By Zorayda Tecson/PNA
BAGAC, Bataan — A multi-million peso-mountain resort here that will initially open In the second week of January next year has wanted to uplift the lives of about 800 individuals in a community adjacent to it.
The resort, known as Rancho Bernardo Luxury Villas and Resort, sits on a 15.3-hectare hilly land in the agricultural sitio of Kakiputan in Barangay Ibis, this town.
“Kakiputan” means narrow, and only carabao-driven sledges used to pass here, which is now a wide and well-paved road.
“Basically, ang gustong itulong ng Rancho sa mga tao sa Kakiputan ay ang umunlad ang kanilang buhay kasabay ng pag-unlad ng resort (Basically, what Rancho wants is to help the people of Kakiputan uplift their lives, along with the development of the resort),” Rancho Bernardo community development coordinator Isabel Lanada told local media on Sunday.
She said the resort also wants to be part of strengthening the community and ensure conservation of the environment.
She said Rancho has launched a pilot project involving the façade beautification of 25 houses in Kakiputan, with PHP50,000 as first prize and PHP20,000 and PHP15,000 as second and third prizes, respectively. Non-winners will receive PHP1,000 each as consolation prize.
The participants were initially given PHP5,000 each. Lanada said the beneficiaries formed themselves into a cooperative and will not rely on dole-outs as part of people empowerment.
“Positibo ang pagtanggap ng mga tao sa project. Nagkakaisa sila para sa kalinisan at kaunlaran ng lugar (The people have favorably accepted the project. They are united for the cleanliness and progress of the place),” she said.
“Masaya. Sa project na ito nakita ng mga tao na ang lugar namin ay maaliwalas (Happy. In this project, the people saw that our place is spacious),” villager Bella Aguisa said.
Myla Galang, another resident, said they cleaned the former garbage dump in the sitio.
“Nilinis namin para maganda tambayan namin. Masarap ang pakiramdam kapag malinis (We cleaned it, so our hangout will be nice. The feeling is good if it is clean),” she said.
Galang said they helped in cleaning even their neighbor’s surroundings.
Former Bagac Mayor Ramil del Rosario is the president of Golden Luck Consortium, mother company of Rancho Bernardo that takes care of the resort.
He said the first phase of the project is the building of 30 luxury villas and other amenities in a 3.3-hectares portion of the property with a budget of PHP600 million.
Del Rosario said it is the first high-end resort in Bataan.
The villas will have a garden each and havana with 24-hour butler service. The resort will have a helipad.
The former mayor said their target clientele is 80 percent Europeans.
Edwin Nojadera, Rancho purchaser, said it was named and patterned after Rancho Bernardo in San Diego, California.
Rent for the smallest villa is PHP45,000 overnight, with free breakfast good for two persons, and the biggest at PHP85,000 overnight good for four persons.
Nojadera said small orders like pizza and coffee can be delivered by drone to guests of villas uphill. He said curtains of the villas and other electronically-operated items are through voice command.
Bathtubs of the villas are 24-carat gold plated.
Ramon Martinez, Rancho general manager, described the resort as “not gorgeous, not beautiful, but stunning.”
“When you come to Rancho Bernardo Luxury Villas and Resort, it is beautiful one day and perfect the next day,” he said.
Martinez said their intention is to provide utmost quality service and Filipino hospitality only Filipinos know and unmatched in the world.
He said guests can take advantage of the mountain terrain, windy atmosphere, and beautiful sceneries.
“The villas are better than five-star quality not only in amenities but in service, food, and beverage,” Martinez said.
