Property Report joined the media’s first look at Mactan Expo, touring the convention center and the wider Mactan Newtown township as the team moved through final preparations for one of the country’s most significant regional moments. Inside the halls, finishing touches were underway; outside, staff and partners moved with purpose. The excitement was evident. So was the pride.
Two years ago, Property Report was present at the same site for the groundbreaking and capsule-laying ceremony, when President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. spoke of Cebu’s role in hosting ASEAN events, while Megaworld leaders outlined the vision for a convention center that would help carry the region onto the global stage. Today, that promise stands fully realized. Mactan Expo will host the ASEAN opening ceremonies, alongside key events under the ASEAN Tourism Forum, including the ASEAN Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), running from January 28 to 30.
Seen up close, Mactan Expo shows how nation-building can unfold through design decisions, partnerships, and spaces built not only to host global events, but to support everyday life around them.
- 1. Infrastructure built for regional participation
Mactan Expo is Megaworld’s first stand-alone convention center, located within the 30-hectare Mactan Newtown tourism township in Lapu-Lapu City. The venue features three high-ceiling convention halls, configurable to host up to around 2,500 delegates, supported by pre-function areas, meeting rooms, VIP lounges, and event support spaces.
As the official venue of TRAVEX, the Expo places Cebu at the center of regional tourism dialogue—built not for a single moment, but for sustained participation in regional and global exchange.
2. Designed for inclusivity and international guests
Beyond scale, the Expo reflects careful attention to how people are welcomed. Inside, facilities are designed with international guests in mind, including dedicated prayer rooms accommodating delegates from different nations, cultures, and beliefs.
For Megaworld, the intention extends beyond building a venue. “This Mactan Expo is actually the gift of Megaworld to Philippine tourism,” said Harold Geronimo, First Vice President of Megaworld Corporation. “We want to contribute to the country’s tourism industry, particularly on MICE.”
3. Carrying history and culture into a modern space
From the outset, Mactan Expo was conceived as more than a neutral events venue. Its design narrative draws deeply from Cebu’s natural and cultural heritage. Indigenous materials—most notably shells painstakingly collected and integrated into walls and finishes—anchor the interiors in place.
Art installations by local Cebuano artists are woven throughout the building, drawing from guitars, weaving traditions, marine life, and agricultural symbols. “The history of Mactan plays a very important role in our country’s history,” Geronimo noted. “This is where everything started here in Cebu.”
For Louella Caridad, Head of Conventions and Events at Megaworld, this integration is intentional. “By weaving Cebu’s culture into a modern convention space, Mactan Expo reinforces our vision of creating developments that go beyond infrastructure—spaces that tell stories and bring people together,” she said.
4. Leveraging location and connectivity
Few convention centers in the region are as intuitively located. Mactan Expo sits close to the beach and just minutes from Mactan–Cebu International Airport, which links Cebu to dozens of domestic cities and major international gateways across Asia and parts of the Middle East through direct, non-stop flights. The airport’s connectivity allows people, ideas, and opportunities to move with ease, making Cebu feel not remote, but central to the region’s movement of business, tourism, and culture.
5. Growing a township that builds community
Mactan Expo forms part of the larger Mactan Newtown, a township developed over more than a decade to include residences, offices, schools, hotels, retail spaces, open public areas, and a museum now being carefully curated.
During the tour, life thrived around the development—families and children moving through open spaces, people lingering in gathering areas, and everyday activity coexisting with event preparations. As more organizers look beyond Metro Manila for venues, Mactan Expo steps into that role with intention. For Caridad, the focus is on managing growth “with discipline and rigor,” while ensuring the community grows alongside it.
As Cebu prepares to welcome ASEAN delegates, Mactan Expo stands ready—not just as a venue, but as part of a larger community shaped by intention and care. It reflects a form of nation-building that looks beyond milestones and moments, grounding global exchange in everyday life. Here, hosting the world does not mean losing one’s sense of place; it means strengthening it.
Mactan Expo at a Glance
• Location: The Mactan Newtown, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
• Facilities: Three convention halls (up to ~2,500 delegates), meeting rooms, VIP lounges, prefunction areas
• Design: Indigenous materials and art by local Cebuano artists
• Access: 10–15 minutes from Mactan–Cebu International Airport
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