Monday, July 29, 2019
BY CARLA P. GOMEZ

MERGE FUN. The merry-go-round at Magikland in Silay City, Negros Occidental, was a fun experience for young and old guests Saturday.* (Ronnie Baldonado photo)

Magikland, a P800-million theme park described as the first of its kind in the Visayas, will open in Barangay Guinhalaran, Silay City, Negros Occidental, in October.

Aton Land and Leisure Inc. president Reynaldo Bantug said yesterday they aim to open the park, which is 90 percent finished structurewise, in time for the MassKara Festival.

We are fine-tuning the entertainmentand customer services so when we open, visitors will get the service and experience they deserve, he said.

Bantug and Magikland managing director Bea Lo-Yao opened the 5-hectare park to the media and tourism stakeholders Saturday for a preview of what it has to offer, and to try out its rides.

Magikland, themed after the ancient Legend of the Bakunawa is the first Negrense-made and inspired theme park, Bantug said.

It is a one-stop entertainment destination inspired by Negrense cultural heritage and folklore, that has an initial 12 rides with play facilities, “edutainment”, galleries, food sections and cultural exhibitions, he added.

All the brand new Magikland world-class rides are sourced from leading suppliers from Italy and Asia, Bantug said.

The park’s mystical section includes the Crazy Surf, Crazy Trail, Disk’O, Family Swinger and the 27-meter Sky Tower rides for thrill seekers; and the magical zone has the Magic Bike, Happy Swing, Trackless Train, Mt. Kanlaon canoes, and bumper car rides for kids.

The park also has the tallest Ferris Wheel in the Western Visayas, which offers a scenic view of Silay City and beyond, and a colorful merry-go-round with hand painted horses in the cultural zone, Bantug said.

The rides are designed and built according to the highest possible safety standards, and are governed by international rules and regulations in the amusement industry, Bantug said.

The park will also promote Negrense cuisine, there will no national and international food franchises, except for Potato Corner, he added.

Bantug said Magikland is a fulfillment of the dream of their family’s patriarch, Aton Land chairman Simplicio Palanca, who owned theaters, produced shows, and brought famed international circuses to Negros Occidental in the '50s and '60’s.

His Uncle Sam, known as the father of the Bacolod Real Estate and Development Corp., in his youth was really a showman who dreamt of building a theme park in Negros, Bantug said.

Then Palanca’s grandnephew, former Rep. Alfredo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), came into the picture because he wants tourism to be another pillar to move and catalyze the economy of Negros, Bantug said.

Benitez envisions the park to be a tourism hub for Negros and a generator of jobs for local talents.

The park, when in full operation, will provide jobs to about 300 people, Bantug said.

The main mascot of the park is Bakunawa, the moon-eating dragon, in a more friendly happy form, with four child warriors – Boy Bakunawa, Mara Marapara, Pat Patag and Kit Kanlaon.

A movie on the legend of Bakunawa is in the making, Bantug also said.

The park sits in the middle of a larger development that is the 38.5-hectare Aton Land Tourism Zone, Bantug said.

Hotels, retail, entertainment and dining sections will be developed in the tourism zone surrounding the park, he said.*