Megaworld building P1.2 billion museum in Cebu

MANILA, Philippines — Real estate giant Megaworld Corp. is investing P1.2 billion to construct a modern museum inside its 30-hectare The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

Megaworld said the development of the Mactan World Museum serves as “an ode to the island’s cultural pride and historical significance” as it will feature curated pieces and cultural artifacts highlighting centuries of friendship between the Philippines and Spain.

“It has always been part of our townships’ mission and identity to celebrate the arts, culture and heritage of every location where we are present,” Megaworld Lifestyle Malls head Graham Coates said.

“We are excited to bring our plans to fruition for the Mactan World Museum here in Lapu-Lapu City, a destination that plays a big historical significance as far as the Philippines-Spanish heritage is concerned,” Coates said.

The museum is set to feature an extensive collection of historic pieces curated by Alliance of Greater Manila Museums Inc. president and former head of Committee on Museums of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Dannie Alvarez.

The collection highlights the friendship and rich cultural exchange between the Philippines and Spain during the past centuries.

The museum will feature five main exhibit galleries on the second-floor showcasing collections, artifacts, replica mementos and interactive virtual displays related to various influences and historical events between the Philippines and Spain.

It will also have two performance halls which can be combined into one main hall and accommodate about 270 people.

Life-sized monuments of Lapu-Lapu, King Philip II and Ferdinand Magellan will also be built to add to the grandeur of the building.

“Being at the center of The Mactan Newtown, this museum will provide locals and tourists with a creative avenue to connect, share interests as a community, expand knowledge and form a deeper appreciation not only for Mactan but also for our nation’s history,” Coates said.

The Mactan World Museum is the fourth museum property Megaworld is building inside its townships after the Chinatown Museum in Lucky Chinatown, and the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art and the Brandy Museum in Iloilo Business Park.

The World Museum is targeted to open within the next three years.

The Mactan World Museum will rise in front of Megaworld’s 8 Newtown Boulevard residential condominium and will be the latest development inside The Mactan Newtown, which currently serves as home to residential condominium developments, office towers, the 547-room Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown, the 550-room Belmont Hotel Mactan and the Mactan Newtown Beach.

Also inside the township are schools led by the Newtown School of Excellence, retail shops, service outlets and restaurants.

Megaworld has a portfolio of 31 master–planned integrated urban townships, integrated lifestyle communities and lifestyle estates across the country.