Sambawan beach resort in Maripipi now open to tourists

By RODRIGO S. VICTORIA, PIA Biliran
April 27, 2012

NAVAL, Biliran  –  As local and foreign tourists flock to famous  beach resorts in the country to cool themselves this summer, a newly developed beach resort located southwest in the island municipality of Maripipi particularly in Sambawan islets is now open to tourists.

Mayor Uldarico P. Macorol of Maripipi one of the eight towns in Biliran province informed PIA in an interview that a private developer named Nestor C. Macorol, a Baptist church leader who is engaged in the business of supplying water filter in Manila and who hails from Maripipi, took interest in developing the beach  which started in February this year.

Sambawan beach resort has now four cottages made of native materials and construction of other cottages are on-going, to include four solar panels that provide electricity to the cottages during daytime, two guardhouses and nine steward maintenance who maintain the cleanliness of the resort, Macorol said.

He added that a generator set will be provided to tourists who opt to stay overnight in Sambawan beach resort plus policemen from the municipality who will be dispatched in the area to provide security to tourists.

Macorol confided that the private developer will provide water supply in Sambawan beach resort by installing PVC pipes from the main source of water in the municipality to the resort. Installation of water pipes that will run under the sea will start next month.

Construction of a canteen is on-going to serve the need for food of the tourists and other necessary facility like a function hall for a bigger number of guests who wish to hold meetings in the resort, he disclosed.

Fee for the use of a cottage is pegged at P500 for overnight stay and an entrance fee of P10 per head for adults and P5 per head for children is collected, he added.

Macorol disclosed that Sambawan beach resort can be reached in 10 to 15 minutes through pump boat ride from Barangay Ol-og in Maripipi.

He also informed that a fast craft operated by Ken Flores, who also hails from Maripipi, will be plying the Maripipi-Naval and Naval-Maripipi and Naval-Cebu and Cebu-Naval routes starting next month.

Reservations for Sambawan beach resort have increased since its opening in March, this year, Macorol said.

Many tourists already came to the resort and in fact the members of the local tourism council of the municipality of Kawayan in Biliran province will hold their meeting on Tuesday (May 1) in Sambawan beach resort, Macorol said.