The island of Mactan, Cebu has made a name for itself as one of the province’s destinations for all lovers of the sea. Presently, it is home to numerous hotels and resorts, ranging from budget-friendly accomodations to luxurious international brands. However, this would not have been possible without the trailblazers who made a bet on the island, betting on its prospects as a tourist destination of the future.
One of the first resorts developed is Bluewater Maribago, which recently celebrated its 35th year. The brainchild of Arcadio Castillo Alegrado, the resort opened its doors in 1989 with 32 villas spread across its 3-hectare property. Today, it now boasts of 255 rooms over 7 hectares of land. It has also opened its first vertical structure — the Sidlakan wing which is a 6-storey building filled with 65 rooms.
“We decided to call this new building Sidlakan, meaning ‘to shine,’” shared Margie Munsayac, the resort’s vice president of sales and marketing. “That’s where the sun rises–in the east. Right after the pandemic, we wanted to embrace a sense of positivity.”
The construction of the building was in response to the growing number of guests the resort receives. Rhyz Buac, vice president for operations and finance of Bluewater Resorts shared that occupancy rates as well as revenues have already surpassed 2019 levels. For the first six months of 2024, it has recorded an average occupancy rate of 90 percent.
The resort enjoys a healthy mix of guests both from the local crowd and international tourists, and while Buac shared that international arrivals have yet to return to 2019 levels, it is steadily rising thanks to the numerous direct flights to Cebu offered by international airlines.
Meanwhile, Bluewater Maribago assistant general manager Domiku Sebastien Ugarte, grandson of the Maribago Group founder, recalls how the resort started as a family rest house, how many of their family events and milestones were celebrated there, how he and his siblings grew up alongside the resort, and how it has grown and evolved into becoming a hotspot for both family and corporate events.
Ugarte explains that one trait that makes Bluewater Maribago stand out from other resorts in the area is its unique brand of Filipino hospitality. “We are more than just a resort, we are a community. And we will continue to innovate and improve,” he said.
The resort will also be updating its operations by incorporating the newest developments in technology but the essence of Filipino hospitality, highlighted by the Cebuanon word “amuma”, which means “to care, nurture, and tend”, will remain at the core of Bluewater Maribago.
