Bohol is holding its breath right now.
Tourism officer Greg Dennis Madanguit of Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort doesn’t sugarcoat it. Tourist arrivals across the province have dropped by 59 percent. The crisis hit hard. Flights slowed. Bookings canceled. The island felt quieter.
But behind the gates of Bluewater Panglao, the waves are still coming in. The pool is still blue. And the doors are still open.
“We understand this is part of the crisis,” Madanguit says. “But despite the challenge, we are open for business. We are open for anyone who just wants to breathe, to relax, to remember what peace feels like.”
That might be the most radical thing you can do in Bohol right now: choose rest.
A Resort Built for Both Quiet and Gathering is Bluewater Pangla. It sits where the sea meets coconut trees, and it was designed for exactly this moment.
There are three buildings for guest rooms, so you never feel crowded. One building houses the restaurant where the chefs just rolled out new menu offerings, announced fresh on social media. Think tropical plates, cold drinks, and that one dish you’ll photograph before you eat it.
Another building is for conventions. Three function rooms in total. Two are closed for now, but one is open and ready. It can host 80 to 120 people, perfect for weddings, team retreats, or that family reunion you’ve been postponing. Need something smaller? There’s also a meeting room for 30 people, ideal for board meetings that don’t have to feel like board meetings.
Not staying overnight? Come anyway. Bluewater’s Day Tour is priced at P1,200, and P900 of that is already consumable for food and drinks. That means your lunch, your sunset beer, your halo-halo by the pool, it’s already covered. You get the beach, the pool, the quiet, and a full day of doing absolutely nothing productive. And in a world
that feels heavy, that’s a bargain.
According to resort data, most of Bluewater’s guests right now are Korean and Japanese travelers, with a steady stream of Europeans too. Madanguit smiles when he talks about the Europeans. “They often escape the cold weather of winter and stay in a tropical country like the Philippines.” They trade snow boots for flip-flops. They trade gray skies for Bohol sunsets. Maybe it’s time we did the same, right here at home.
This is another attraction in the facility.
Worried about your safety? Don’t be. Security at Bluewater runs 24/7 and covers all public areas of the property. Lifeguards are on duty every day, stationed at the edge of the beach, watching the water. They’re trained to respond fast and they’re the reason you can swim without that tight feeling in your chest.
The resort also uses a flag warning system to tell guests how safe it is to swim in the ocean that day. Green, yellow, red. Simple. Clear. So you can focus on floating, not guessing. “It’s our way to make the guests feel safe as they stay on the property,” Madanguit says. “The lifeguards are alert and protecting guests doing activities on the beach.”
Yes, arrivals are down 59 percent. Yes, it’s a challenge. But challenges don’t close beaches. They don’t turn off the sun.
Bluewater Panglao is proof of that. Three room buildings. A restaurant with a new menu. Convention spaces ready for your next event. Day tours that give you back a whole day. Security and lifeguards so you can exhale.
Come for the weekend. Come for a meeting. Come for a P1,200 day that feels like a week off.
Bohol is still here. Bluewater is still open. And the water is still the same perfect shade of blue.
Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort is open daily. Day tours and overnight stays are available. Follow their social pages for the new restaurant menu. Because sometimes the best way to help tourism recover is to simply go.
Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort
Greg Dennis Madanguit of Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort is being interviewed by The Bohol Tribune Managing Editor, Ardy Ines Araneta-Batoy over dyTR in the program, Newsmakers.