This is an artist’s perspective of the “Hospicondotelity”
project in Moalboal, which broke ground on Sept. 29, 2018.
Investors to build P500-million project – a hospital and a condotel in a 19-floor structure – in tourist hotspot in south Cebu
Integrated developments are becoming the more lucrative options for developers in Cebu.
While there is still a growing need for residential properties, tourism-related projects are also proving to be a wise choice given the strength of Cebu as a tourist destination.
Foreigners in Cebu are also potential markets for medical tourism, which is recently being pushed by the government.
Property management and research firm Colliers International Philippines sees projects that could combine these needs would be able to cash in on the demand.
“Colliers believes that the concept of medical facilities being built alongside hotels should become more popular in Cebu moving forward as its traditional visitor markets – China, South Korea, and Japan – have ageing demographics,” said Colliers Research Manager Joey Bondoc.
Including condo units or condotels is also a viable option, Bondoc said, as this could serve the residential needs for tourists and patients who might want to stay in Cebu for an extended period of time.
As early as now, some investors are already looking into this trend.
Hospicondotelity
Alavan Epic City Development Corp. is planning to build a project dubbed as “hospicondotelity” in the southern town of Moalboal — a major tourist spot famous for its white beaches and diving spot including Pescador Island.
The project is conceptualized by Dr. Vanessa Cabaron, practicing doctor specializing in internal medicine for 19 years in the US, and hotelier Alan Duarte who has extensive experience in the hospitality industry in Cebu and abroad.
“More and more expats want to settle here in Cebu. Filipinos are very popular abroad. Aside from the English fluency, we have that human touch, that warm hospitality that a lot of foreigners like as well as a compassionate attitude,” Cabaron said in an interview.
They are investing around P500 million for the construction of the structure dubbed as Alavan Epic City which will stand in a 3,000-square meter property in Barangay Balabagon.
The project broke ground last September 29. It is expected to be completed after at least three years.
Colliers believes that the concept of medical facilities being built alongside hotels should become more popular in Cebu moving forward as its traditional visitor markets – China, South Korea, and Japan – have ageing demographics.
Structure with 2 wings
The main building will be 19 floors, which will be where the hotel rooms and facilities, and the condominium units will be located.
What makes the structure unique is that it will have two wings that will be only eight storeys high and are attached to the hotel building.
One wing will house the 100-bed capacity hospital to be called the Gonzalo S. Cabaron Memorial Hospital, named after Cabaron’s father.
The other wing will hold some commercial spaces as well as some government spaces.
The building’s rooftop will have a helipad.
Although they will have to start as an infirmary, Cabaron said they target the hospital to get a secondary hospital accreditation from the Department of Health (DOH).
They have also started talks with DOH officials who have told them that projects like Alavan Epic City, which fuses a medical facility with a hotel and condo units is not prohibited under existing laws.
Duarte and Cabaron
For his part, Duarte already has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry.
He has worked as manager in a hotel in Guam as well as a resident manager of the Prime Minister’s Palace of the Kurdistan Regional Government in the Middle East.
“I have worked in the hotel industry for so long. In real estate, the higher the number of floors, the higher the rates as it gives a good ambiance. We made a unique design and we made it high rise to attract the international market,” he said.
Duarte and Cabaron used to be elementary classmates in Cebu City.
Over the years, they have been seeing each other during vacations to Cebu during their free time from working abroad.
The two started discussions for the Alavan Epic City project in 2011 and mobilized their plans this year.
According to Cabaron, they also would want to showcase the Filipino medical professionals which are mostly going abroad with their talents.
“We wanna shine with medical tourism. We got talented doctors, Filipino nurses who work abroad. We are known as compassionate care providers,” she said.
They also chose to invest in Moalboal due to the concentration of tourists in the area.
Their location is also just 10 meters away from the beach which can give their patients, residents, and guests a feel of urban living while still away from the city.
Colliers’ Joey Bondoc also lauded the choice of location.
“Moalboal is also a diving spot so developers should seriously consider their foreign market. Will they focus on European or East Asian visitors? Then the developer should curate their offerings based on the average length of stay and average daily expenditure of these foreign visitors,” he suggested.