It was late August last year when I last visited the young Newport City to check out the entertainment complex there called Resorts World Manila which had its opening that time. Since it was night time and considering the activity that was going on in the development site, I haven’t checked out the area quite much that time. And I did promise to come back to see what’s going on.
It took me a little over a year, but I came back as promised, as an urban roamer who is out to fully explore what’s out there and what’s new at that township development project of Megaworld that is Newport City.
For one thing, quite a lot in Newport is still a work in progress. But there are a number of finished residences there already, which should give one a good idea of what vision Megaworld has for this place.
It’s hard to imagine that this place was once an “empty space” fronting the Villamor Golf Course, owned by the Philippine Air Force. You have to thank the Bases Conversion and Development Act for Newport. Now the golf course gets a new lease of life of sorts thanks to a new clientele which would be the residents of Newport and guests of the hotels and the casino there.
Megaworld has stated in their press releases that they intend to build a “resort” type of a residential community in Newport. Thus the residential buildings in the area reflect a relaxed atmosphere. Somewhat similar to the residences being planned at another Megaworld-planned community which is McKinley Hill.
Right across the residences of Newport is the church I never got to explore the last time, the Shrine of St. Therese, Doctor of the Church. While the church looks fairly new, it was not actually constructed at the same time when Newport was first being built. In fact, it has been in that site since 1983 as a parish serving the air force personnel of Villamor, as well as the residents in the nearby areas. The church has gotten quite popular in recent years, thanks to the Catholic Church’s recent activities in promoting the devotion to St. Therese of the Child Jesus.
Another landmark that stands out is the lighthouse-looking Beacon Tower. I don’t think has any practical uses though apart from serving as Newport City’s landmark and give some additional flavor to the resort atmosphere Newport is trying to project.
A business park is also envisioned to be part of Newport City, though there doesn’t seem to be much development for that component compared to the tourism and residential areas. So far, there is only one building constructed as part of that component, and that is the Star Cruises Centre, the Philippine offices of the famed luxury shipping liner Star Cruises owned by Malaysia’s Genting Group, which also owns Malaysia’s popular entertainment-gaming attraction Genting Highlands and more importantly, the partner of Megaworld in the Resorts World Manila entertainment-gaming complex in Newport City.
Surrounding the planned business park and the entertainment complex are landscaped gardens, perhaps and hopefully a part of a larger garden landscape that will surround Newport.
Next: Resorts World Manila, the hotels, and the new Newport Mall.
© The Urban Roamer
