FONTANA LEISURE PARK ORDERED CLOSED OVER UNPAID OBLIGATIONS

BY KEVIN GALANG

THE Clark Development Corporation (CDC) on Tuesday closed down for the third time  the 300-hectare Fontana Hot Spring and Leisure Park  at the Clark Freeport Zone.

A Cease-and-Desist Order (CDO)  was issued against Fontana Development Corporation (FDC) and Fontana Resort and Country Club Inc. (FRCCI) for failing to meet their financial and contractual obligations to the state-owned firm.

“The order directs FDC and FRCCI to immediately stop all operations, indefinitely within their leased area, including the 52-hectare property currently managed by Korea Country Club Inc. (KCCI), pending compliance with their contractual obligations,” the CDC, in a statement on Wednesday, said.

According to the CDC, it had issued the CDO due to the numerous violations committed by FDC, including failure to meet financial obligations, non-fulfillment of commitments under the Lease Agreement, and non-compliance with the Fire Code and National Building Code.

The CDC said Fontana owed the government P203 million in rental fee and penalties as of December 23, 2024.

It also mentioned Fontana’s failure to submit Revised Development Plan and failed to obtain CDC’s prior written consent and approval for its construction activities and other related improvements activities in the leased property.

The Fontana also failed to comply with the pertinent provisions of the National Building Code of the Philippines, the CDC said.

The first time CDC shut down Fontana was in December 2016 following the arrest of around 1,300 illegal Chinese casino workers inside the leisure park that was at the time owned by Macau casino operator Jack Lam. It was reopened the same month.

The second time it was closed was on May 20, 2020 at the height of the pandemic when authorities discovered a makeshift hospital in a Fontana Villa catering to Chinese COVID-19 patients.

The leisure park was allowed to resume operation on May 30, 2020.