Plantation Resort ready to host more tennis tiffs

MANILA, Philippines - After the Davis Cup, Plantation Bay Resort and Spa also wants to be known as a premier tennis venue and is looking foward to its hosting of the Mitsubishi Lancer International Junior Tennis Championships here to drive home the point.

This is what Plantation Bay Resort and Spa’s hardworking and amiable general manager Efren Belarmino told The Freeman yesterday.

The event, Asia’s major junior tournament, regularly draws aspiring netters from Asia, Europe and the US.

The involvement of so many countries has encouraged Belarmino to host the event.

However, if the MLIJTC will not push through, another international tennis tournament will do, Belarmino said.

“For the love of the country, Plantation Bay Resort and Spa is willing to host another tennis event here,” said Belarmino, even if it would mean shelling out funds again for the event.

“It would be minimal as compared to the first Davis Cup (featuring RP and Japan), so it’s okay,”added Belarmino.

Lapu-lapu City Councilor Harry Radaza, who’s in-charge of the city’s committee on tourism and sports said, he had not been told about it yet, but the city government will be willing to co-host it provided the arrangement will be the same as the relegation play-off between the RP squad and Chinese-Taipei where they did not shell out money for it.

In the RP-Chinese-Taipei hosting, the Lapu-Lapu City government only provided security, traffic personnel and local transportation plus manpower, but the daily allowances have been paid by Philta.

“The city right now is trying to save funds, but if another international tennis tournament will take place here, we are willing to help again,” said Radaza.

Lapu-lapu’s hosting of the Davis Cup has “jumped-started” the city’s sports tourism program and holding another big-time tennis action would further make Lapu-lapu and Plantation Bay Resort and Spa more known internationally.