Mactan Island: Sun, Sand, Sea and Maribago

A little over an hour  and a soothing shut-eye after takeoff from the Manila domestic airport via Philippine Airlines, we were in Cebu on a simmering summer day. A 20-minute ride from the Mactan International Airport took us to the Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort in Buyong, Maribago on Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu City.

A refreshing welcome drink and quick check-in later, we found ourselves squinting in the scorching sun and sinking our feet in Maribago’s inviting sand. Past the Olympic-size pool and an open-air hilot pavilion, we made our way to our Amuma suite. It was home suite home for us, as soon as we saw the queen beds, the big dresser, the big closets, and, hey, we have an outdoor shower and bathtub filled with flower petals!

Indeed, Maribago likes to pamper guests and do things in a supersize way, and there’s more in store at much less for guests if they’re Citibank cardholders. Maribago has its Bluewater Bliss Packages, where a deluxe room is at P7,000 net per night, an Amuma Spa suite at P8,000 net per night, and a royal bungalow at P12,000 per night. From now until February 25, 2009, Citibank cardholders can enjoy exclusive privileges when they stay at Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort. First off, all Citibank cardholders are entitled to a 10-percent discount on published rates, promo rates, Amuma Spa services, and Aquamania sports. Even better, Citibank Gold cardholders get all these perks plus a complimentary room upgrade to an Amuma Spa suite or a higher-room category, which easily amounts to savings of as much as P2,000.

Now, who can resist such a cool offer, especially during these hot summer days, when everybody’s raring to get away from the crowded, polluted city?

“Everyone is looking for the perfect vacation place,” says Aneth Lim, Citibank vice president for public relations and communications. “Cebu has always been a favorite local destination, as it offers something for everyone shopping, dining, sightseeing, jet skiing, scuba diving, sailing, snorkeling, island hopping. And Maribago is one of the most popular resorts in Cebu, and it’s mostly enjoyed by travelers who are not from the Philippines. But this is also a good time for Filipinos, who are looking to Cebu as a great vacation destination, to visit Maribago.”

Says Margie Munsayac, Maribago VP for sales and marketing, “As a matter of fact, because we’re 20 years old, we’re doing a lot of renovations in the resort, which is running on 86-percent average occupancy with 152 rooms. To meet the needs of domestic travelers, we’re upgrading our rooms, building facilities like the Amuma Spa, which we built last year. We’re renovating the beach wing, where the original rooms circa the 80s are. Actually, we’re “rebuilding tearing down the old cottages and putting up new ones.”

And to think it all started with just a few cottages which Arcadio Alegrado, consul of Austria in Cebu, put up in 1989 in his beachfront property in Maribago, Mactan Island. He wanted to retire in this small resort facing a 100-meter pristine white sand beach. In July, 1989, the Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort opened with 32 cottages, one lagoon-shaped swimming pool, and one main restaurant. With its beautifully landscaped ambience, cozy cottages, and the very personalized service of an efficient and well-trained crew, the resort soon became very popular by word of mouth. With the demand for rooms growing, especially from foreign guests from Europe, Australia, Japan, and Asian countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, Maribago added 44 more cottages to make up the garden wing. In 1993, Maribago added conference room facilities and a seafood restaurant. In 1996, coming home after finishing a Hotel & Restaurant Management course in Austria, Consul Alegrado’s daughter Julie took over the reins of Maribago. With the growth in tourism, Maribago continued its expansion, building an additional wing, the Amuma Spa, and its own spa facilities. Today, it has 152 rooms, spa, conference, and aqua sports facilities, as well as a kids club, making the resort truly a destination for the whole family.

Source: Ching M. Alano (NewsFlash.org)

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