Mactan resorts brace for traffic woes

CEBU, Philippines - Major resorts on Mactan Island are preparing contingency plans for the expected heavy traffic going to and from the Cebu mainland, due to the year-long Mandaue-Mactan bridge rehabilitation.

Shangri-La's Mactan Resort & Spa general manager Rene D. Egle said in an interview yesterday that the resort has prepared boats to transport guests going to the mainland.

What needs to be clarified now is the availability of docking area for the sea shuttle service in Cebu, said Egle.

Other preparations being worked out by the resort, Egle said, is to communicate with guests regarding the bridge closure and its effect to traffic flow. Also, employees who are living in Cebu will be provided with special ferry service to avoid work schedule interruptions.

However, concrete contingency plans for the resort will still be finalized in the next few days,  as it is still calculating and studying the actual impact of the bridge repair.

Plantation Bay Resort and Spa's general manager Efren Belarmino also announced yesterday that the resort has prepared a dormitory facility for Cebu-based workers to give them options to stay, if work schedule is affected by the heavy traffic.

In the business side, Belarmino expressed optimism that despite the repair and the expected struggles in traffic flow, Mactan-based accommodation facilities will less be affected, because their type of guests prefer to stay within the resort, or bulk of them are leisure travelers.

What worries Belarmino is the interest of local market to spend their weekends or leisure get-aways on the the island. Because of this, Plantation Bay expects softening of local guests, although he said "if they really want to come, they will come and bear the traffic.

Mia Sy, Crimson Resort and Spa's PR, marketing, and communications manager said that the resort has recently designed special live-in package for Cebu City accounts to make them stay and have enough time to enjoy the facilities instead of going through traffic after a meeting.

According to Sy, Crimson will also promote weekend get-away to the mainland market, so that going back to the city won't be so bad as the weekdays.

Crimson employees have also been warned of the expected congestion, and that the management advised their Cebu City-based workers to leave earlier than usual, or relocating temporarily in Mactan.

In general, these resorts do not expect severe negative impact on their businesses, as most of their guests do not have an issue of traffic congestion  from the airport to their respective properties. (FREEMAN)