Eastern Samar Philippines

BIG RESORT TO RISE ON CALICOAN ISLAND

Philippine Daily Inquirer

September 2, 2007
GUIUAN, EASTERN SAMAR — A multimillion-dollar beach resort would soon rise on Calicoan Island, which is envisioned as the surfing capital in Eastern Visayas.

Tim Brumlik, American resort developer and director of the Calicoan Island Resort Development Corp. (CIRDC), said the project would cost around $160 million.

Brumlik said construction work on the resort would start in January next year and would take over two years to finish.

CIRDC’s proposed 11-hectare resort would be located at the middle beach of the 1,600-hectare Calicoan Island, he said.

Douglas Ramsey, the architect who designed the project, said the eight-story hotel would be shaped like a pyramid and would have outdoor balconies.

Ramsey said the project would be a series of complexes with the condominium hotel as the main complex.

Aside from the condominium hotel, the resort would also have 20 private villas and a two-hectare swimming pool complex, he said.

The other features would include a health spa with casino component, medical facility for cosmetic surgery, stabilization unit, heliport, and a sports complex.

Brumlik said the investors of their Philippine corporation included himself and a few Europeans.

Lawyer Manuel Go, owner of the land to be occupied by CIRDC’s resort hotel, said a group of Korean investors would also set up a 500-room luxury hotel at the south beach of Calicoan Island.

Go also explained that his company does not have any involvement in the American and Korean business ventures, except to provide the site for the projects.

“We develop land and then find the people that do the verticals,” Go said.

Victor Domingo, presidential assistant for Eastern Visayas, said the government would be setting up infrastructure requirements for the upcoming resorts, such as a good airport, roads, power and water.

Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone, some Korean businessmen, local businessmen and other government officials attended the project’s launching held recently.

source : www.easternsamar.gov.ph

             Philippine daily inquirer