The Mactan Newtown: A Busy New Town

by Karen Casalme

From the date of its launch in 2011, The Mactan Newtown has proved to become one of Megaworld’s premier and progressive township developments. This year, it was awarded the Best Mixed-Use Development in Visayas and Mindanao by The Outlook, after being the Gold Winner for Masterplan Category by FIABCI Philippines in 2018. There is no question that their various festivities and upcoming developments - aiming to give residents and tourists a complete Cebu experience - contributed greatly to this success. Here’s a quick recap of what recently happened in The Mactan Newtown.

May: Mango Madness

All sunshine and smiles from this year’s Cebu Mangoes Festival! The two-day celebration included Mango Picking, Mango Street Dancing, and the making of the Biggest Mango Sago. There were also sweet treats and delicacies available for visitors to bring home.

August: Roast and Race

The month of August called for something savory. The Cebu Lechon Festival had its grand celebration at The Mactan Newtown and gathered all the homegrown lechon-makers in Cebu for people to see live roasting and to taste the best lechon dishes and pairings. There were also lechon cooking competitions and exhibits, as well as cultural performances and bands to complete the 10-day long celebration.

August did not stop there. The biggest triathlon event in the Philippines - Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 - was held on Sunday, August 11, 2019. According to Sun Star Philippines, more than 2,500 athletes from 57 countries participated and raced their way through a 1.9-kilometer swim, 90K bike, and 21K run.

September: Beach Mall

This one surprised us all. Megaworld is building the first ever Beach Mall in the Philippines inside the township development - The Mactan Newtown Beach Walk. A total of P1.5B will be allocated for this project which will feature a man-made lagoon at the center where beach lovers may engage in watersports activities such as jet skiing, boating, and wakeboarding. The two-level mall will also highlight state-of-the-art cinemas, a Food Hall, and its very own chapel surrounding a garden. The Mactan Newtown Beach Walk is expected for completion in 2021.

November: Savoy Hotel Mactan

The most awaited opening of the first hotel in the township development swarmed with guests and performances last November 12, 2019. Savoy Hotel Mactan is the largest in Mactan Island to date in terms of the number of rooms. They have Superior and Deluxe Rooms, Deluxe Premier, and Junior Suites - making up a total of 547 rooms perfect for leisure or business. The colorful interiors of the hotel were designed by world-renowned Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) - the same firm that designed Shangri-La Dubai and Fullerton Hotel in Singapore.

To officially open the doors of Savoy Hotel Mactan and offer the best of Cebuano hospitality, a ceremonial toast was headed by General Manager Grace Bartolome, along with Megaworld Corporation officials. Cultural performances and a special number from boy band JBK also added up to the highlights of this event.

Ribbon Cutting. Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown General Manager Grace Bartolome (left) lead the ribbon cutting and a toast to the newly-opened hotel. With her are (from 2nd from left) Megaworld Cebu Properties, Inc. President Noli D. Hernandez, Megaworld Chief Operating Officer Lourdes T. Gutierrez-Alfonso, Lapu-Lapu City Tourism Officer Edward Mendez, Megaworld Hotels Managing Director Raymundo V. Melendres.

December: Season of Giving

While Christmas trees are being lit, presents are being wrapped, and carols are being sung, The Mactan Newtown has different plans. In partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, they hosted the country’s largest charity run to date - the Million Volunteer Run 5. This fun run aimed to help humanity in general including typhoon victims, flood victims, the homeless, and dialysis patients. According to Vic Jay Gonzal, the Chapter Administrator of the Philippine Red Cross Lapu-Lapu/Cordova Chapter, the proceeds will be used in humanitarian missions and the everyday operation cost of the Philippine Red Cross activities. There were approximately 30,000 runners at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila during the said event.

This 2019 has been a very busy yet successful year for The Mactan Newtown. As it welcomes another year, we can expect that they have more in store for all of us. For now, we give our thanks to all the locals and tourists who joined these activities and helped support other efforts of Megaworld’s township developments. Daghang Salamat!