Fil-Estate contractor plans hotel project in remote Aurora town

BARANGAY BUTAS NA BATO, DINGALAN, Aurora – A P20-million resort hotel and restaurant will be constructed here by a local businessman in what local folk believe is an initial step to further lure local and foreign tourists in this coastal municipality overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the eastern seaboard of the country.

Romeo "Romy" Callanta told The STAR that he is financing the construction of the tourism facility in a two-hectare area here.

Callanta, chairman of the board of the Anglers’ Paradise Development Corp. (APDC) said that among the salient features of the project are a "Cabania-like hotel" patterned after those found in the Caribbean Islands, individual airconditioned rooms, coffeeshops, basketball and tennis courts, sun deck, veranda, souvenir shops, cottages and an Olympic-sized swimming pool which could accommodate up to 200 persons.

"This is my private initiative and I will be investing P20 million for this alone," said Callanta, adding that another unique feature of the resort hotel and restaurant is the electrical installation. "This will be the only village along the bay in the Pacific where everything will be underground, including the installation," he said.

A native of Urdaneta, Pangasinan but who migrated to this town six years ago, Callanta owns a beachhouse here which offers a panoramic view of Dingalan Bay through a wooden elevated view deck.

Recently, his guests led by Ruth G. Sanchez, president of the Holy Place Pentecost Church Tabernacle, Inc. (HPPCTI) visited the beach house and were impressed by the breath-taking view of the area.

Holder of a Bachelor of Science and Electric Engineering degree from Feati University, Callanta is the electrical contractor of Fil-Estate and claims the distinction of supervising the underground electrical installations of Manila Southwoods, Forest Hills and Country Club and Fil-Estate projects such as subdivisions and high-rise buildings.

Callanta, whose wife Goldamier is half-Japanese, also owns the Dingalan Cable TV, the sole cable TV station in this town and this town’s biggest fish boat, King Fisher which has a capacity of 12 tons.

Callanta said a resort hotel and restaurant is ideal in this town which is being eyed as an international container port. He said that because of its natural environs, Dingalan is looming as a top tourist destination in the country.