AN OFFICIAL of Megaworld Corp. has assured that the property giant will continue to make Bacolod City shine with its developments carrying innovations and surprises poised to keep the locals smiling and proud.
Megaworld senior assistant vice president and head of public relations and media affairs Harold Brian Geronimo, who spoke at the Forbes Hill’s Christmas Village and Parol Lighting along Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road over the weekend, said the firm continues to give “so much gifts” to the Negros Occidental capital city.
Geronimo said that as the country celebrates the Christmas season and as part of their gratitude, as developers, they come to Bacolod City not just to do business here.
“We are here to also help generate jobs, help the economy of Bacolod City especially during the time of pandemic,” he said, adding that the reason why Megaworld gives so many gifts to Bacolod is that it loves the city.
One of the “gifts” the company official is referring to is the opening of the province’s first-ever McDonalds NXTGen store within Forbes Hill, a 15-hectare premiere residential village located within its 53-hectare township development called the Northill Gateway.
The first-of-its-kind store will be located a few steps away from the main gate of the village, just beside the iconic Las Vegas-inspired Bacolod City Welcome Marker -- another first in the Philippines.
Geronimo said they are opening the full-scale next-gen store of McDonald's next month, specifically before Christmas.
The McDonald's NXTGen store, Geronimo said, has innovations like contactless payment which means people don’t need to line up.
Another first in the Visayas and Mindanao, it is a McDonald's branch that will have the biggest bike and dine facility.
For bikers, there will be tables where they can attach their bikes right at their front then eat.
Geronimo said this is a very good innovation during this coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, on top of ensuring the customers’ safety through the facility’s expansive alfresco area with the view of sugarcane plantations and Negros mountain ranges.
“Imagine in the midst of the pandemic, Megaworld will open McDonald's right here in the middle of the airport access road,” he said, adding that “with this development, we will make sure that we will give the best.”
Located about 20 minutes away from the Bacolod-Silay Airport, the store will also offer delivery services and showcase other innovations like self-ordering kiosks and drive-thru services with a hand-held order-taking system.
“This will really make the entire township even more promising as this heralds the start of our vibrant commercial developments within Northill Gateway,” Jennifer Palmares-Fong, vice president for sales and marketing of Megaworld Visayas, said in a statement.
Geronimo revealed that the firm is also building another McDonald's store on the side of the 34-hectare The Upper East, another ongoing township project of Megaworld in the province particularly at the eastern side of Bacolod City, near the government center, that used to be the Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company compound.
“So see the gifts we are giving to Bacolod, another iconic McDonalds for the city,” he said, adding that “to our partners, let’s all continue to be partners for the development of Bacolod, and [I] hope soon, we are all proud because we have given the best [for the city].”
For his part, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, who was also present at the event, thanked the company for further pushing for the progress of the city.
Leonardia said it seems to him that Bacolod is getting special attention from Megaworld, citing that the latter’s chairman and president, Andrew Tan, is the adopted son and honorary mayor of the city.
“Thank you for infusing and stimulating the economy of Bacolod,” the mayor said, recognizing the investors “for keeping the economic dynamism of the city as big as ever.”
He took pride in how the city has grown through the years, especially in terms of the number of businesses thriving and investors coming in.
“So I wish to see that this growth momentum will continue,” Leonardia added.
Meanwhile, the mayor joined Megaworld officials, partners and guests at the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas Village highlighted by at least 200 parol (Christmas lanterns) handcrafted by the inmates of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) - Bacolod.
Geronimo, who is also the president of the Forbes Hill Homeowners’ Association, said the Christmas icons were made part of the attraction to support the inmates' livelihood program.
“These white parol symbolize simplicity, purity and healing,” he said, adding that “we hope this pandemic will not stop us from celebrating the true spirit of Christmas.”
Aside from Forbes Hill, Geronimo said the firm is now in the finalization stage of decorating the city’s public plaza and New Government Center, making them a major Christmas attraction.
Megaworld will take charge of the NGC while global spirits giant Emperador Inc., also under Tan’s Alliance Global Group, will work on decorating the plaza.
“It will be a different, unique concept. We will make it exciting,” he said.
In response, Leonardia said, “thank you for bringing back Christmas to us.”