BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
The owner of Resorts Negrense is optimistic that their business will contribute to the growth and also help strengthen the local tourism industry in Bacolod City with the launching a 45-room hotel and the re-opening of their resort in Brgy. Punta Taytay in the city yesterday.
Enrique Rojas said they re-opened the resort despite the pandemic in order to provide employment since the tourism industry has started to bounce back. He said the resort has employed about 80 workers and that they will be hiring more as they expand their services.
The resort was started by Rojas three years ago and opened its doors to the public last May 26, 2017.
The re-opening yesterday was attended by resort owners Enrique and Lourdes Rojas, Provincial Tourism Officer Jennilynd Cordero, Bacolod Councilors Cindy Rojas and Israel Salanga, Casa Noble proprietress Ma. Consolacion Noble, and executive to the mayor Teresa Manalili.
The event also marked the official announcement of the partnership between Resorts Negrense and Casa Noble.
Manalili said tourism and hospitality are among the hardest hit industries by COVID-19 and that the pandemic is expected to stay for long.
The road to recovery is going to be a long one. But always remember that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, she said, citing the bold move taken by Resorts Negrense.
Salanga, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Tourism said that almost 4 million Filipinos have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. But businesses like Resorts Negrense has provided job opportunities for the people of Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.
This is reflective of the business confidence in the city in line with tourism, he said.
Cordero said if you multiply the number of tourists expected to be added to the tourism statistics of Bacolod and the province, that would total about 30,000 a year. That is the challenges to be faced by workers in the local tourism in this hotel.
She said the re-opening of the resort is timely because September is Tourism Month and World Tourism Day is being celebrated every September 27. This year’s theme is “Tourism for Inclusive Growth.”
They are grateful to the Rojas family because they have employed a lot of people, she said adding “We should not leave anyone behind in tourism.”
The hotel, owned and operated by Rojas, president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, offers a viewing deck ideal for rooftop events with the scenic sunset over the Guimaras Strait as backdrop.
Resorts Negrense is offering special discounts for those who want to enjoy their staying in the hotel.
Other amenities of the resort include a jungle-inspired kiddie playground with slides, swings, merry-go-round, wall-climbing facility and life-size cartoon characters and animals which kids will surely enjoy.
Near the swimming pools are cottages of various designs and sizes, a beach volleyball court and barbeque pits. The resort has a five-hectare lagoon for kayaking, a walking and biking trail along the lagoon, a zipline, aviary, a videoke room and function rooms for meetings and family celebrations.*
