SARANGANI province’s newest resort rising on a peak in Lumasal village is IML (short for Irineo Miguel Lopez) Ecopark. It is located in an old hacienda now owned by former mayor Aniceto Lopez, Jr. and family.
“I remember government troops chasing rebels one day in August of 2008, I was busy planting bananas here,” Haydee Lopez said. The former first lady bought the old Hacienda Ong for her banana plantation after being assured of her husband’s consent despite the odds.
Her husband, ever the visionary town leader, can see where the municipality is heading. He was an excellent leader of his constituents by simply being a peace advocate.
“What was Maasim yesterday?” Lopez said. “Today, we even invested in our own, not to take the risk but to enjoy old age at the resort,” he gushed.
“This resort will give new meaning to guns and bullets,” the couple said.
At the resort, the Lopezes plan to construct 25 rooms, including P1,500 air-conditioned rooms and economy rooms along with a dormitory. The rooms will soon be named after different types of ammunition, thereby transforming bullets of death into cozy and convenient rooms for clients to relax in privacy.
The resort, sitting at a 100-meter altitude, began accepting guests since last April 9, but will have its grand opening during the town’s Kestebeng Festival and the national shooting competition next month.
Last May 21-22, the resort opened its zip-line facility to the public. By the end of the promo day, it had accommodated 120 riders — for free.
IML Ecopark is an all-adventure destination, recreation, and a place for vacation. Located on the right side of the 33-hectare banana plantation is a shooting range. There’s a 580-meter long zip-line overlooking two swimming pools (one for adults, the other for kids), a garden, playground, a conference room and private cottages over on the left.
There is a restaurant, a display center and parking space for up to 25 vehicles. A bigger conference hall will soon be constructed at the back portion for 300 business guests. The parking lot has five open cottages offering a view of the national highway, coconut trees and the seashore.
All of these overlook historic Sarangani Bay. Iniong’s playground, named after the family’s youngest son, Irineo Miguel, affords a clear view of the two pools. Up there, one can see the coconut palms below swaying to the sea breeze.
The 580-meter zip-line crosses over the twin-pools below, above the pattern of coconut trees and a pond the Lopezes plan to develop soon for boating and fishing.
“I was nervous at first, but by the time I reached the finish line, I had already overcome my fear and really enjoyed the thrilling ride,” Shina Marie Batiancila said excitedly. Shina is the former Miss Malapatan 2009 who experienced her first ever zip-line ride there.
A view of the zip-line from the resort affords one a fascinating sight of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape as a background.
For walk-in guests, the entrance fee is P50, which is fair enough, considering the exhilarating view and a swim-all-day privilege at the pool .
Farther on, 200 meters from the beach, are artificial reefs. Maintenance staff Mansor Masdok named the reefs Lobo, Supo, Lunay, Taluk, Katubao, and Kulafu reefs.
“For a real diving experience, you may go to Lemlunay Dive Resort,” Lopez said. “All we do here is to compliment our business partner on this side of the Sarangani coastline,” the former mayor said.
IML Ecopark, with Lemlunay Dive Resort and South Point Divers, are Maasim’s tourist destinations. Maasim, as part of the Maasim-Kiamba-Maitum Industrial Triangle (MAKIMA-IT) is turning out to be the province’s investment capital.
With further polishing and tiling of the pool and the cottages, and concreting of the private road still to be done, the Lopez family has already invested P20 million for the resort.
Presently, there are already six airconditioned rooms good for three persons each at P1,500 per room and two rooms for two occupants each at P1,000 per room.
All-Filipino cuisine is offered at the restaurant — from quickly served short orders to main menu of sautéed and garnished beef, pork and chicken recipes to desserts and drinks.
The restaurant features its Chicken Aloha, a unique chicken adobo bathed in sweet chili sauce and oyster sauce garnished with spring onions and sliced pineapples.
But IML Ecopark’s operations manager Bernard Salveron, chef Ariel Perreño and supervisor Arnel Alforque are one in saying that their beef, pork, or seafoods sotanghon guisado are still the most popular menus at P150 good for four people.
IML Ecopark has one of the best shooting ranges in the country. Actually, the idea to build a resort started from the father-and-son’s shooting hobby. This is why the former town father of Maasim wanted to call it “Otoy’s firing range”, an allusion to his namesake and son, former provincial board nember Aniceto Lopez III.
Two Governor Migs’ steel challenge competitions have already been held at the firing range. IML has 80, 100, 150, 200, 300, 400 and 1,500-meter shooting ranges behind a hill.
“Yol”, as the former mayor is known among Maasimians, brags about the range having such shooting distances excellent for sniping practice along with a natural huge buffer that can even handle explosion tests. No wonder Otoy has become an expert rifle marksman.
For her part, Haydee, the resort’s brain and beauty and labor (she being the engineer, the landscaper, the lady mason and the architect of it all) was simply looking for an exit for their banana products but discovered a far better idea. But that’s over a year and a half ago.
“I made it my motto in life not to wait for tomorrow what you can do today,” Haydee mused. “I can’t wait. The idea is there and I have to grab it,” she added.
“That’s me,” the lady insisted, “while his (Yol) is, ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness.’ He knows what he means. Our staff at the resort calls him the ‘overall general manager’ because he would come very early in the morning and check if everything was clean.” the mother of three said.
The couple’s daughter, Carol Maricon Kay, has her own motto: “Quality education takes time,” as she still struggles in school in General Santos City.
IML Ecopark (contact number 09489757710) is 20 kilometers from the Maasim proper which is 45 kilometers from General Santos City. [Russtum G. Pelima/Sarangani Information Office]
