TACLOBAN CITY
– Leyte had a glimpse today on how it is to be a tourist haven.
One hundred six
residents of various nationalities, 64 Filipino crew and 91
non-Filipino crew members came to Leyte aboard the World Luxury
Residency Cruise ship which is being managed by the ResidenSea, a
Miami, Florida-based company that offers sales, marketing, operations
and administration services for special luxury properties on land and
sea.
It was learned from
Ms. Nadja A. Trinchera of Raja Tours Philippines, the group’s official
Tour Operator in the
Philippines
that the passengers are called residents because they own the
condominium they are occupying at the World (ship).
At the MacArthur Park
Hotel, the tourists came in rubber boats reminiscent of the MacArthur
Landing. They brought along not only their children and babies but
also with their own food from the ship, from the coconuts to the
salads to the barbeque which the ship’s crew prepared for them.
In hand to meet them
were Director Karen Tiopes, Congresswoman Remedios Petilla, Vice
Governor Mimyet Bagulaya, Tacloban City Mayor Alfredo Romualdez,
Tanauan Mayor Roque Tiu who brought with him the award winning Bamboo
Band from his town and PIA Director Olive Tiu together with the local
tri media.
This is the ship’s
maiden voyage to the
Philippines
and the residents themselves chose Leyte of the famous Leyte Gulf
Landings where General MacArthur fulfilled his promise “I Shall
Return.” Engr. Edwin Labanta of MacArthur Park Beach Resort really
gave a festive ambiance to the Hotel with the waiters really dressed
in navy uniforms just like when MacArthur came.
During their free day
on Wednesday, the residents made some walked to the nearby MacArthur
Shrine while some of them opted to just stay at the Resort. They also
had the option to have a short city tour before returning to the ship
before three o’clock in the afternoon.
Leyte is the port of
entry of the ship which just had a port call in Hongkong four days ago
and so immigration officials went on board the ship to check on the
travel documents of the residents and crew. From
Leyte, the ship will make port calls in
Cebu, Boracay and
Palawan before it goes to Manila.
