World class resort hotel shaping up in Bagac

BAGAC, Bataan – The sleepy sitio (sub-village) of Kakiputan, in Barangay Ibis, this town is fast-becoming a busy place following the putting up of Rancho Bernardo, a world-class resort hotel that will cater to European and other international tourists.
Ramil del Rosario, former municipal mayor, said Sitio Kakiputan used to be inhabited by more or less 90 poor residents is now a lively village following the establishment of the resort hotel.
With the help of Isabel Lanada, a psychologist by profession and community development officer, Del Rosario launched a cleanliness contest where residents had to spruce up their homes and surroundings.
Some 25 families were given P5,000 to improve their houses and paint them like new ones. Garbage and waste materials were not burned but were converted to fertilizers.
Del Rosario pointed out that politics is not involved in this undertaking. “Gusto rin nating umangat ang katayuan nila sa buhay kasabay ng pag unlad ng Rancho Bernardo,” he said.
“The local residents now are taking care of the environment, by putting up gardens and cleaning up their own backyard to attract visitors,” said Del Rosario.
Lanada said, “this is a sort of people empowerment where we try to inculcate values formation like environment protection, good family relationship, cooperation, and cleanliness program.”
She said this is a showcase of best practices of Rancho Bernardo which may expand to other barangay (villages) of Bagac.