SINACABAN, Misamis Occidental (PIA)—Misamis Occidental province broke ground the P500 million Asenso Misamis Occidental Resort and Aquamarine Park (AMORAP) located in Barangay Libertad Bajo, Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental.

The project is dubbed the Maldives of Mindanao inspired by the Maldives resort. The project is aimed at boosting the local economy and is expected to spur economic activities that will eventually trickle down to the communities in terms of more income opportunities.

Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Enrile Uy and Governor Henry Oaminal led the groundbreaking and capsule laying ceremony of the Asenso Misamis Occidental Resort and Aquamarine Park (AMORAP).

DICT Secretary Uy said that this dream will become a reality so long as the province is under the leadership of Governor Henry Oaminal and so long as all mayors here will work together. “ A united Misamis Occidental and Misamis Occidental that will strive to bring progress, to alleviate poverty and to bring economic benefits to the province,” he said.

Uy is also confident that region 10 and Misamis Occidental will be put on the world map.

”It will be a destination that everybody will want to go because they will be envious of the experience of the sites, the people that they will encounter here in Misamis Occidental,” he said.

Meanwhile, Vice Governor Rowena Gutierrez said that the goal for tourism in the province is not just to increase tourist influx, but to attract more investors, provide employment opportunities, and generate revenues.

“This tourism site will attract more tourists to our province, more tourists means more livelihood opportunities for our constituents. More jobs mean increased family income. Increased family income means increased financial capability, so on and so forth,” Gutierrez emphasized.

Barangay Captain Tessie Misagrande from Colupan Bajo, Sinacaban expressed her gratefulness to Governor Henry Oaminal and the leaders of Misamis Occidental for their strong support in the realization of this project.

“Sa amo nga taga diri, malipayon gyud kaayo mi ug mapasalamaton nga naa diri gyud nabutang ang maong Maldives. Isa pod ni nga opportunidad namo mga taga diri nga maka hatag ni namo ug mga kaayuhan sa pag-asenso sa matag usa nga mga lumulopyo niini nga maong lungsod,” she said.

(For those of us who are here, we are very happy and grateful that the Maldives is located here. This is also an opportunity for us in our town that will give us the benefits for the betterment of every one of us here in Sinacaban)

A 49-hectare coastal forested area features various amenities, including 4-storey hotels and cottages, Inland villas, a playground, inland villas with Jacuzzi, clubhouse, wildlife, fish feeding, fish pond, mangrove villas, midpoint rest cafe, spa village, restaurant by the sea, coastal villas with swimming pool, golf clubhouse, convention center, camping sites, nature trails, bird sanctuary, aquaculture, vegetable plantation, chapel, and others.

This is one of the flagship projects of the provincial government of Misamis Occidental under the leadership of Governor Henry S. Oaminal in line with the vision of Asenso Misamis Occidental as a tourism destination and investment hub of Mindanao.(SMRN/PIA-10/Misamis Occidental)