South Palms Panglao turns one
South Palms Resort & Spa Panglao–MGallery Collection is set on the white sands of Panglao Island. It offers 188 rooms and suites (some with a private plunge pool) designed to reflect the rich cultural heritage of Bohol. The beachfront resort captures the authentic island spirit of Bohol.
Guests can enjoy farm-to-table dining, sensory spa treatments, Boholano cultural activities, reef snorkeling, or shipwreck diving. Families with young children can keep them busy by the large pool or with hands-on activities like animal feeding and workshops.
South Palms Resort & Spa Panglao–MGallery Collection recently marked its first anniversary and has established itself as one of Bohol’s leading hospitality destinations. Since its opening in August 2025, the property has become the highest-rated hotel on the island, according to Tripadvisor and across major travel platforms. At the AHEAD Awards 2026, which recognizes hotel design and hospitality projects across Asia, the resort was shortlisted in four categories, namely Resort, Spa and Wellness, Sustainability and Event Spaces—more than any other Philippine property entered this year. It was also named a finalist for the Bernache Legacy Award, Accor’s highest distinction for sustainability performance across the group.
South Palms still runs on solar power, treats its own wastewater on site and holds to a zero single-use-plastics policy, alongside sourcing a share of its kitchens’ produce from its own farm. This operating model was cited in both the resort’s AHEAD Awards Sustainability shortlist and its Bernache Legacy Award nomination.
South Palms will refresh the menus at its three restaurants, UMA, MANJA, and Sirenna, in the coming months under Culinary Consultant Chef Bettina Arguelles. The move continues the resort’s push to raise the bar for dining on the island, giving Bohol a food and beverage scene that can stand alongside the region’s best. Each outlet keeps its existing concept. UMA remains focused on progressive Filipino cuisine built around the resort’s own farm and local seafood and Bettina has released their new dishes already such as Tuway (Visayan for clams) Cold Noodles and Seafood Kare-kare. MANJA continues serving globally inspired comfort food for its poolside and beachfront setting, and Sirenna keeps its cocktail program rooted in Boholano mythology.
General Manager Danish Khan said, “A year ago, we opened our doors and made a promise to Bohol, to our owners, and to each other that authentic luxury and genuine local character could thrive together. That is a promise that this past year has already shown one guest and one story at a time.”
The resort went all out for their first anniversary celebrations. We started at 6 pm with their daily “Mermaid Show” followed by a fire dancing performance and sampling of local cocktails by the beach. Guests moved to Tiya’s House and enjoyed a regional cuisine spread prepared by Chef Bettina and the South Palms Culinary team. Bettina prepared five live food stations at Tiya’s House where bibingka and kwek kwek (battered quail eggs) with ikura (salmon roe), barbecued foie gras, fresh oysters, and crab cakes were served.
After the appetizers, the main dinner was served at the ballroom. Starters were Suam na Mais (a clam and sweet corn soup) and Inihaw na Sugpo (flame-grilled prawn in a Szechuan crustacean bisque). Mains included Scallop Sisig, Duck Pancit Canton, and Lamb Tinutungan (slow-cooked lamb shoulder in burnt coconut cream). Beachside roasting had Lechon Baka (roasted cow) added to the mains served with four sauces—Tablea Jus, Liver Sauce Sinamak, Malunggay Chimichurri, and Tomato Relish.
Sweet endings were never-ending with a Sorbetes (Filipino ice cream) Cart (flavors included latik ice cream, ube kinampay, and mango sorbet) and a dessert bar that had choices of Truffle and Asin Tibuok Piyaya, Banana Tablea Turon, Marang Cheesecake, Mangosteen Coconut Mousse, Peanut and Pastillas Tartlet, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and Chocolate Calamansi Éclair.
The other highlight of the evening was a musical staging of “Sirenna and Other Deities,” the Boholano legend of sea and sky gods that inspired the resort’s concept, performed entirely by South Palms employees.
“This is only the beginning,” Khan said. “As South Palms moves into its second year, we carry forward the same intention that brought us here, to elevate Bohol’s culture, craft and hospitality onto the world stage.”
Happy first anniversary, South Palms!
