Megaworld sets P1.2-B to build Cebu museum

Andrew Tan-led Megaworld Corp. is investing P1.2 billion to build the Mactan World Museum in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

Megaworld said on Thursday that the museum is scheduled to open within the next three years within the company's sprawling 30-hectare The Mactan Newtown.

“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 Mall head Graham M. Coates said.

“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,” he added.

Mactan World Museum will feature an extensive collection of historic pieces, curated by Dannie Alvarez, president of Alliance of Greater Manila Museums, Inc. and former head of the Committee on Museums of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

The museum will lend a visual retelling of the travel and arrival of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew in Mactan, his defeat against fearless tribal leader Lapu-Lapu, and the Hispanic heritage of the Manila Galleon trade.

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 host several other activities rooted in Filipino-Spanish traditions and culture, such as a seasonal bazaar showcasing Cebu’s main delicacies, a guitar-making and retail area, and a self-operated Filipino-themed photo studio.

The Mactan World Museum will be the latest development rising inside The Mactan Newtown.

Soon, the township will also feature the Mactan Expo Center, a two-level standalone convention center.

Currently, the township serves as home to topnotch residential condominium developments, office towers, the 547-room Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown, the 550-room Belmont Hotel Mactan–both managed and operated by Megaworld Hotels & Resorts–and the Mactan Newtown Beach.