EK grows leaps and towers

Friday, 29 October 2010 00:00

BY JAMIE MARIE ELONA RESEARCHER

Santa ROSA, LAGUNA: The Enchanted Kingdom (EK) is truly a magical place.

Believe it or not, as Typhoon Juan loomed overhead two weeks ago, there was a rainbow that appeared over the country’s only world-class theme park. It was after all, Enchanted Kingdom’s 15th anniversary,

and the skies looked kindly upon families and friends who braved cloudy skies to celebrate the milestone.

To make the day more memorable for the guests, EK launched a new heart-pumping, palm-sweating, hair-raising attraction called the EKstream Tower Ride. The first of its kind in the Philippines, the ride challenged daredevils to go up 150 feet in the air for 30 seconds only to drop down—safely—to ground level.

“It was the longest two seconds in my life!” screamed a guest who tried the tower ride. “What was really scary was not knowing when the drop down would happen. The view from up there was amazing though—seeing all the lights and the people getting smaller and smaller.”

Shared Cesar Mario Mamon, EK’s chairman and president, the ride is meant for adventurous teenagers, but apparently, because of all the excitement during the launch, even his wife, Cynthia Mamon, EK vice president for Sales, Marketing, Imagineering and Entertainment, tried the EK stream, not just once but several times.

Mamon added that the tower ride serves as the park’s symbol of success. At the very tip is is Eldar Wizard’s hat sitting on a crown that represents EK’s “towering” achievement. Its height of 150 ft., meanwhile, counts 10 ft. for every year of EK’s existence.

“We really have a handle on things now,” announced Mamon. “We’re seeing a steady business grow.

We’ve been through a roller coaster ride ourselves . . . but the more the business runs smoothly and efficiently, the more we can take care of our stake holders, especially our employees, and of course the more we can offer to our guests.”

More good news came when Mamon told Life & Times that he was recently elected as the first Asian and Filipino to be the third vice chairman of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

His wife elaborated that by 2014, he would be the chairman of the worldwide organization.

The Mamons and the rest of EK’s staff have so much to celebrate on their 15th anniversary. That they literally weathered a super storm on the big day made the milestone even more meaningful for the,

“ We praise and thank God for this blessing of a good weather,” Mamon said. “We’re so grateful we didn’t disappoint everyone who came over.