After Super Typhoon Yolanda’s devastation in 2013, the island of Lakawon in Negros Occidental was a mere stretch of wrecked bancas and flattened houses—a furrow of anything but safety and security to the nearly 300 families who once called it home. In the wake of one of the country’s strongest typhoons, businessman Vladimir Gonzales found a slither of hope for the island lying amidst the rubble. Surrounded by clear blue waters and spanning 16 hectares of naturally white sand, Lakawon was a Visayan paradise just waiting to be discovered.

True to the island’s name, which interprets as “lakad tayo” in dialect, Lakawon Island Resorts & Spa has served as the ideal tropical escape since 2016. Originally initiated in 2015, a five-to-seven-year construction plan was allotted before the island was opened to the public, but people continued to visit the place for sightseeing and public swimming. Thus, the resort operates and accepts tourists while further development and constructions take place on the island.

For Gonzales, who finished Chemical Engineering from the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod, the vision to build a resort on Lakawon had been his dream for a long time.

“Since I was younger, nagpupunta na kami dito. Just a little portion of this island. There was no development. So 30 years back, I had my eye on this island, but I didn’t expect na mapunta sa akin,” Gonzales said in an interview with The Benildean.

“I’m also a beach-goer, a beach lover. I used to go to Boracay for 25 years at least five times a year,” he added when asked about the inspiration behind the resort.

In 2017, Gonzales shared the island welcomed over 100,000 tourists. What’s even more remarkable is the way they have managed to draw their guests in. “For the record, we have not spent a single centavo for marketing. It’s all social media,” the 50-year-old said.

Since its opening in 2016, Lakawon Resorts & Spa has also been featured on ‘Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho’ and Cebu Pacific’s Smile Magazine, among many others.

The perfect island getaway

Lakawon now offers a day-tour package to experience a range of beach and water activities, or just some well-deserved R&R (rest and relaxation). As of July 2018, it has three types of accommodation for every kind of traveler; whether you’re on a solo budget or an all-out vacation with your barkada or family. Currently the three hotels on the island are called Tropical Bamboo, Premiere Suites, and Pearl’s Place.

Lakawon is also home to the TawHai (translates to “relaxed”), which claims to be the biggest floating bar in Asia, where one can unwind on the large comfy pillows around the bar and party all day with its wide selection of cocktails and beers. For only Php 250, guests have access to unlimited flat boat service as well as the uniquely, charming ambience of the TawHai.

“After two years, we can accommodate nearly 400 people already staying overnight. So we’re planning to add 100 rooms, then hopefully another 200 to 400 rooms for international market,” Gonzales said, adding his plans of expansion to places like Boracay and El Nido.

“[In Boracay], we’re putting up the biggest floating bar in the world, four times bigger than [the TawHai]. The [TawHai in Lakawon] can only accommodate 300 people all at the same time, but the one that’s coming [in Boracay] can accommodate 1,200 [people]. Hopefully next year, another one in El Nido, and it’s gonna be called Lakawon Floating Bar because we’re establishing a brand,” he said.

Designed to have three levels and its own swimming pool, gym, spa, and helipad, the Lakawon Floating Bar in Boracay is set to open in the first quarter of 2019.

More than a tourist destination

While Lakawon embeds itself as a staple for tourists and a source of pride for locals, its slow, steady success also begs the question: what happened to the 1,500 informal settlers on the island after Typhoon Yolanda?

With help from the local government, grants from outside communities, and hands-on assistance from non-profit organizations like the Kalipay Negrense Foundation based in Bacolod City, the people who once resided on the island were relocated to the cities of Negros Occidental in a span of two years. The relocation process was challenging because the residents have called Lakawon their home for the past 40 to 50 years, but Gonzales considered it his company’s social responsibility to provide opportunities of livelihood for them.

“They were given jobs. They were the priority. Especially during the construction stage, I hired almost 300 people,” Gonzales said.

According to the Kalipay Negrense Foundation, 90% of the fishermen on the island had their boats destroyed and lost their jobs due to Typhoon Yolanda. Gonzales’ company gave them jobs once again, specifically in departments such as construction and housekeeping for the resorts.

The pride and success of Lakawon cannot be equated to the disregard of the lives who once resided peacefully on the island, but it’s a continuous reminder of the efforts that have brought many people together as they extended their hands to the victims of the typhoon.

Lakawon is proof that there is indeed a rainbow after the rain. And as the island resort undergoes further development and construction, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye out for this treasure in Negros.

Lakawon Island Resorts & Spa

Address: Lakawon, Cadiz Viejo, Negros Occidental
Contact details: +63 917 555 6979
Facebook account: /lakawonislandresort/