“Proposed Cultural Resort in Zamboanga City”

1. INTRODUCTION

The development of the beach as a popular leisure resort from the mid-19th
century was the first manifestation of what is now the global tourist industry. The first
seaside resorts were opened in the 18th century for the aristocracy, who began to
frequent the seaside as well as the then fashionable spa towns, for recreation and
health.1

Philippines’ resort varies from place to place and what it may offer. But
nowadays, resorts also vary from what people needs. People from overcrowded urban
areas are attracted by the relaxing and intact landscape of resorts. With this given,
many entrepreneurs in the Philippines invest for hotel and resort projects resulting to
increase in numbers of resorts in the Philippines.2 But thinking about how resorts can
evolve into something that will give new experience to the people, is something must
be acknowledged.

As one of the oldest cities in the country that progressively transitioned from the
16th century to the present age of modernity3, Zamboanga is a city of rich in Hispanic
and a proud Castilian heritage blessed with abundant of natural resources that holds
a great potential to attract tourists, from different places, but these areas are partly
undeveloped that causes to the flocking of potential local tourist to other cities that
promotes areas similar to what the city can offer.

1
J. Christopher Holloway; Neil Taylor (2006). The business of tourism. Pearson Education. p. 29. ISBN 0-273-
70161-4.
2
Dezan Shira (2018) , Tourism Industry in the Philippines Part II, ASEAN Briefing Philippines
3
Republica de Filipinas Ciudad de Zamboanga, City Tourism, September 2018,
http://www.zamboangacity.gov.ph/visitors/author/tourism/
 Zamboanga City is in need of opportunities, positive economic and social
impact as its tourism is increasing rapidly. Local and foreign tourists’ arrival demands
cultural experience in the city though some people in charge of the place still want to
conserve their natural resources. With this problem in hand, the researcher wants to
develop a portion of their lands for the construction of an accommodations and some
space for additional amenities and improvements. The researcher decided to improve
the site by building a cultural beach front resort.

Thus, the researcher came up with a proposed project that will take resorts into
a higher level of designing, a combination of vernacular building, on stilt cottages and
restaurant, landscape, and water amenities, contributing to the tourism of Zamboanga
City and also the socio-economic condition of the city. Because of the usage of
traditional building methods and local builders, a thorough research is needed.

Vernacular structure is somewhat usual in the Philippines, it is Characterized

by the use of local materials and knowledge, typically simple and practical, whether
residential houses or built for other purpose. It is not one specific style, so it cannot be
distilled into a series of easy digest patterns, materials, or elements. Because of the
usage of traditional building methods and local builders, vernacular buildings are
considered part of regional culture one example is the Bora Bora Pearl Beach resort
with just 80 bungalows, the resort feels less spread out than some of its competitors -
and yet there is an ample room to roam amid the garden paths that wind between well-
spaced bungalows back toward the exceptional Manea Spa. Tucked amid the
landscaping, these things can be applied on a building that results to a more
environmentally friendly movement. The propose thesis project will be a resort that
mimics nature and culture that functions as one.

Therefore, the purpose of the research paper is to study the doctrine and
standard for the preparation of a cultural resort. To contribute to the development of
not just the social but economic status of Zamboanga city through evolution of resorts.
Also, this paper gives recommendation to encourage investors, businessmen, capitals
to invest on such projects.

1.1. Background and Nature of the Project

The research was conducted for the fulfillment of the course syllabus as well as to
satisfy the researcher’s proposal for cultural resort that will cater tourist and
middleclass to upper-class Filipinos to experience culture of Zamboanga.
Consequently, the researcher will limit the proposal on the city of Zamboanga City
located in the Philippines.

Resorts have come a long way from the olden days when resort was a small and
modest in size and luxury. But the modern resorts are highly luxurious and offer the
latest amenities for enjoyment.

Historically, the oldest resorts can be traced back to the Roman empire of nearly
two thousand years ago. The ancient Romans created a public leisure facility known
as baths that could be used by both men and women separately. Gradually the baths
evolved from their modest structure to include more extravagant facilities such as a
gym, a library, restaurant, stores, lounge, tavern and even a museum and a theater,
these baths were utilized for health, recreation and social enjoyment.

The nineteenth century saw the development of exclusive resort facilities offering
more privacy to the visitors. The wealthy people wished for private resort facilities and
Switzerland’s resort industry realized the lucrative business prospects of this idea. In
North American countries the earliest resorts were developed at the starting of the
nineteenth century. The first resorts were created in Virginia and New York. Soon
afterwards, the concept of beach resorts became immensely popular. The sea became
a great place of recreation and beautiful beach resorts mushroomed all over North
America and the Caribbean. Jungle resorts also became popular as the governments
tried to conserve the wildlife and organized tourism on such a way that is promoted
adventure tours to the wild, without harming the flora and fauna of the region.

The term “vernacular” became commonly used in the 1800’s at a time when
western colonial powers were exploring the new worlds that were being discovered.
During the first quarter of the 20th century, high profile architects such as Adolf Loos,
Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier began to extol the virtues of vernacular
architecture. However, it wasn’t until 1964 that successful exhibition by Bernard
Rudofsky called ‘Architecture without Architects’ that the form became popularized.

To start this proposal, the researcher proposed project will be located in the city of
Zamboanga. The city has experienced major economic growth, evidenced by the
presence of major commercial banks, fast food chain outlets and real estates. It is also
distinguished as the 6th populous and 3rd largest city by land area in the Philippines. It
is the commercial and industrial center of Zamboanga Peninsula Region.
 Review of Related Literature and Related Studies

Review of related literature

2.1 foreign literature

2.1.1 hotel and Resort: planning, design and refurbishments
Fred Lawson, 2000

Hotels in resort destinations show wide diversity, responding to the tourist

attractions of the locality as well as marketing requirements. Hotels in rural
surroundings, isolated from business and local users used to create their own
individual amenities.

-Fred Lawson, 2000

This book talks about hotels and how they began on certain places. It explains
that destinations pass through a predictable sequence of six stages. These stages
are: exploration, involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation and decline or
rejuvenation according to Butler’s hypothetical model of resort evolution. This
suggests that resorts become unattractive with the passage of time, as visitor numbers
increase and their carrying capacities are exceeded, and are unable to compete with
other newer resorts.

In the exploration stage the resort is isolated with a ‘sleepy’ appearance and
with little or no development. In the involvement stage visitors from the overcrowded
urban centers are attracted by the relaxing and unspoiled landscape of the resort.
Local entrepreneurs realize the economic significance of tourism and begin to provide
facilities and services to tourists. Resort expands and reaches the stage of
development. The number of tourists increases and at peak periods far outweighs the
size of the local population. Many locals appear to tolerate tourism unwanted effects
because of its substantial economic effects (Bramwell, 2003). In the consolidation
stage a drastic reduction of beach width occurs because of the construction of more
accommodation establishments and businesses. The indigenous population is being
pushed further away from the beachfront. When the resort reaches the stagnation
stage, the tourism landscape becomes dominant and little room is available for further
expansion. As a result, accommodation establishments are constructed in inland
areas. The end of the cycle is marked by the post-stagnation phase, which may result
in decline, if the tourist market continues to wane and the resort is not able to compete
with newer resorts, or rejuvenation, through the development of an artificial attraction,
e.g. the introduction of casinos or indoor water parks.

2.1.2 Hotel Investments; issues and perspectives 4th edition

Lori Raleigh, Rachel Roginsky, 2006
This book covers a lot of topics about resorts. Special amenities like spas,
Water Park were explained. Some feature described is the indoor water parks. An
Indoor water park resort as a building establishment containing an aquatic facility with
a minimum of 10,000 square feet of indoor water park space and inclusive of such
amenities as slides, tubes, and a variety of indoor water-play features. Customers are
willing to pay higher room rates for water park amenities.

2.1.3 Resorts: Management and Operation 3rd edition

Robert Christie Mill, 2012
The definition of resorts, and the spaces required to build one was given
detailed on this book. It has become a basis of construction, the do’s and don’ts of
resorts planning and to manage resort projects.
The book explains that resorts are not fully successful with just one attraction
but should have mixed used amenities. According to Robert Mill, resort communities
work best when they are not one hundred percent resort but have a mix full-and-part
time resident. They can be use as permanent or second house. Knowing these facts
make the researcher informed of how resorts evolve and avoid any problems in the
future for the proposal.

2.1.4 Principles of Hotel Design

The Architect’s Journal
This book basically talks about basic planning of hotels. Requirements needed,
etc. to achieve success, any scheme for a hotel must be deeply researched and
planned well in advanced.
Most of the major research and studies will be carried out by the hotel operator,
but some also by the architect. The architect must be fully aware of both the character
of the sector of the public for whose benefit the hotel is to be erected and the
personality of the operator.

2.1.5 Managing Hotels Effectively

EddystoneNebel III, 1991
The book is all about the technology how to manage hospitality business.
Managing hotels like this could be hard; firms with such projects should have strategic
visions. According to Eddystone (1991) firms with a strategic service vision have: (1)
a targeted market, (2) a well-defined service concept, (3) a focused operating strategy,
and (4) a well-designed service delivery system. In planning hotels and resorts,
designers should know how to manage hotels or resorts and how they were run.

2.1.6 The Source Book of Contemporary Green Architecture

Sergi Costa Duran, Julio Fajardo Herrero, 2010
The book discussed several design strategies for contemporary green
architecture while explaining their function on the building where they were used.
One of these design strategies is the one called “Petals from heaven” that will
provide cooling and shade, depending on the time of the day. They are designed to
open during daylight hours to provide shade while also capturing energy. They close
at night and release the stored heat. They also adjust their angles to give shade
depending on the position of the sun.

2.1.7 Hotel Revolution

Howard Watson, 2005

Modern day eco-resorts started to appear back in the 1970’s- not long after the
first eco-warriors and the green parties started to find a political voice- but were very
much an unusual, alternative destination.
The book gave different projects about eco-resorts picking only the ones that
their designs still manage to be at one with their environment. An ethos of zero or
minimal impact is used to enhance the relationships between guest and nature as the
boundaries of an abode and its surroundings are cleverly blurred.

2.2 Local literature:

2.2.3 Banyan Hotels and Resort Project, Palawan
Keith, 2008
The researcher was inspired by this statement “We want to build a globally
recognized brand which by inspiring exceptional experiences among our guests,
instilling pride and integrity in our associates and enhancing both the physical and
human environment in which we operate, will deliver attractive returns to our
shareholder.” -Keith, 2008

The journal stated qualities of their resort that leads them to success. It is
related in way that the hotel and resort is a mountain resort situated in Palawan similar
to the researcher proposed thesis project.

2.2.2 Development of tourist Resorts and another Facilities DOT

Hotels, resorts and other types of accommodation facilities especially in the

regions will have to be built to address the lodging requirements of both foreign and
domestic travelers. The need for improved accessibility will likewise open investment
opportunities in air, water and land transport operations. In response to worldwide
demand for integrated tourism development, the Department of Tourism likewise
encourages investments in tourism estates and eco-zones, historic – cultural heritage
projects as well as ecotourism, agric-tourism, and health and wellness projects.

2.2.3 Journal: Discover Asia

Filipino hotels are world standard. Naturally, you get what you pay for, but we
would not sell a hotel or resort unless we felt it offered value for money and acceptable
standards for Western clients. Most tourists find their entertainment in hotel & resort
bars. If you travel much, you’ll have noticed that nearly every hotel has a Filipino band!
Thus, you can be sure of a very high standard of entertainment everywhere in the
Philippines – in hotel bars, roaming serenades in restaurants.

2.2.4 Barbara P, 2003

With a high resort project, water features are important. In since Philippines is
a tropical country, water supply is not a problem. But with today’s weather and climate,
Philippines supply for water is becoming a problem. Despite the abundant water
resources in the Philippines, distribution of these resources varies widely in time and
place as a result of the different geographic and climate conditions prevailing in
different parts of the country.

2.2.5 Greenpeace Organization, 2007

Water resources are unevenly distributed throughout the country, often

resulting in water shortages in highly populated areas, especially during the dry
season. Several river basins (Pampanga, Agno, Pasig-Laguna, and on the island of
Cebu) are also experiencing generalized water scarcity (PEM, 2004). This is according
to Greenpeace organization. The organization’s published book discussed a lot of
problems to Philippines water supply, but at the end of the book, the organization was
able to come up with solutions that could solve Philippines water crisis and also the
researcher’s arising problem from the source of water.

Review of related studies

2.1.1. Bora Bora Pearl Beach resort

Set on a pristine strip of soft white sand that extends for hundreds of yards into
the pale blue lagoon, Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa's beachfront is like a
shallow, salt-water pool, perfect for floating and snorkeling with ease. There's also a
small fresh-water infinity pool overlooking the beach, the resort's cluster of overwater
bungalows and towering Mt. Otemanu in the distance.
 With just 80 bungalows, the resort feels less spread out than some of its
competitors - and yet there is ample room to roam amid the garden paths that wind
between well-spaced bungalows back toward the exceptional Manea Spa. Tucked
amid the landscaping, you'll find a mini-golf course, bacci ball court, tennis court,
volleyball court and game room with billiards and ping-pong tables. There's also a
Coral Nursery that attracts tropical fish, where you can snorkel, as well as an onsite
dive center.

2.2. Local studies

2.2.1 Antulang Beach Resort

Nestled 40 kilometers south of Dumaguete City, Philippines,Antulang Beach

Resort is the first Philippine resort to offer private pool villas to guests. Each of
the flagship accommodations comes with its own swimming pool, heated Jacuzzi and
luxurious, spacious rooms all decked out in Canadian pinewood.

Suspended on ten sprawling hectares of sheer cliffs peppered with a

kaleidoscope of bougainvillea blooms, swimming pools and premium rooms are
positioned right at the cliffs’ edge, ensuring guests a commanding view of an endless
sea, while winding staircases lead directly to a kilometer’s stretch of isolated white
sand beach strewn with large, natural rock formations.
2.2.2 Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa

The perfect location of this wonderful Santorini inspired resort and

spa allows guests to experience not only the beauty of the immaculate nature of the
island, but also all the fun and excitement that the city provides. The easy access of
the resort to the heart of the city allows the guests to explore the different tourist
attractions that the rich city of Marinduque holds.

Apart from the wonderful location and the bountiful nature surrounding the
island, guests are also entitled to enjoy all kinds of luxury and comfort through the
world class facilities and service that the hotel provides. The hotel features a business
center, meeting facilities, safety deposit boxes and other amenities that are needed to
ensure their guests comfortable stay.

All of the 69 stylish rooms that the hotel features are equipped with all kinds of
amenities needed for a convenient and relaxing stay. Each room contains a Jacuzzi,
a satellite/cable TV, a DVD/CD player, as well as a hassle-free internet access.