"The resort project will be the biggest Korean investment so far in the country," Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Joseph H. Durano enthused during the recent groundbreaking ceremony for the Philippine BXT Corporation's The Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort & Spa in Mactan, Cebu. Its Chairman, Mr. Park Yong Jun, envisions this to be their major offshore venture and promises to bring state-of-the-art in waterpark technology to raise water and marine recreation to a new level.


The 616-room class AAA resort will consist of six medium-rise and three low-rise buildings and 40 single units complete with amenities. To be developed in three years on a 7.5 hectare private property in Lapulapu City, Mactan Island, Cebu, the project will boast of swimming pools, tennis courts, golf course and water sports facilities.


The property will be managed by Imperial Palace Hotel, one of the finest in South Korea, now with global operations through the Summit Hotels and Resorts. The country's renown architect Tessie P. Javier is behind the resort buildings' unique designs which combine functionality with luxury as well as modern with locally-inspired architecture.


The ceremony started with a simple Korean rite followed by the blessing and lowering of the time capsule. At the cocktail programme, DOT Secretary Durano expressed his appreciation for the Philippine BXT's confidence in investing in the country. He added, "Our marketing efforts have paid off. This sets off a "virtuous" cycle of attracting visitors and increasing the demand for infrastructure and facilities. As tourist traffic continues, investments will follow and while we had targeted for five million visitor arrivals in 2010, we are confident that such may be exceeded with our relentless efforts at general tourism and investment promotion."


The event was also attended by other BXT officials and Korean guests, local government executives, businessmen, key personalities from the tourism industry and DOT officials. Korean as well as national and local media were present to cover the activity.