Like most Boljo-anons who have started family businesses in and around the town, Joylito Claudio T. Romero and his clan have high hopes for Boljoon’s economic and tourism development especially that the municipality is one of the oldest town in the Southern part of Cebu, hence the conception of Mediong’s Seaside Escape resort.
Romero’s family is currently based in Metro Cebu and they are also operating Marijoy Export International, an export company that supplies fashion accessories abroad.
But because of his father’s vision to help transform Boljoon into another tourism destination in the country with boasts of rich cultural heritage, Romero is bent on aggressively pushing forward plans of uniting Boljo-anons in an effort that can bolster the municipality’s economic development.
“Boljoon has a huge potential to be an international tourism destination but its development requires a collective effort from Boljo-anons,” Romero reflected.
Mediong’s Seaside Escape was developed by Romero’s family last 2004 and in almost three years, they were able to create a luscious private tropical sanctuary from what used to be a swamp and a grassy herding area for goats and cows.
Packaged as a family destination, Mediong’s is composed of 11 rooms, each having an ample space to accommodate more than two people. The resort adopted a so-called “back-to-basic” concept which provides a personalized and intimate customer service to its frequenting clientele which has so far been composed of domestic trekkers, mostly families and friends, as well as a few foreign guests who prefer island adventures.
“It was my father’s dream to put up a business in Boljoon, something that can help in the effort to promote Boljoon and put the town in the map,” shared Romero.
Boljoon is a fifth class municipality that measures only about 11,500 hectares or 111.2 square kilometers with about 13, 380 of population and most of its constituents’ basic source of living is through farming and fishing.
At Mediong’s, Romero is targeting to capture a huge bulk of foreign tourists especially retirees who can stay in the town for a long while. This is why Romero is also bent on creating an itinerary together with other resort operators around town that will persuade these visitors to stay and explore Boljoon.
However, with the kind of living condition in Boljoon, Romero agreed that Boljoon’s development is still at its infancy stage. He added that its people still has to adopt with the possible influx of domestic guests from neighboring islands especially with foreigners that will be venturing around town whenever their efforts in promoting Boljoon goes full blast.
“To promote Boljoon as a tourism destination we need to develop its night life as well as day life like in Boracay and arrange activities that visitors can do while they are here in Boljoon,” he outlaid.
Romero also said that their development effort for Boljoon will start in their century-old Nuestra Señora Patrocinio de Maria church which at the moment needs restoration.
“The church will be the center-point of our development and tourism initiative. This is a collectible effort for us because the resort industry in Boljoon will be short-lived if not everyone will be involved in the effort,” stressed Romero.