Japanese tycoon Okada to open biggest resort on Dec. 21

Asian business leaders I’ve talked to from Japan, China, Malaysia, and South Korea are unanimous in strongly supporting bold reforms and new economic initiatives in the Philippines. The latest are Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada and the top executives of his $5 billion Okada Manila integrated resort: COO Takahiro Usui, president Steve Wolstenholme, vice president for entertainment Maxwell Zetlin, property CFO Laurence Hawke, and creative director of entertainment Giulio Scatola.

Okada Manila’s UK-born president Wolstenholme said in an exclusive interview with The Philippine STAR: “Chairman Okada is very bullish about Philippine economic growth. He has been doing business here since 2008 with his Batangas factory for slot machines and pachinko machines. The Philippine economy is growing at seven percent right now; we see this increasing to double-digit growth rates due to good policies like new infrastructure developments, and the government’s opening up to China is very significant.”

Hong Kong-based, self-made gaming tycoon Okada is estimated by Forbes magazine to have a net worth of US$41.76 billion; he has invested in the Philippines’ largest integrated resort property, Okada Manila, which will hold its soft launch and preview on Dec. 21. Out of the $5 billion, 44-hectare project, $2.4 billion has been invested so far in phase one. The grand opening will be in the first quarter of 2017. Okada’s firm is Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment, Inc., part of the Japan-based casino resorts conglomerate Universal Entertainment Corp.

Okada Manila will also cohost the Miss Universe international beauty pageant in January 2017, which is expected to boost the growth momentum of Philippine tourism.

Wolstenholme said, “The preview opening and the free concert by top Filipino entertainers at Okada Manila starting Dec. 21 is our visionary chairman Okada’s Christmas gift to the Philippines. On Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, chairman Okada and I will be at Okada Manila to personally greet all the 5,000 employees of this first phase of the integrated resort. By its grand opening early next year, we will be employing a total of 8,000 people here. This resort will make a difference to the Philippines; Okada Manila will be a game-changer for Manila and to the Philippines.”

Asean’s Biggest UV-Protected Indoor Beach Club

Instead of exporting Filipino singers and entertainers to luxury hotels, resorts and cruise ships all over the globe, or importing high-priced foreign superstars to Manila for concerts, Okada (former PLDT boss Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco is one of his local partners) wants his new integrated resort complex to become a venue to showcase Filipino talent, which will attract more tourists to the Philippines. Okada Manila has a 9,000-sqm. entertainment venue enclosed in a glass dome, as well as the largest UV-protected indoor beach club in all of Southeast Asia, with two expansive stages (maximum capacity of 4,500 guests).

In cooperation with Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM) led by Filipino singers Ogie Alcasid, Gary Valenciano, Noel Cabangon and Dingdong Avanzado (whose wife is singer/actress Jessa Zaragoza), Okada Manila’s soft opening of Phase I will have a Christmas outdoor concert with performances by topnotch Filipino artists. The public can expect to witness a phenomenal pyrotechnics display in concert with a spectacular laser light show that should be visible from as far away as Quezon City. The fireworks and light show will be the first of its kind in Manila.

On Okada Manila’s partnership with OPM and plans to showcase Filipino talents alongside international performers, Wolstenholme said, “It’s also about Filipino development, about developing tourism and entertainment. We will contribute to enhance all these. It gives me goosebumps.”

The Philippines’ Largest Dancing Fountain

As part of Okada Manila’s preview leading up to its grand opening, visitors are welcome to watch the largest dancing fountain in the Philippines, measuring 37,464 square meters. A report said it will be “the second in the world in scope and size only to the Dubai Fountain in Burj Khalifa lake” created by WET Design architects of Sun Valley, California, led by the famous firm’s chief technical resources head Jim Doyle.

In an exclusive interview, Doyle told the STAR: “This unique foundation is chairman Okada’s commitment to create the best in the world. Our design for this fountain was inspired by your local flower named sampaguita; I think its name means ‘promise.’ It took us four months to design it, and we had to keep flying back and forth to the Philippines on four trips to complete this design. I’ve done 230 fountains all over the world, including the classic fountain in Bellagio, Las Vegas, and the Dubai Fountain in the Middle East; this one in Okada Manila is unique because it speaks to Filipino society and to Filipino history; it is rare due to the commitment of the investors to the best.”

Wolstenholme added, “Our resort will create the wow factor in facilities and design. Just the unique fountain alone will project water 30 meters higher than our huge building. It will be spectacular. We want everyone in the Philippines and the tourists to have this fountain as part of the must-see places in this country.”

Okada Manila’s fountain is reportedly as expansive as 50 Olympic-sized swimming pools, making it larger than the WET Design fountain at Bellagio, Las Vegas, which holds 22 million gallons of water. It is going to be majestic.

Tourism Boom With New Infrastructure

GMA Network, Inc. chairman Atty. Felipe Gozon said in an exclusive interview with the STAR: “The Philippine economy will grow even faster in 2017. it will be better, because there is high confidence among us in the business community. One of the reasons for this optimism and business confidence is the Duterte government’s plans for many new and large infrastructure projects — all these should have been done by government before.”

Aside from China, the second biggest military arms exporter and energy superpower Russia is also becoming the Philippines’ potentially important economic partner due to the Duterte administration’s pragmatic independent foreign policy.

Russian Ambassador Igor Khovaev recently said at a rare press conference in Kamuning Bakery Café, Quezon City, that President Duterte’s improving Philippine ties with his country can boost Russian tourist arrivals. He revealed that only 30,000 Russian tourists visited the Philippines last year, in contrast to a million Russian tourists visiting our neighbor Thailand in the same period, and said the Philippines has a lot more natural tourist attractions to offer.

“I encourage you to be more aggressive in promoting more tourism and other businesses with Russia,” Ambassador Khovaev said. “About 10 percent of our 150-million population go overseas as tourists — Russia has a big tourist market. We also welcome more overseas Filipino workers to Russia. We should expand economic relations. Russia supports the socio-economic development of the Philippines.”

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