SAN FABIAN–The San Fabian Beach Resort here managed by the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) has been losing P5 million per year for the past five years.

House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr said that he and President Gloria Arroyo who came here last January during the town fiesta celebration have already talked to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano and PTA General Manager Robert Dean Barbers for the turn over of its management, control and operations to the local government unit.

Mayor Mojamito Libunao Jr. told local newsmen recently that the resort, built in a nine-hectare national government property under then President Ferdinand Marcos, had been incurring P2.5 million non-cash and another P3 million cash net loss for the past five years.

Libunao added that when de Venecia and Mrs. Arroyo discussed the matter, he said he will readily accept the challenge for the LGU to operate the resort. He said the President wants it turned over to the LGU pursuant to the decentralization program and empowerment of LGUs similar to what has been done to the Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos City, the PTA-owned swimming pool in Dagupan City, and another resort hotel in the capital town of Lingayen town.

The resort has an occupancy rate of only 30 percent which is very lowand its prices are very high. The PTA management also has no money to cover the rehabilitation of the resort’s facilities which are already deteriorating.

Libunao said he was already informed that the matter was taken up in a PTA board meeting which has to refer the matter yet to the Philippine Commission on Good Government for conformity as the property was sequestered.

He said his internal commitment to the speaker is to make it gain net cash of P2 million in the firstyear of operation once turned over to them.

“It is going to be the centerpiece of our tourism effort,” he said, adding that 12 of   their 34 barangays are located along the coastline with 25,000 people greatly dependent on tourism.
The resort has 46 rooms, four cottages, plus about 18 dormitory and 18 hotel types of rooms in the new building

“We need the speaker’s help in order that the turn over will be realized. And we will be eternally grateful for that sir,” Libunao said.–EVA
 

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