Hotelier Johnny Chan of the Bellevue Hotel and Panglao Mayor Benedicto Alcala are rolling the red carpet at 4:30 this afternoon to usher the grand opening of the first high rise resort in this part of Panglao Island. Considered as the biggest single investment in Panglao, the Bellevue Resort is already enjoying patronage from guests both domestic and foreign but its grand inauguration is set this afternoon. All of five storeys, it is located in barangay Doljo with one of its enticing attractions the white sugary sands fronting the property. Boasting of impressive and spacious ocean view guest rooms, the resort is known for its five star amenities. Aside from its luxurious accommodations, the new resort is also known for its international and native cuisines. Among the resort’s fine dining restos are the Lamian World Cuisine, Cena Fusion Cuisine and Marea Al Fresco Dining. Manning the reception line in this afternoon’s affair are Chan, Mayor Alcala and the rest of Panglao officialdom. According to Mayor Alcala, he welcomed the entry of another big-time investor in Panglao adding that making the town as investment-friendly as possible was the first order of business when he assumed office for his second term in 2010. He is gunning for another term this coming 2013 polls. Gov. Edgar Chatto will lead all provincial officials during this afternoon’s resort big event. Bohol’s three lawmakers Reps. Rene Relampagos, Erico Aumentado and Arthur Yap were also invited to grace the gathering.

Venus Raj, 2011 Miss Universe first runner up, is in town to grace as guest of the affair. Providing the entertainment component of the grand opening is The Bloombergs while the famous Johnny Litton is the program host. Meanwhile, Elvieh Sarmiento, the resort consultant, urged those who called on V-Mayor Evangeline Bo-Lazaro about reports that sea shells and other crustaceans found near the vicinity of the establishment are no longer edible to come out in the open. The vice mayor told her radio audience in an interview last week that several coastal residents in Doljo went to her office to report about the alleged pollution in the waters near the Bellevue resort. Sarmiento expressed surprise why the alleged complaints were lodged in the office of the vice mayor when it was supposed to be relayed to the mayor’s office so that the mayor can immediately order the municipal sanitary inspector to verify the validity of the allegations. The resort consultant exhorted the Sangguniang Bayan and its members including its presiding officer V-Mayor Lazaro to visit Bellevue to see for themselves if there was some truth to the complaints of coastal residents. (With reports of Sen Guingguing)