Tourism is driving growth in destinations beyond the country’s major urban centers, creating demand for more hotels and developments that can benefit local communities. Megaworld Corporation is responding by expanding its hospitality portfolio in key tourism areas such as Palawan and Ilocos Norte, alongside established destinations nationwide. The company is targeting nearly 12,000 rooms by 2032, with the expansion expected to attract more visitors, create jobs, support local businesses, and generate economic activity in these areas.

As its hotel portfolio grows, the developer is streamlining its hospitality operations through Megaworld Global Hotels and Resorts (MGHR). The organization groups its properties into two portfolios: Megaworld Hotels and Resorts (MHR), which covers hotels in Metro Manila, Boracay, Batangas, and Cebu, and Megaworld Global Hospitality (MGH), which oversees Mövenpick Manila Bay Westside and properties in Palawan and Iloilo. This structure is intended to support the company’s expanding operations and international hospitality partnerships.

Megaworld President and CEO Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso said the expansion is part of the company’s efforts to strengthen Philippine tourism and attract more international visitors. “One of our biggest contributions to nation-building is to help make our tourism industry more vibrant and attractive, especially to foreign visitors. To support this goal of helping boost our country’s tourism, we are making this bold move of expanding our hospitality organization with established veterans and innovators in the global hotels and leisure industry.”

The benefits of tourism can extend beyond the hospitality sector, creating employment, supporting local businesses, and bringing more economic activity to communities. Alliance Global Group President and CEO Kevin L. Tan said, “We see tourism as one of the most powerful engines of sustainable economic growth. Every hotel we build creates jobs, supports local businesses, brings visitors to new destinations, and opens more opportunities for communities to prosper. Through our expanding hospitality portfolio under MGHR, we want to help continue unlocking the immense tourism potential of the Philippines and bring more of our country’s destinations, culture, and world-class Filipino hospitality to travelers from around the globe.”

The company’s hospitality operations will be led by Socrates Alvaro and Anna Vergara, who bring experience from both Megaworld and the international hotel industry. Alvaro, managing director of MHR, has held senior positions within the company and has nearly two decades of experience across hotel markets in the UK, UAE, Egypt, the Maldives, Thailand, and other parts of Asia.

Vergara, managing director of MGH, brings more than three decades of experience with Marriott International, spanning hotel operations, leadership, and team development. Their combined backgrounds bring together Megaworld Corporation’s experience in local hospitality with international hotel management expertise.

The expansion comes as Megaworld’s hospitality business continues to perform strongly. In the first half of 2026, it was the company’s fastest-growing recurring income segment, with revenues increasing 11 percent to ₱3.1 billion, supported by the opening of the 405-room Belmont Hotel Iloilo. The property is the company’s third hotel in Iloilo Business Park and brings Megaworld’s total hotel inventory in Iloilo City to nearly 1,000 rooms, reinforcing its position in a growing tourism and business destination.