By Michael T. Esmino
Managing Editor
SARRAT, Ilocos Norte—Nestled between a river and a
mountain, this once sleepy area has since woken up to the hustle and bustle of
tourism activity.
Aptly named “RiverMount” for its location, this
world-class hotel and resort is slowly starting to rewrite tourism activity in
the province. Located at the eastern portion of Ilocos Norte, RiverMount has
brought tourists to this once tourism-passive area. Tourists—foreign, domestic
and local—have always been going to either the northern part of the province,
or the southern portion of Ilocos Norte. Those areas, after all, hosts the
white sand beaches, windmills, sand dunes, and world-famous landmarks. The only
tourism-worthy sites in eastern Ilocos Norte are the tribal village of Nueva
Era and the province’s first zipline in Banna. When RiverMount opened in
September 12 last year, tourism activity in this part of the province began to
perk up.
Boasting of 49 rooms, an infinity pool, conference rooms
and seminar areas, RiverMount’s best tourist appeal however is its ability to
bring nature much closer to its guests than other resorts in the country. The
hotel affords guests a majestic view of the Padsan River at sunset and sunrise.
The hotel’s design also gives a very relaxing ambience, lulling guests to
unwind and really enjoy their vacation.
Pagudpud or Sarrat
In an interview with RiverMount owner Engr. Remigio Medrano, he said he
was supposed to build a resort not here in Sarrat but in Pagudpud. He related
that his friends in Metro Manila suggested that he should build a resort in
Pagudpud to take advantage of the tourism boom in the province. But before
deciding on anything, Mr. Medrano said he also consulted with his other friends
in his hometown, Sarrat. In his talks with his Sarrat associates, they told him
that their town should also join in the tourism bonanza currently being enjoyed
by the province. Caught in a dilemma, Mr. Medrano choices boiled down to the
guaranteed success in Pagudpud; or the uncertainty of putting up a huge
investment in his hometown. Weighing his choices, he said he decided to give
back to his hometown.
He divulged that though there was a big uncertainty on
whether he would succeed in this undertaking in Sarrat or not, he stressed that
his being able to help his town and his fellow Sarrateños in both areas of
commerce and job-generation would make him more than happy even if he would end
up not as successful as his other business ventures. He added that if this was
the bet, he is more than willing to gamble if he could make even a little
difference in the lives of his townmates.
RiverMount today
Fast forward to March 2016. RiverMount is slowly gaining
traction as the newest resort in the province. Mr. Medrano intimated that the
hotel is fully-booked for the whole month of March. He lauded his marketing
team—both those in the province and in Metro Manila—for the great job they are
doing for the hotel. He also took pride in the fact that 90% of his 110
employees are from Sarrat; the remaining 10% of his workforce, he said are
experienced hoteliers from outside the province.
He also revealed that all of the hotel’s staff underwent
a rigid six-month training. This training, he said, is for the hotel staff to
learn their jobs and to perform them at par with other big hotels’ staff in the
country. He further related that some of the hotel staff were not keen on the
changes he wanted to implement at first, but he told all of them that being a
staff in the hotel is like being a part of his family; and as a part of the
family, they are all expected to become an important part of the growth of the
hotel. Soon enough, all of the staff bought into this idea; and RiverMount
became a well-oiled machine where guest satisfaction became their only obsession.
Future expansion
THE current success of RiverMount made Mr. Medrano
prepare for a future expansion. He said he is planning to either put up a
big-event facility or more group rooms in a recently acquired property adjacent
to the hotel. The only problem he sees for the planned expansion, is the need
for more parking areas. Though RiverMount has an ample parking area, he said
the expansion would drive the need to have more parking spaces. He explained
that more facilities mean more guests; and more guests mean more vehicles,
hence the need for more parking areas. He however cautioned that before
seriously planning the expansion, they still need to further enhance and
improve RiverMount to make it more attractive for all tourists.
Asked if he felt he has made the difference in the lives
of his co-Sarrateños which he wished; he said he is quite happy that this
resort has made the difference he first wanted. But he added that he still
yearns for more ways to help his town and its people. He emphasized that the
resort has achieved exactly what he wanted—job-generator for Sarrat residents
and an additional income for the town’s tax coffers; he however underscored
that he could still do more for his town, and all he needs the chance and
opportunity to do so.
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