New resort to cash in on Oslob’s tourist attractions

A Dutch businessman and his Filipina partner are banking on Oslob’s tourist attractions such as the Tumalog falls, whale shark watching, and cultural and heritage sites, as  they’re set to open a resort on March 2.

They are confident of Cebu’s tourism potential and has decided to convert their 5,000 square meter property in Oslob into a resort which they started five years ago, Leo Regeer and Grace Garcia said in an interview yesterday.

“We bought the property in 2008 and waited for about a year before we started construction,” said Garcia.

The property which is near the beach with a cliff formation now have 13 rooms for overnight stay, a beach house, a jacuzzi, kitchen and swimming pools.
They have also built a 250-step stairway to the beach. The rooms are located 50 meters or about 150 feet from the beach front.

Phase 1
“We have completed the phase one of the contruction in the resort and is ready for full operations this March,” said Regeer.

Regeer said they also plan to build a bird park atop a 10-meter high rock with a 100-meter-wide surface.

“I call it my little Grand Canyon and I want a bird park placed there where the guests can go in and feel like they are in another place with all the different birds that we will be putting in the park,” sais Regeer.

A conference room for about 80 people will also be built this year in the resort.

Starting March 2, the resort will offer overnight stays with for as low as P1,500 a night to as much as P4,000 accommodation costs.

Phase 2
For the second phase, Regeer said that they plan to build two to three apartment-style buildings which he plans to sell as vacation homes or have it rented out for those who wants to live in a resort for vacations.

They plan to complete this project within five years. Then a wellness facility will be next in line which will take another three to four years to complete.

Wellness Center
“My vision is that what we will be earning in the resort will also go back to the community through the clinic where we will be offering free consultations to those who cannot afford to pay for medications especially those mentally retarded patients,” said Regeer.

Regeer is a teacher and consultant in Amsterdam who has set up his own LEO Management Aggression Prevention company in 1991 which deals with aggression prevention.

He also has his own hotel called Moto Hotel Auvergne which was the reason why he came to Cebu in 2007 to buy furniture for his property and met his partner Garcia.

European  Tourists
According to Regeer, once fully operational, he will be marketing the property in Europe and in major websites that European and American travellers checkout when they travel abroad.

“We are targeting to be ready for European and American tourists by September. Locally, we would be talking soon with the Department of Tourism and see how we could work together to promote the property,” said Regeer.

According to DOT regional director Rowena Montecillo, Oslob is one of the many municipalities in the southern part of Cebu that has a lot to offer in terms of tourism ranging from ecotourism to culture and heritage attractions.

“Boljoon, Oslob, Santander and Samboan form a strong cluster which offers products for ecotourism, culture and heritage. We can develop that,” Montecillo said.