From rattan ceilings to reclaimed wood: Inside South Palms MGallery Panglao’s thoughtful design
by Annie Asistio
On the 8th of August 2025, MGallery Collection opened its newest boutique resort in Bohol, the South Palms Resort and Spa. It was conceived through the collaboration of industry-leading designers, Patricia Ho Douven of White Jacket Singapore, Philip Pond of Atelier Pond and Patrick Keane of Enter Projects Asia, where they set out to design a resort that balances contemporary luxury with Boholano heritage, using local materials and craft as the foundation of the experience.
Throughout the resort, these choices are tangible. Ceilings are finished in woven rattan, façades and walls clad in reclaimed timber collected over the years by the owners, and furniture crafted by local artisans. The effect is tactile and personal, creating a sense of home rather than formality.
“We wanted guests to feel they’ve stepped into a Boholano home,” said Ho. “The textures are meant to be touched, to be lived with.”
The project’s emphasis on reclaimed timber is one of its defining features. The wood appears across guest rooms, the spa and public areas, where its weathered surfaces add warmth and depth.
As Ho explained, “We repurposed timber in multiple ways—cladding, furniture, walls—so that every corner carries a story of the island.”
Pond added that durability was considered from the start: “We knew timber wouldn’t last forever by the sea, but that’s part of its beauty. It can be replaced, refreshed, given another life. That flexibility is built into the design.”
Working in a remote location posed challenges, from sourcing to fabrication, but Keane explained how they all saw this as a strength. “Usually, projects are reduced to fit brand standards. But here, we had freedom to push, to create something that is unmistakably Filipino, not a copy of Bali or Thailand.”
For the designers, the South Palms Resort and Spa represents a broader shift in how luxury is defined. “Authenticity is the new luxury,” said Ho. “People travel halfway across the world not for uniformity, but for something rooted in place. That’s why we wanted every surface and detail here to reflect Bohol—its craft, its culture and its landscape.”
The result is a resort where architecture and design are not backdrops but active storytellers that weave together material, heritage and modern comfort into an atmosphere that is both distinctive and deeply connected to its setting.
Go further with South Palms MGallery Panglao.
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