Sofitel reopens but Spiral diners need to wait

The five-star Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila at the CCP Complex in Pasay City reopened Monday, two weeks after floodwaters from a storm surge at the height of Typhoon Pedring inundated the hotel. Its famous Spiral buffet restaurant, however, will take a few more months before it could resume operations, reported GMA News’ “24 Oras" newscast. Spiral on the hotel's groundfloor sustained the worst damage due to its proximity to Manila Bay, the newscast said. Sofitel suffered waist-deep floods when Typhoon Pedring battered the metropolis last Sept. 27. “We are, at the moment, consulting with experts from the government and from the private sector to find out what we can do," Sofitel general manager Goran Aleks said in an interview that aired on “24 Oras." “It’s about how to prepare yourself and making sure you have evacuation plans and crisis management teams in place to be able to react to this kind of situation," he added.
Among Sofitel’s first guests, at its reopening, is the football team Philippine Azkals whose members are in training for their next game, noted “24 Oras." Meanwhile, the whole stretch of Roxas Boulevard remains under rehabilitation, said Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim in another interview. Last week, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority bared plans to replace the boulevard’s seawall with the double-layered type to protect it against Manila Bay’s big waves. — PE/VS, GMA News