Offering something new to Cebu

This is an artist’s perspective of Anjo World, which will be one of the theme park attractions of Belmont One, an integrated family entertainment complex in Minglanilla town in southern Cebu.

Belmont Group sees winning formula for Minglanilla project: residential + commercial + theme parks

It takes innovation and awareness of market needs to be able to adapt through decades in business.

This is especially true for local firm Belmont Group which started its businesses in the hardware industry 45 years ago.

Eventually, they ventured into the booming real estate sector in 2010.

Now, the group has diversified further into building commercial spaces and an amusement park in the southern town of Minglanilla.

According to Chester Lim, president of Belmont Group, it took several years for the group’s board to decide on what to do with their 3.5-hectare property in Barangay Calajoan, Minglanilla.

“This will be an integrated family entertainment complex. There were lots of studies, initially we wanted a housing component. In Minglanilla, there are already 80 subdivisions. If you put a residential project here, there’s no added value,” Lim said.

“So we had to depart. From a residential project to a commercial one. We conceptualized the retail component. But we needed something new. So we thought of a theme park,” he added.

Dubbed as Belmont One, the property will include as its centerpiece a world-class amusement park named Anjo World, the first Snow World outside

Manila, a commercial complex, a hotel, and a food park.

According to Lim, they are investing around P500 million for the project.

Belmont One officials broke ground for the project last week.

In order to cash in on the coming Christmas season, the Snow World and some of the rides of Anjo World will already be opened to the public.

So we had to depart. From a residential project to a commercial
one. We conceptualized the retail component. But we needed something new. So we thought of a theme park.

LIM

Safety and security

Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 Regional Director Shalimar Tamano said they are supporting projects like Belmont One, seeings its contribution to the local tourism industry.

But more than anything, he reminded the project’s developer to ensure the safety of the rides not just for tourists but also for locals who are expected to flock the area once it opens.

“We want our tourists to arrive home safe and sound. Dili ta magdali (Let’s not rush). Stick to the schedule to make sure our