” with Taguig City getting the top spot in the
research study entitled “Doing Business in the Philippines 2008”.
The
study was made by the Asian Institute of Management in partnership with
the Governments of Canada and Australia, together with the
International Finance Corporation of the World Bank, the Investment
Climate Service of the WB, the National Competitiveness Council, the
Board of Investments and the Department of Trade and Industry.
Radaza
said the research involves the look at the different factors and
programs that affects the overall business atmosphere of the top 21
cities in the Philippines under three categories; Starting a Business,
Dealing with Licenses and Registering of Property.
In
2004, the City received recognition as the cleanest and greenest city
in Region VII and its public market as the Cleanest Public Market in
the entire region.
“We
also reinforced the tax and revenue generation campaign that saw the
upsurge of the City’s income to Php 700 million from Php314 million at
the end of 2007. For the year 2007, the City enjoyed an upsurge of
investments pouring in, with an estimated Php 4.7 billion by different
large companies setting up their businesses here. Robinsons Land,
biggest land development outside Manila is located in Lapu-Lapu City
with its Amisa Condominium Resort Complex,” Radaza said.
Most
recently, the City has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the
Mactan North Reclamation and Development Project, which will transform
the northern part into a bustling megaport town in the Pacific.
”We
have already prepared the road map to our 2020 vision of a world-class
city, and we have started to implement, phase by phase, projects that
will leaf us to the road of success. We will maintained our major roads
and highways and widened the road from Mactan to Punta Engano, as well
as the implementation of the Mactan Expressway,” Radaza said.
Meanwhile,
Paz Radaza, barangay chairwoman and wife of the mayor said, that some
of the new investments that speak overwhelming support of the business
sector includes the Eton Group, the largest real estate development of
the Lucio Tan group; the multi-million expansion of the hotel chain
Shangri-La and the Gaisano Mall of Joseph Gaisano.
The
others include MSY Holdings Corp., Far East Noble House, Inc.,
Commonwealth Estate, Inc., Pueblo De Oro, Inc., F3 Real Estate Corp.,
Crown Communities, Filinvest Development Corp., Sta. Lucia Realty,
Inc., Enrisons Property Holdings, Downy House and Country Homes, 8990
Housing Development Corp. and JG Summit Holdings, Inc. (PNA)
|