It’s going to be the envy in Southeast Asia. Leading Philippine conglomerate Alturas Group recently unveiled a bold new vision for development on the island of Bohol with the launch of Panglao Shores, a 50-hectare mixed-use project that marks sustainability, community and local culture as its guiding principles.
This new blueprint for sustainable tourism and lifestyle dream island in Panglao, Bohol garners an investment of a whooping 25 billion pesos (USD477 million). It is visioned as a mixed-use community development conceptualized by global leaders in sustainability and master-planning, hired by the conglomerate to make sure that this eco-tourism vision becomes a reality.
Panglao Shores is located on beachfront land on the south coast of Panglao Island in Bohol, Philippines. It is going to be a low-density, mixed-use development that is infused with the nature of Bohol, created for domestic and international buyers. There will be six hotels and resorts, a 37,000 sq m of retail and commercial space, with over 1,000 residential units. Panglao Shores will also have an international medical facility, while seamlessly weaving sustainability and social responsibility into the fabric of the project and the wider destination. The space is going to be modern, yet, laid-back and zen.
This dream project is the result of the aftermath of the owners’ experiences during the pandemic. Those were trying years for them, which created many challenges for businesses and led to hardship and layoffs. The Alturas group retained all staff however, repurposing them into sometimes unfamiliar roles as they built, tilled, planted and fished in one of the Alturas properties in Panglao island, which later on became South Farm. Everything the staff produced and harvested was to support themselves and the local communities.
Over time, it became a sustainability incubator, a place to meet, practice, experiment and cultivate resources. Planting trees, store materials such as recycled woods, and even create artisans out of themselves with visual art, basket weaving, and wood sculpting. South Farm naturally evolved into a place that simply and most meaningfully represented the essence of the inclusive culture and community ethos of Alturas.
The result of the pandemic years was that South Farm has become the inspiration for the entire Panglao Shores development. The success and spirit engendered at South Farm left a deep impression on Alturas Group, which is founded in Bohol by the Uy family. From this seed, a wider vision for the future was developed and planned with the help of London-based sustainability experts, XCO2, and master planners SCSY who’s head office is located in Singapore.
“It was an epiphany for us, a real moment of awakening,” said Hope Uy, CEO of Panglao Shores. “The realization was that here was an opportunity to create a generational product, inspired by Bohol, on a scale that would enable a fully-integrated community to flourish with sustainability at its core,” she added.
Conceived by Panglao Bay Premiere Parks and Resorts Corp. (PBPPRC), which is a subsidiary of Alturas Group of Companies (AGC), the project is located on the southern coast of Panglao, just off the coast of Bohol. This ambitious flagship project is also recognized by the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), which makes sure that everything is designed to deliver outstanding economic and social benefits to Philippine destination. This partnership with TIEZA is also historical, since its the agency’s very first partnership with a private company. This shows the trust and the ideals of having the same direction for a better, and sustainable tourism that will not only benefit its owners, but the whole country itself.
To date, the Panglao Shores is currently under construction, with a target opening date of phase one in the year 2024.
At the heart of the project is the Town Square Retail Mall & Night Market, a vibrant indoor-outdoor hub of shopping, dining and entertainment with live performance areas, garden walkways and courtyards. This will be surrounded by facilities and amenities, including commercial and retail, residential villages, a convention center, co-working spaces, international hotels and resorts, and a beach club. These are all entwined with lush greenery, bike lanes, and natural walkways.
International eco-building standards and materials have been incorporated throughout, such as high-performance glass, natural ventilation and solar harvesting, along with smart technologies, electric transport, water treatment, waste reduction, and the removal of all single-use plastics. Local vendors are supported to sell crafts, native farmers and fishing communities have been built into the supply chain.
Construction of the 188-room new South Palms Resort is currently underway.
Bohol is one of the most exciting destinations for investment and tourism in the Philippines. The island is served by the Panglao Bohol International Airport, a mere 15-minute drive to the soon to open Panglao Shores.
Image credits: Arabelle Jimenez