Local tourism industry players,
particularly luxury hotels and resorts are now adopting the principle of
sustainability in their operations. More and more upscale establishments
seek to ensure that how they do business creates the least impact on the
environment, through proper management and planning controls, even as they
continue to provide clients the first-class amenities, facilities and
services they expect.
Initiatives that promote
sustainability have become timely and important globally and nationally
primarily because sustainability makes perfect business sense. By
taking care of the environment and the communities where they operate,
businesses make a positive impact on society, the local economy and the bottom
line and ensure their own long-term survival.
Club Paradise Palawan, a premier
resort managed by the Discovery Leisure Company, is among those
forward-looking properties that have realized sustainability is good for
business. It has been proactive in protecting and sustaining the
environment in its day-to-day operations through their program ECOCONSERVE.
ECOCONSERVE aims to rebuild, protect,
and conserve the environment. It is one of the sustainability
initiatives of the Discovery Group, which also supports the annual Sustainable Seafood Week and the Heirloom Rice Project in
the Cordillera region.
A showcase project of Club Paradise
Palawan, ECOCONSERVE can be a model for other companies
“Sustainability
and environmental consciousness is one of the organization’s top priorities”, says Mr. Joegil
Escobar,
Resort Manager. “We see them as part and parcel of our
responsibility to act as stewards for the environment, working
hand-in-hand with the communities we serve in caring for nature.”
Through ECOCONSERVE, Club Paradise
Palawan promotes “nurture nature" through the following activities:
Ensure
the protection of Club Paradise Palawan’s 700-meter pristine beach, situated in
a Biosphere Reserve of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization that is a nesting site for Hawksbill and Green
Sea Turtles.
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Annually, from November to
January, around 200 turtle hatchlings are released to the ocean.
Club
Paradise Palawan is also committed to protect the azure waters that surround
it against illegal fishermen. It acts as "Sea Guardians" of
marine ecosystems and reefs.
The
Discovery Scouts program aims to develop in children love for Mother Earth. It
organizes different activities daily at 4 p.m. at the Tree House.
At the
Firefish Restaurant and Lounge, delightful international and homegrown comfort
cuisine is served using ingredients from sustainable
sources. The Resort’s own Taranuman Farm, for instance, supplies fresh
herbs and vegetables so guests can enjoy true farm-to-table dishes.
The
verdant 19 hectares where Club Paradise Palawan’s island resort is located is
home to beautiful birds, fruit bats and other wildlife. A dense forest cover
provides a natural habitat for these creatures. Club Paradise Palawan
takes seriously the job of caring for trees to ensure their friends have a
place to live.
In the
pipeline is a water desalination plant to provide the island a
drought-proof, alternative water supply.
Club
Paradise Palawan also undertakes regularly beach clean-up activities with the help
of volunteers. It practices waste segregation by providing color-coded garbage
bins within the property.
With all
these eco-friendly initiatives, Club Paradise Palawan is showing the way
forward and demonstrating that sustainability makes perfect business
sense for the long term.
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