The region’s largest amusement park operator has started work on its bid to put Northern Mindanao in the global tourism map.
Aerial view of Seven Seas Waterpark & Resort development at Bgy. Barra, Opol, Misamis Oriental
Dubbed the “Seven Seas Waterpark & Resort,” the 5-hectare complex in Barangay Barra, Opol, Misamis Oriental will definitely put Region X in the bucket list of adventure tourists all over the world once it is completed in 2016.
The theme park’s major attractions include a 2,500 square meter (sq.m.) water combo wave pool; 1,000 sq.m. Aqua Playhouse Pool; 1,100 sq.m. “Slow River Ride”; 12 meter high water slide towers and splash pools; a 1,200 sq.m. Events Tent and 300 sq.m. Children’s Pool.
“Our location gives us a definite advantage over countries with similar, existing attractions like China, Korea, Japan and the ASEAN,” said Engr. Elpidio M. Paras, chairman of UC-1 Corporation, the holding company of the Paras family with interests in cable television, telecommunications, business process outsourcing and eco-adventure tourism.
“Water parks in these areas usually operate only 3-4 months in a year compared to all year round for Seven Seas,” he noted. “Compared to their 25 percent availability, we have 75 percent, which would allow more guests to visit us, the weather permitting.”
The latest venture is just the latest in a growing list of adventure tourism destinations and firms pioneered by the group: Dahilayan Adventure Park, home to Asia’s longest dual zipline and a plethora of other unique rides such as Drop Zone and the Flying Lizard at Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon; Great White Water Tours, one of the city’s pioneering white water rafting outfitters; the first Duck Tour in the Philippines; and Paras Beach Resort in nearby Camiguin island, which offers scuba diving, snorkeling, banana boat and jet skiing.
Boomerang Slide
Although it is primarily aimed at the local market, Seven Seas has the potential to become a major player in the Asian amusement water park industry which now boasts of global standard destinations such as Sunway Lagoon in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Adventure Cove Waterpark; Zhuhai Chime-Long Ocean Kingdom in Hengqin, Zhuhai, People’s Republic of China, part of the Chime-Long International Ocean Resort vying to become the “Orlando of China;” and Waterbom Bali and Jakarta, Park and Spa in Tuban, Bali and Jakarta, Indon
“The basic concepts for a World Class Water Park is to have unique slides and rides which can’t be found anywhere else,” said Engr. Elpidio M. Paras, UC-1 Chairman, who has extensively visited water parks all over the world prior to starting work on Seven Seas. “You’ve got to have bragging rights to attract people to something which can’t be found anywhere else.”
For Seven Seas, these include the Family Rafting/Lazy River Ride with wave generator; Family Wave Pool; Tsunami Surf Pool; Boomerang Raft Ride; Spiral Multi-Slide (four different patterns); two-man rafting slide; Multi-Platform Aqua Playhouse; Kid’s slides and spray cannons and Lily Pad Obstacle Course for the first phase; and the multi-rider Abyss Tornado Ride; Aqualoop/body slide (the only near vertical looping waterslide); and Whizzard 3-lane Mat Racing Slide for the second phase.
Backyard Funnel Tornado Water Slide
Initially designed to accommodate 200,000 guests annually, Seven Seas has the capacity to accommodate up to 2,000 guests daily which should make it a primary spark plug to fire up tourism in Northern Mindanao.
UC-1 is optimistic Seven Seas can easily breach this volume of guests since it’s optimally situated to tap into its target domestic and international markets through the existing and emerging infrastructure of the region.
The Laguindingan Airport is a mere 30-minutes drive away and is already programmed for expansion as an international standard facility. Even before the expansion gets underway, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is already expecting chartered flights of Korean tourists to start arriving this year.
By land, the park is just 1.8 kilometers (kms.) to the Bulua West Bound Terminal which is the commuter hub for land based buses and vans plying routes to Lanao, Misamis Occidental and Western Mindanao. From Opol poblacion to Barra is a mere 2.5 kms.
Overhead Perspective of Seven Seas Waterpark & Resort
The facility itself is directly linked to the newly opened four lane West Coastal Highway by a 300 meter access road, and sea travelers coming from Camiguin and the Visayas can take a relatively traffic free 30-minute ride through this artery upon disembarking at the Cagayan de Oro Port at Macabalan.
Thus, guests have the option of hopping on a plane from Manila or a ferry from Cebu, Camiguin or Bacolod/Iloilo and back again taking the night voyages or night flights for a day’s fun at Seven Seas.
However, the planners are already looking beyond the day trips to longer weekend sojourns in the near future which would give guests a comprehensive Adventure Package including Dahilayan Adventure Park, Great White Water Tours, Paras Beach Resort and Seven Seas.
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