First, the bad news.

If you happen to pass by the old Davao Motors Sales (DAMOSA) building along the National Highway fronting St. Elizabeth Hospital, here in General Santos, you will immediately notice that its occupants, the Take All Convenience Store, Tinapay Republic and a Drugstore are not there anymore.  In fact, the whole building is now totally deserted.

Now, for the good news!

According to Bariles’ reliable sources, in its place will be the American fastfood chain McDonalds.  And that’s not all.  Behind it where the old DAMOSA automobile service center used to be, will rise the international budget hotel chain Microtel Inn and Suites. (Click on the map below for a larger view.)

If this materializes, Microtel Inns and Suites-GenSan will be the second city in Mindanao to host it after Davao.

The franchise of the 51-room Microtel Davao and that of GenSan are owned by Damosa Land Inc. of the Floreindo Family.

Its other branches are located in Baguio, Boracay, Batangas, Cabanatuan, Cavite, Mactan, Tarlac and the soon-to-open branches in Palawan and SM Mall of Asia.

According to its website ( http://www.microtelphilippines.com ):

The Microtel Philosophy

Microtel Inns & Suites provide guests with affordable quality hotel services in the true economy and standard categories.

Our mission is to develop a chain of world-class economy hotels in commercial and industrial regions as well as in choice resort locations in the Philippines.

We cater to both local and international business travelers and value-minded tourists. We will fill the growing, and as yet, unmet, demand for cost-efficient business travel.

Microtel stands out from other properties because of the system-wide design of its buildings and furnishings that stress function, comfort and convenience, while at the same time meeting international quality standards.

This entry of Microtel in the city’s landscape is one welcome news for General Santos City’s bid to become the CONVENTION CAPITAL of South Central Mindanao because for one thing, the Tuna Capital lacks hotel and lodging rooms.  We have difficulty accepting conventions or summits with participants of more than 2,500, even with the formation of our HOMESTAY Program.

In another development, the old Anchor Hotel along Cagampang Extension is now being rented out by the RD Group to the Amigo Hotel of Davao City.

What do all these mean for our existing hotels then?

According to hotelier Rombar Bartolome, who is also building a larger extension to his East Asia Royale Hotel, “All hotels and hotel chains are welcome here because it would mean more and more chances for Gen. Santos to host large-scale gatherings.”

He continued, “All of us, stakeholders in the tourism sector will actually benefit from the entry  of more players in the hospitality industry of GenSan. We are looking forward to it.”

Bariles says, it will definitely redound to the whole economy of the city in general.

As for McDonald’s Restaurant which will be competing head-on with Jollibee across the road, as long as it will also be a 24-hour outlet, it will definitely be a MUST-PATRONIZE establishment for Bariles Republic.

So what about the impending traffic chaos at the area?

Bariles says, let the City Engineer’s Office take care of that.  For sure, they have that all figured out with the new traffic lights they are putting up in that are.  🙂