Enterprise
Megaworld’s Mactan Expo Center Set to be Completed in 2025, Ready for Big International Summits
Taking pride as the country’s largest hotel developer and operator today, property giant Megaworld has started the construction of the P1.5-billion Mactan Expo Center, which is scheduled for completion by next year. This modern state-of-the-art convention facility, which has a seating capacity of almost 3,000 for theater-style set-up, will be Cebu’s first and only standalone convention and exposition center that has its own beach.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. led the capsule-laying ceremony of the Mactan Expo Center together with Alliance Global Group, Inc. CEO Kevin Andrew L. Tan, Megaworld chief operating officer Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan, and other local officials at the actual construction site of the convention facility, which is just a short walk from the historic Lapu-Lapu Shrine.
“We commit to finish the Mactan Expo Center by next year in order to host big international summits and conferences. This is our company’s contribution to further boost Cebu’s growing MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) industry, and of course, to the overall tourism agenda and programs of the Marcos administration,” says Tan.
To be managed by Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, the two-level Mactan Expo Center will offer almost 10,000 square meters or barely a hectare of MICE space. It will feature a convention hall for theater-style and banquet-style set-ups, which can be divided into three smaller halls. It will have its own foyer and pre-function areas, and the ground level will have two drop-off areas, a service kitchen area for various catering requirements, cafes, and an event showroom where expo center clients can check sample event set-ups and arrangements.
At the mezzanine level, the expo center will have two meeting rooms for smaller and more intimate events. Each meeting room can accommodate up to 100-150 persons for both banquet-style and theater-style set-ups. This level will also have an outdoor balcony that offers a view of the bustling township and even the sea.
Both the convention halls and meeting rooms will be equipped with fixed video screens, as well as state-of-the-art audio and visual systems, and video conferencing technology.
With its minimalist design that illuminates at night, the Mactan Expo Center’s facade will be complemented by interiors inspired by Cebu’s local culture, festivals, arts, flavors, nature scenes, and icons. Most of the design elements of the entire facility will be sourced locally in Cebu.
The Mactan Expo Center will be compliant with the requirements of the Philippine Green Building Council (PGBC) as it integrates several sustainability features into the structure, such as the use of low emissivity façade glass, low flow water fixtures, and having its own rainwater recycling facility as well as a sewage treatment plant and materials recovery facility.
This new convention facility will just be a few steps away from the two hotel properties inside The Mactan Newtown that already offer more than 1,000 room keys: the 547-room Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown and the 550-room Belmont Hotel Mactan. Both combined hotel room keys are the biggest in the whole of Cebu Province today.
The Mactan Expo Center will also be a short walk from the rising Mactan World Museum, which will celebrate the rich history of Mactan Island, including the historic Battle of Mactan, and the centuries-long friendship of the Philippines and Spain. The four-level museum will house exhibit galleries showcasing collections, artifacts, replica mementos, and interactive displays, and two performance halls.
The transformation of The Mactan Newtown
Megaworld began developing The Mactan Newtown more than 12 years ago, and Tan fondly recalled how the company started working on its vision for its Lapu-Lapu City township.
“Back then, it was all bare land. But we envisioned something big for this development. From that idle piece of real estate more than a decade ago, to the time we built our first development back in 2013, we take great pride in the exciting transformation of The Mactan Newtown today as a vibrant central business district of Lapu-Lapu City,” shares Tan.
Today, the company has already spent around P30 billion in the development of the township which started more than 10 years ago.
At present, the township is home to almost 1,500 residents in nine residential towers, and around 8,000 workers from the IT, BPO, and education sectors in eight office towers.
The Mactan Newtown Beach has also been recently developed to offer beachside facilities for swimming and leisure, and even for events. It has its own swimming pool and cabanas, a ceremonial garden on a cliff facing the sea for intimate weddings, hammock resting areas, food outlets, beach huts, playground, as well as seating and sunbathing areas.
“We will continue to stand by our commitment to help and support the government’s vision to strengthen the Philippine tourism industry. We will continue to build more hotels, facilities, and townships that will further boost this vision,” stresses Tan. (MCN)