The chief operating officer from the promoter of the under-construction Emerald Bay casino resort in Philippines, says the pandemic has affected the development timetable.

“The reimposition of stricter quarantine measures in March… created more difficulties in the construction of Emerald Bay in terms of labour mobilization and materials delivery just as we were generating momentum,” said José Angel Sueiro, COO of PH Resorts Group Holdings.

In a May 14 filing, PH Resorts said Emerald Bay would be constructed in two phases, with the first one “expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2022.”

The company had previously mentioned a second quarter 2022 completion for the initial phase of the property.

Mr Sueiro added in his commentary, that the new timing for Emerald Bay’s first phase completion would be “ideal”, with tourism recovery likely to be “well under way by that time”.

The company also suggested that tourism bounce back could be linked to expansion of vaccination effort with the domestic holiday market one of the improving areas.

At completion of its first phase, Emerald Bay is due to have 122 gaming tables to be shared between mass-market, premium mass and junkets, 600 electronic gaming machines and 270 hotel rooms.

Editing by Rachel Hu