Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI) Chief Executive Officer Kevin Tan just announced that the conglomerate is set to open the Philippines' first Grand Opera House through its subsidiary, Megaworld Corporation.

Tan made the exciting revelation during the joint forum of The Manila Times and the Embassy of Italy in the Philippines titled, "Classical culture and tourism: A happy matrimony,"

Tan stressed that AGI has long embraced the promotion of culture as a tool to enrich the tourism experience in the country through the group's continued offerings through stage productions, exhibits and the like at their hotels, malls and museums, among others.

"We take great pride in being one of the biggest tourism investors in the Philippines and being the Philippines' largest hotel operator," said Tan.

In line with the company's commitment to promoting Philippine performing arts, the Grand Opera House will feature a 1,500-seater theater designed to host a diverse range of shows, including musicals, operas, concerts, and more.

The opera house will be erected at the 31-hectare Westside City, a township nestled within Entertainment City in Parañaque City. Through these projects, the company's ambitious goal is to make the Philippines as the "Broadway of Asia."

Tan said there would be three or four more theaters of different sizes beside the said opera house.

"There's so much the Philippines can do. We realize that Filipino talent is unparalleled, and that we can actually make this a very big tourism driver for our country."

Tan furthered, "We believe [in] preserving the cultural heritage of certain locations and adding value to the tourist experience that a destination offers. This is why we position every township that we develop as a destination for tourism. We build malls that attract not just diners and shoppers, but also foreign and domestic visitors."

This statement is evident in AGI's vast portfolio of malls, not to mention its "photographic malls," as Tan pointed out, pertaining to the success of the Venice Grand Canal in McKinley Hill, which has cleverly replicated the world famous Italian gondola experience for both local and international guests.

"All of these developments and initiatives are part of our commitment to help support the Philippines. There's still so much we can do to help jumpstart economic progress for tourism, particularly in areas outside Metro Manila. And it all starts by embracing the many opportunities that come our way," Tan concluded.