CLARK FREEPORT –- Fontana Leisure Parks, the center point of the 2015 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit here, is ready for the international convention.
Executives of the largest leisure park in Central Luzon assured that they are now prepared for the influx of visitors during meeting.
At least 1,700 delegates from 22-member countries will meet at the Freeport from January 26 to February 10 to tackle economic policies with focus on expanding the benefits for the region's 3 billion people.
This will include the Philippines, particularly the Freeport, which is expected to fuel a new generation of trade, investment and sustainable economic growth amid changing global conditions.
Manuel Sequiera, Fontana chief executive officer said it has already blocked 131 villas and will close another 60 more for the summit this month.
The newly-built Fontana convention center is also ready to accommodate the expected 1,500 delegates who will hold daily meetings at the hotel.
“We have completed all 19 new villas and already in the process of finalizing the three story villas we call ‘mansion’. Landscaping of gardens, retrofitting and repainting of walls, ceilings and buildings were all finished. Maybe a few more polishing on some parts but we’re good to go,” said Sequiera.
“Our old convention center is there and has been repainted and reorganized. The new one is being finalized and will be ready by APEC. We will be hosting every day and we expect to serve around 1,700,” he added.
In terms of security, the Fontana executive said security has been beefed up with CCTV cameras positioned in the hotel's entrances and exits and the VIP mansion. He said security matters are closely coordinated with the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and the national organizing committee.
The company had also purchased four brand new cars to augment its existing 26 vehicles that will be used to transport tourists and delegates who may want to travel to nearby areas and even Metro Manila.
Staff trainings have likewise been completed early December, he said. “They have been trained to identify languages and deal with their assigned delegates.”
Sequiera said they will introduce a new concept in the menu, which will assure fresh and hot dishes served on individual plates or on the buffet table.
“We will prepare all kinds of foods for the delegates. We hope to serve every country with their local cuisine. We also designed the menu for them. We have a new kitchen designed with three walls. This will guarantee hot meals served at the function rooms. So, every small detail has been organized,” he said.
“I believe we will be doing easy at 400 to 500 for breakfast, 700 to 800 at lunch and back to 400 to 500 during dinner. We will go into the detail to ensure the experience is five-star,” he stressed.
The park has been hosting big events in the past, including the MICE Conference, which was participated by more than 600 education, travel and tourism experts from around the globe.
Apart from the warm and cozy atmosphere at its Coffee, Tea and Juice Bar by the Piano lounge, the hotel will also create an evening for entertainment, he said.
CDC president Arthur Tugade said the meeting of the economic experts here will showcase Clark not just an ideal hub for pleasure but more importantly for business.
“Clark is conducive for business because of its people, policies and processes, its landscape, and more importantly because you can create what they call a supply chain community here – and that is an A1-A1 good for business,” he said.
He added each and every hotel and establishments inside Clark are doing their part to provide a comfortable atmosphere for the delegates and participants to the APEC meet.
Hotels like Oxford, Widus Hotel and Casino, Holiday Inn, Hotel Stotsenburg and Montevista Villas-Mimosa Golf and Country Club, among others had undertaken expansion efforts and other improvements to ensure a favorable environment for tourists and delegates.
Business, commercial and industrial establishments inside the Freeport have likewise made preparations for the massive influx of tourists this month.
In a recent shipping summit here hosted by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Tugade said Clark is a place worth looking into because of the fact that it has been recognized by 22 nations as a conducive place to hold international ceremonies and functions.
"In Clark there is a landscape that is worth looking into. And while you are looking into, you are assured that you can have the peace and safety of conducting an international conference,” he said.