SAMAL ISLANDS RESORT OPENS TODAY
Davao City, April 27, 1998 - The country's newest and perhaps most glittering southern gem opens today.
President Ramos flies to Davao today to inaugurate the resort which is the first development project to be completed int he 250-hectare Samal Islands Tourism Estate.
Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor will lead officials of the Department of Tourism, the Philippine Tourism Authority, Davao provincial leaders and the project developer, Ekran Berhad, at the opening rites.
The resort, costing P1 billion, feature 300 luxurious rooms, which book for $180-$200 per night and are built on land and over the sea. There are also substantial sites for trekkers and adventure- seekers, a 1,600-seat convention-ballroom and long stretches of white sand beaches.
Next year, the P400-million 18-hole golf course will be operational.
The Samal Casino Resort, as this newest Philippine tourist spot is called, is the showcase of a five- year, P10-billion tourism estate venture.
The resort is in the municipality of Kaputian, on the south coast of the largest of the Samal islands. It is a half-hour boat ride from Davao City, which can be reached by air either from Manila or by direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta.
The developer is Ekran Berhad, the holding company of the Malaysian conglomerate Ekran Services Inc., headed by building tycoon Tan Sri Datu Ting Pek Khiing.
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