Matin supports Icot’s intention to takeover management of MacArthur Hotel

By Provincial Media Relations Center (PMRC Leyte)
December 17, 2007

PALO, Leyte  –  Former Leyte First District Rep. Remedios “Matin” Petilla supports the move of the Leyte Provincial Government under the leadership of Gov. Carlos Jericho “Icot” Petilla to acquire the MacArthur Resort Hotel.

Petilla, who is now a PAGCOR Vice Chairman for PGMA program for social development and also the chairman of the board of IBC-13, said Leyte province’s much-anticipated takeover of the management of MacArthur hotel is already in the offing.

In a recent interview, she disclosed that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself has already approved the desire of the province of Leyte to run the said hotel located in Palo town.

“The MacArthur Hotel will soon be turned over to Leyte province as the President already issued an Executive Order transferring the management of the hotel to the provincial government of Leyte,” Petilla said.

But she said some paper works and certain resolutions by designated agencies have yet to be completed before this transfer could be fully realized.

Tourism Regional Director Karen Tiopes, for her part, said the transfer would still need the concurrence of the members of the board of directors of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) which incidentally is being chaired by Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

But Petilla believes that the much-awaited turn over of the said hotel to Leyte province would occur sooner than expected. She said the turn over of the hotel would all the more improve the services of this facility and save it from the reported losing operations.

Petilla said the governor already has a prospective investor that would run the hotel by the time it is already transferred to the province of Leyte. She said the governor has tapped a consortium of foreign and local investors to operate the hotel.

Petilla disclosed that the structural and operational plan for the hotel was already formulated in preparation for the much-anticipated take over. According to her, the prospective investors are planning to convert the same facility into a four star or a five star hotel, eventually.

Along with the hotel development, Petilla disclosed that the governor is also planning to include the government center in the development initiatives of the province as it is located just near the MacArthur Hotel.