Universal, PHL partner to build opera house, office towers next

Japanese gaming firm Universal Entertainment Corp. and its Philippine partner are eyeing the next phase of construction for the $2 billion Manila Bay Resorts project, which is set to open in 2016.

Kazuo Okada’s Universal Entertainment Corp. is on a roll. The Japanese gaming firm and its Philippine partner are already eyeing the next phase of construction for their $2 billion casino resort project, Manila Bay Resorts, which is set to open sometime in 2016.

Businessman Antonio Cojuangco told reporters on Thursday they will focus on the non-gaming portion of the 44-hectare casino resort once the first phase is completed. The resort’s non-gaming portion will include hotels, high-rise apartments, office towers, and even an opera house, according to Reuters.

Cojuangco, a cousin of Philippine President Benigno Aquino, said the next phase “should start sometime next year because by then, they will be inside the casino finishing it.” The non-gaming portion of development will cover 30 hectares of the total Manila Bay Resorts land.