Tycoon Andrew Tan’s leisure company Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. is looking to start the construction of its $700 million Mactan and Boracay gaming centers next year even as it prioritizes the completion and opening of the Westside Integrated Resort.

In an interview, Travellers International President and CEO Nilo Thaddeus Rodriguez said “The focus now is completing Westside and operating it as soon as we can.”

“But, at the same time, in parallel, we've already started the planning, the development of the plans. So within the next few months, we'll start the awarding part,” he said adding that, groundbreaking or the start of construction will be “sometime next year. The planning and all, they're being done simultaneously. But we'll see. We'll see about the timing.”

Rodriguez said the two gaming centers, the $400 million Mactan World Resorts in Mactan Newtown project and the $300 million Boracay World Resorts in Boracay Newcoast, will not be as large as the integrated resorts in Newport and Westside.

“It's right-sizing the market. We're building gaming centers that are fit for the market. It's not another large IR (integrated resort),” he explained.

Rodriguez said Travellers is increasing its footprint to these areas to complement the tourism and hospitality components of the townships being developed by sister company Megaworld Corporation.

“Especially for Boracay and Mactan, it's really complementing the tourism estates that Megaworld already has created in those areas. There's golf in Boracay. There are a lot of Megaworld hotels already there. So with Mactan Newtown.

“So it's really putting another component of that whole tourism estate... We're using the IR experience as an additional component of the tourism estates,” he noted.

Rodriguez said the two smaller casinos will also be catering to different markets since Boracay will be a boutique resort and the market will mostly be local while Mactan is host to a more diverse Asian market.

Both projects were initially targeted for opening between 2025 and 2026 although the weakness in tourist arrivals, specially from China, as well as the popularity of online gaming, have led to the refining of the plans.

“This year, international arrivals are pacing slightly behind last year, driven by declines in key markets like South Korea and China. But these changes are not unique to the Philippines; they reflect broader shifts across the region. What is important is that the foundations remain strong, and the potential remains immense.

But the Philippine market has proven highly dynamic, adapting quickly to shifts. PAGCOR has played a key role in this, ensuring stability with responsive regulations that balance growth with responsibility,” Rodriguez said.

He pointed out that, “The fundamentals remain solid: a strategic location, an English-speaking workforce, a hospitality culture admired around the world, and a regulator committed to governance and innovation. Together, these form the foundation for the Philippines’ continued ascent in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Meanwhile, despite its commanding market share, he said “Online play is not a substitute for the integrated resort experience... And this is why land-based integrated resorts must remain relevant. Our role is not diminished but redefined—to anchor tourism, to deliver culture and entertainment, and to provide the human connection and experiences that online play can never replicate.”

“Our response to these shifts is clear: we continue to expand our portfolio and elevate our standards. By extending our IR footprint, we are not only scaling up but also creating new experiences for customers and growing the market itself,” Rodriguez said.