Cebu’s vibrant tourism industry is expected again to prosper as another leisure project will rise in Mactan, the P35 billion peso Seagrove.

Ayala Land Inc., in partnership with Metro-Gaisano-Group’s Taft Punta Engaño Properties Inc. (TPEPI), disclosed to the media that it will start off its billion peso leisure development venture on Mactan Island called the Seagrove, which is anticipated to provide 13,000 job opportunities.

Ayala Land Inc. is the project manager, while TPEPI is the owner-developer.

Seagrove is a seafront playground, resort and commercial development project that is expected to bring a multitude of attractions that will enhance Cebu’s tourism economy. The master plan of the project was shown to the local media and government officials during the unveiling ceremony on November 10 at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa.

Seagrove is surfing the city’s tourism wave and will be sitting on a 14-hectare property in Barangay Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City in front of a 40-hectare mangrove forest. This establishment will be home to hotels, entertainment, retail, and water facilities, theme parks, swimming pools and more boardwalks.

This leisure estate is set to rake in a new pack of adventure into the island of Mactan. This coastal resort will be offering world-class amenities to add to Cebu’s attractions. Seagrove will bring in new concepts like the seascape for new water thrills to landscape, lagoon pack with recreational activities, boardwalks and a mangrove forest that exhibits nature’s majestic touch. It will also have multi-use areas to hold concerts, bazaars, and other entertainment activities. Theme-park attractions are in the cards as well, along with street performances, entertainment arcades, fish-feeding venue, and confectionaries. For the foodies out there, Seagrove will offer homegrown food as well as classic national and international dishes. It will also have souvenir shops and convenience stores.

To deliver the ecofun part, the Seagrove Lagoon will have ambient lounge pools, sports pools, rock pools, mineral springs, and fish ponds to capitalize on the island’s rich water resources.

Even the mangrove forest will be part of the ecofun offering of the development as it is set to be home to kayaking, paddle boarding, kitesurfing, and snorkeling. Guests will get to enjoy the lush forest and its aquatic wildlife.

These amenities will complement the existing leisure facilities in the island, said Cebu Holdings Inc. President Aniceto V. Bisnar.

The first phase of the Seagrove is expected to cost P4 billion until its completion in 2020. It will include a 200-room Holiday Inn hotel, boardwalk retail, swimming pool, pedestrian spine, and more boardwalks. Bisnar said that the primary phase of the development will provide roughly 2,000 different jobs for the locality.

There is a total of about 10,000 square meters of leasable area allotted for retail, commercial and shopping component called The Shops at Seagrove. Approximately 4,000 square meters of it will be occupied by the initial phase of construction.

While the first phase will be completed by 2020, the entire development may take around 10 to 15 years to finish up, said TPEPI director Iris Mediano.

Mayo Paz-Radaza of Lapu-Lapu City expressed for her part and thanked the benefactors for the wholesome trust in her city. She said this is something everyone can look forward to. This will not only boost up the tourism industry but also provide different jobs to the people.