Group photo of  2020-2022 ASEAN Green Hotel champions from the Philippines

Congratulations to all ZCR members who won recently the ASEAN Green Hotel Awards for 2020-2022 held in Brunei Darussalam. These include Amarela Resort, Amorita Resort, and Bohol Beach Club -all from Bohol, Seda Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna and Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Samal Island, Davao. Under the ASEAN MICE Venue category, among the awardees are Jpark Island Resort, Cebu and Princesa Garden in Palawan.

Mr. Ruben Tan (President and CEO of Puerto Pension) representing Puerto Pension and his local partners received 2020-2022 ASTA award together with DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat

On the other hand, Puerto Pension Bed and Breakfast together with its local partners won the ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Awards 2020-2022. Puerto Pension is one of the pioneer ZCR Frontier Group members and one of the recognized establishments for the 2018-2020 ANAHAW – Philippine Sustainable Tourism Certification which is developed by GrAT – Center for Appropriate Technology and in collaboration with the Department of Tourism through the concluded EU Switch Asia Project “Zero Carbon Resorts (ZCR)”.

Again, our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners.

Photo Credits: Ms. Marissa Claustro and Mr. Ruben “Butch” Tan.

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Façade of Home Crest in Davao City

People, Profit and Planet – Those are the three essentials every organization wants to include in their business goals. That is why it is a success story for Home Crest Hotel to be a certified member of Zero Carbon Resorts project. Home Crest Hotel which is owned and managed by Globalcrest Properties, Inc., started in the year 2010 with only 28 rooms and was named as Home Crest Residences. As the company seeks to develop growth in the hospitality industry in Davao City, it expanded its portfolio of guestrooms to 64 non-smoking rooms which includes 4 modernized room types opened to accommodate both business and leisure travelers. The hotel is also fully equipped with the modernized design of 4 types of meeting rooms and one function hall, a grand ball room, for banquets and events.  Also, the company’s mantra to redefine the hotel experience of every guest at its finest, is embodied in every hotel personnel’s act to achieve a world class service and the hotel’s commitment to provide guest comfort thru the finest amenities and facilities.

On top of these, Home Crest Hotel seeks to establish a working environment that involves the welfare of the community it serves. That is why it took a higher step by joining and implementing the zero carbon footprints campaign, initiated by GrAT Center for Appropriate Technology, to avoid the creation of residues that could harm the environment and its people, as well as encouraging a clean and green working environment mindset among its employees.

According to Mr. Esario P. Dagumann III, one of the pioneering employees of Home Crest Hotel, it was the General Manager Elizabeth R. Teves and Mr. Felimon P. Lina,Jr. the Operationa Supervisor during the year 2013, who sought professional help from the GrAT Center for Appropriate Technology to be able to implement green, environmental-friendly technologies and practices thus, Home Crest Hotel became a Zero Carbon Resort participant. However, long before they sought guidance from ZCR, Mr. Alvin T. Teves, one of the incorporators of Home Crest Hotel, already has an environment-friendly mindset and has long been practicing and implementing green technologies for their hog farm’s operations by making use of the rain water gathered using rain water catchment and storage technology. He added that even in their home, he encourages every member of their household to be mindful to green, environment-friendly practices. His reason this mindset is not solely to cut electricity and water expenses but mainly to preserve the environment for future generations to enjoy.

Environmental policies displayed in public areas and guest rooms

In order for the hotel to minimize both energy and water consumption of its average guests they continually practice energy and water consumption data recording and monitoring and comparing these data with previous consumptions, a practice of  which was commended as a good management practice to guide the hotel on how to utilize efficiently the energy available. The hotel also provides policy statements on the strategic areas of the hotel in order to encourage and advise both guests and employees to be socially aware on energy conservation

The reception area in Home Crest

Natural lighting is also available at the entrance of the hotel as the natural light of the morning sun passes through the glass panels of the hotel lobby. This would utilize the available light from natural resources and minimize the use of artificial lighting during the daytime. The management also encourages its employees to reduce the usage of electricity, water, and other resources.

Painted light-colored roof

Light-colored painted walls in hallways

Roofs and walls are painted using light color which absorbs less heat compared to those with dark-colored paints.

The hotel also utilizes solar water heating units as a source for hot water supply. All restrooms in the hotel were provided by sensor-enabled light switches to avoid leaving lights on when the restrooms are not in use.

Labelled light switches

Light switches were also provided with labels to ensure that the correct light switches are used to turn on the light needed for a particular area. In terms of air conditioning system, the hotel utilizes centralized air conditioning for cooling the kitchen, hallway and guestrooms. Also, for the company to manage the volume of solid waste, the hotel enforces proper collection of these through the use of appropriately-labelled (biodegradable, non-biodegradable, recyclable) trash bins.

All in all, it will always be the goal of Home Crest Hotel to redefine the quality of service it provides to its guest and that is to create a positive experience they couldn’t forget. At the end of the day, Home Crest Hotel believes that hospitality to guests also means taking care of the environment and the community it serves.

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The recently concluded European Union (EU)-Switch Asia project called Zero Carbon Resorts (widely known as “ZCR” among its stakeholders) has been a strong driving force in promoting carbon-neutral operations and sustainable tourism in the Philippines and Thailand.

ZCR is a green initiative that began in 2010 led by the Gruppe Angepasste Technologie (GrAT) or Center for Appropriate Technology headquartered at the Vienna University of Technology in Austria. GrAT is an independent research association established in 1986 that seeks to initiate, develop and promote sustainable development activities for different sectors, regions, and people.

Supported by the EU and the Austrian Development Cooperation, the initial run of the ZCR Project was a strong collaboration between GrAT and the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) that enabled tourism SMEs in Palawan to switch from fossil fuel to renewable energy.

“Palawan’s unspoiled landscapes and rich biodiversity made it a compelling start for the project,” said Dr. Robert Wimmer, Project Lead of the ZCR Project and the chairman of GrAT-Austria. “Among the main challenges and opportunities, we encountered were limited access to electricity and renewable resources and inclusive community development. Palawan was the right place to showcase what we can be done in the future. ”As the main proponent of the program, Wimmer developed ZCR’s three-tier approach of Reduce, Replace and Redesign (3R). This called for establishments to reduce energy consumption, replace inefficient technologies, and redesign buildings and systems to lower carbon footprint as close to zero. To date, the ZCR project has 870 registered members covering more than 68,000 hotel rooms across 35 provinces in the Philippines and 311 members from different provinces in Thailand.

The success stories from the decade-long ZCR Project became the strong foundation for the ANAHAW – Philippine Sustainable Tourism Certification, the first national green certification program in the Philippines, which is in line with the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2016-2022.

Launched in January 2018, the ANAHAW Philippine Sustainable Tourism Certification was created in collaboration with the DOT to drive the tourism sector towards sustainable consumption and production while preserving the environment and biodiversity, engaging the local community; promoting culture and heritage, and maximizing profitability.

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Hotel Dominique’s building façade and structures

Located in the province of Cavite, Tagaytay City, which is dubbed as the second Summer Capital of the Philippines, is now one of the prominent tourist destinations mostly for weekend retreat due to its accessibility from Manila. With the increasing tourism demand, the place has become an accommodation hub that welcomes both local and foreign tourists.

Accommodation facilities at Hotel Dominique

Equipped with 58 exquisite air-conditioned rooms, Hotel Dominique is a family-owned, 3-star hotel established in 2003. The buildings are a combination of modern facade and vintage-inspired interior room designs, which can cater from two to eight guests depending on the room type. It is perfectly designed for family get-togethers, barkada gatherings, or for simply just a rewarding staycation.

Driven with the commitment to bring quality service for their guests, this hotel also considers environmental conservation that they started on their own. This keen attitude of Hotel Dominique toward protecting the environment boosts even more as they collaborated with the ZCR Project.

After attending one of ZCR’s dissemination events in March 2016, Mr. Dennis Ambat (President) and Ms. Katrina Manahan (VP for Operations) took the challenge to pursue sustainable development. The knowledge and concepts they acquired from the session made them more determined, as well as committed to the environment, and deliberately engaged Hotel Dominique to the project.

Energy and Resource Assessment visit to Hotel Dominique last August 19, 2016

A technical assessment followed their registration to the project. The ZCR Project team together with the management and staff of Hotel Dominique joined the exercise of finding opportunity for improvement in the hotel during the assessment. A number of recommended measures and guidance to enhance their energy and resource efficiency were provided. The hotel has already started its journey in implementing eco-practices—though there are some recommended measures they find challenging. But the management is keen on pursuing their goal of sustainability, so they are taking it step by step.
 

Hotel Dominique’s Green Committee together with the ZCR Team

The management formed a Zero Carbon team assigned as “green committee,” which regularly conducts monthly green meeting and discussion to analyse certain findings and issues in the resort’s performance (resource consumption, green practices, etc.). Hotel Dominique’s green committee comprises Mr. Dennis Ambat as the Chairman, together with his team members: Mr. Boy R. Caraan, Ms. Kitty A. Manahan, Ms. Mitz Maunez, Mr. Jorge Buan, Mr. Rey Bayot, Mr. Danny Oserio, Mr. Fred Novero, Mr. Yagie Hilario, Mr. Danny De Rojas, and Ms. Marianne Martinez.

The ZCR Project team’s monitoring visit last June 20, 2017, at Hotel Dominique

Taking the challenges into opportunities, the hotel is now reaping the benefits of their effort. Through the monitoring session the ZCR Project team conducted a few months later, a number of efficiency measures were implemented.

Resource conservations campaign materials placed in the guest rooms

There are electric save tags in place inside the accommodation rooms. Informative cards found on the side tables were also constantly updated. These are guidelines to encourage their guests to participate in their resource efficiency initiatives and environmental program during their stay. Through these, the guests become aware that the hotel does not change their linens and towels on an everyday basis, especially for those who are staying for longer periods. According to the hotel, 95% of guests generally participate on this initiative.

Energy-efficient technologies used at Hotel Dominique

Key cards systems were installed in Cabanas houses and four-storey rooms in order to switch off the lights and AC units automatically whenever the rooms are unoccupied. From incandescent, fluorescent, and halogen lights, the hotel has undergone retrofitting on their lighting system. At present, 90% of the lights are now LED along with other appliances, including the televisions.

Inverter-type AC units in casitas and door brush installed at the main door of the guest rooms

Moving forward, the hotel has started replacing their old air conditioning units with new, energy-saving AC units. In casitas and some rooms in their four-storey buildings, they have installed inverter-type air conditioning units, and to date, there are 41/86 units being replaced. To prevent hot air infiltration in the guest rooms, they have installed door brush to seal the gaps, thereby lessening the AC energy consumption.  Another benefit is that the dusts that may get inside through those gaps can also be prevented, making cleaning a lot easier.

Refrigerators in the kitchen area have enough space for ventilation.

Freezers and refrigerators in the kitchen area observed proper wall clearance that allows sufficient space for the ventilation of the refrigerator’s condensers. This can help the hotel save 39% of energy consumption. The hotel is also now conducting close monitoring of the loosen gaskets as part of their maintenance procedure. Regular defrosting is done to prevent accumulation of ice in the freezers, which can reduce the efficiency of the freezing and cooling of food items.

LPG tanks are elevated and located right behind its MRF and along the pathway leading to the laundry area

In fact, the gas tanks are well-elevated above the ground and noticeably placed in an exposed area.

One of the function halls at Hotel Dominique

Beside its comfy accommodation facilities, the hotel has sophisticated venues to host seminars and other special occasions for their guests. Part of the hotel norm is for room attendants to do spot-check in the morning to manually shut off the lights that are left on and unplug appliances in these venues and guest facilities.

Use of trees and plants for shading

Complementing the initiatives of the hotel, several plants are visible within the vicinity. They have ornamental plants placed in the rooms of the four-storey buildings facing the west. The selection of the plants in the verandas of these rooms has undertaken several considerations including the ability of the plants to grow in high altitude with limited cultivation. The right plants can ward off a significant amount of heat and sunlight, which would usually fill the rooms and make cooling more energy-consuming without the plants. This approach also helps improve environmental aesthetics.

Natural lighting and ventilation techniques at the hotel

To take advantage of natural lighting, the restaurant and stairways have been designed with glass, as well.

(Before and after) The ventilation and lighting in the laundry area

As another example of a simple measure that brings enormous improvement, the laundry area has a roof monitor with ventilation installed. The translucent roof provided natural lighting to the area.  The ventilation provides cooler indoor temperature and makes the area quite comfortable for staff to work. The heat coming from the flat work was reduced by 60%, and during day time, they don’t need to use artificial lighting and no need to use the exhaust fans for ventilation.

Water saving practices at Hotel Dominique

In terms of water efficiency, a few practices have been imposed. For instance, the hotel installed aerators both in basin faucets and showerheads. The hotel staff store and reuse the last rinse from the laundry for washing mat rugs, mop heads, rubber mats, and other cleaning equipment. Front loading washing machines and dryer are used in the hotel. New plumbing system for hot water supply is implemented as well. The old galvanized iron (GI) pipes were replaced with PPR types to eliminate water leaks and reduce the temperature losses.

Like any other compliant hotels, the management adheres with the effluent standards set by the DENR.

Grease trap installed at the kitchen area

Local goods available in Hotel Dominique

The hotel strives hard to involve the local community in their operations. In terms of manpower, the ratio of local employees to non-locals is 60:40. They also promote Filipino cuisines and local beverages in the menu. At the same time, the hotel does in-house  production of breakfast items (sausages, ham, bacon, and longganisa) which are available and served at the restaurant. This reduces the carbon footprint and cost for transport of goods from the market and gives them additional source of revenue.

Waste management imposed in Hotel Dominique

Proper waste segregation is also practiced. The hotel has a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where all solid wastes are stored and segregated. Aside from that, they have created and adopted an extensive mechanism called RRR (Recycle, Re-use, and Reduce). Instead of buying seasonal decorations such as Christmas, Valentine’s, Halloween, and other various events, the hotel utilizes the resourcefulness of local talents among their employees by creating their own decors.

Decors made from recycled materials: pillar for the stage made from used paper box; decors for special occasions made from scrap and used woods as well as bottles with abaca strings; and Christmas angels made from busted spotlights

To refrain from using hazardous wastes such as disposal batteries, Hotel Dominique is now using rechargeable types for their Safety Deposit boxes and electronic door lock system. Another benefit of this to the hotel in terms of investment is that these rechargeable batteries last longer, which means fewer times of replacement. The hotel makes use of refillable bath gel and shampoo dispensers to minimize waste as well.

Dispensers for hotel essentials

Other plans of Hotel Dominique include institutionalizing rewards system both for employees and guests to encourage full participation, support, and dedication to achieve goals. Also, they plan to conduct feasibility study on separating grey water from black water, so that grey water can be recycled as part of their waste water treatment and development of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities related to their RRR objectives.

Group picture with the ZCR Team

According to Mr. Ambat, “To ignore the various efforts of the government, United Nations, non-profit organizations, and private institutions to lower the world’s temperature by 2 degrees is just too much to carry on one’s conscience. Besides, it won’t take long before clientele would prefer to stay in green hotels and resorts.”

Clearly, this statement manifests his commitment to and passion for improving their operations geared toward environmental sustainability. Led by management with the right mindset, Hotel Dominique is surely in the right path toward being a champion in sustainable tourism.

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—Bettina Rodarte and Ismael Delgado
on reducing carbon footprint
Founders/owners, Qi Palawan

 
In a place as glorious as Palawan, it’s just quite imperative that establishments within the area conserve the beauty that houses one of the world’s most stunning pristine beaches and virgin rainforests. Located at the unexploited part of northeastern Palawan, Qi Palawan has become part of this undertaking to preserve the environment and its natural resources by seeking the help of the Zero Carbon Resorts (ZCR) project.

Being the first and only establishment in the immediate area, Qi Palawan
is located 55 minutes from El Nido at the northeastern coast.
(Photo credits: http://qipalawan.com)

Beach view from Qi Palawan with hammocks hanging from the trees
(Photo credits: http://qipalawan.com)

A boutique kite-dive-yoga resort, Qi Palawan currently has eight rooms, two large two-story villas, and six freestanding cottages. Located in San Fernando—a 55-minute drive from the town of El Nido, Philippines—Qi Palawan has opened their resort to tourists and travelers since 2014. The owners Ms. Bettina Rodarte and Mr. Ismael Delgado, though, have long since been members of the ZCR project in 2012, two years prior to their launching of their first and, currently, only branch.

Villas at Qi Palawan with spacious and eco-friendly interior designs
(Photo credits: http://qipalawan.com)

Mr. Delgado and Ms. Rodarte’s reasons for joining ZCR have been highly diversified. Some of which are for economic reasons due to their resort’s predetermined initial budget, while some reasons are as it should be, environmental. The marketing aspect, or their market positioning as an eco-friendly resort, is something with which they are not quite preoccupied. For them, they were just doing what anyone should do. “For us, it was natural,” the owner said.

Going Green Right Off the Bat

Sustainability has always been at the core of Qi Palawan’s ethos. However, going green for Qi Palawan both served as the challenge and the objective when it comes to the resort’s financial facet. In other words, it is both a roadblock and an entryway to making both ends meet. Investing in eco-friendly facilities and adopting green approaches can be very costly at the onset. But doable—and rewarding. In spite of everything, they believed, energy conservation should make economic sense in the long run.

Since the early stage of their operation was not the time for costly investment yet, in support of Qi Palawan’s movement toward a greener operation, they chose to adopt what cost less to implement. For one, based on recommendations during ZCR’s Architecture Training, Qi Palawan adjusted their infrastructure’s roofs to a positioning designed to provide more shading to the building and allow the rainwater to flow easily, protecting the cogon roof from degradation. A high-ceiling design was also adopted to allow for hot air to rise. Still in its objective to operate within its limited capital investment, the resort also built its staff houses based on geometries that allow natural airflow, which in turn promote cooling with less energy consumption, thus providing comfortable living spaces for them.

Infrastructures have been designed to provide natural airflow to reduce energy consumption for cooling.

 
The initial phase was apparently not the time for solar panels—until their business opened and their financial standing improved. It was then that they knew it was time to reassess things.

Reassessing the Use of Solar Energy

When the resort revisited their cashflow and saw adequate progress, they started reconsidering the concept of solar energy. That was when they reached out again to ZCR for recommendations on installations, making touch points with appropriate solar panel suppliers, and so on. Implementation was hard, but the resort knew it would be worth it.
Finally, solar installations were completed on September 25 this year 2017, and Qi Palawan has been declared as a 100% solar-powered resort on the following day. Utilizing 40 kWh of solar panels with 128 kWh of batteries—which are sufficient in providing for the resort’s overall energy consumption even during peak occupancy periods—Qi Palawan became the first full-service, air-conditioned resort in the Philippines to use only solar power for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Qi Palawan’s solar panels can sufficiently provide for 24/7 electricity in the resort facilities.

 
This helps the resort to not only save more than Php33,000.00 a month or Php400,000.00 a year from more than 11,000 L of fuel that two 15-kVA and one 7.5-kVA generators used to consume, but also reduce carbon emission by exactly 29,650.23 kg of CO₂. Now, the resort uses only a 25-kVA generator when needed. It is estimated that Qi Palawan’s conversion to solar is the equivalent of planting 996 carbon offset trees each year, helping preserve the currently untouched exquisiteness of northeastern Palawan.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Despite having their solar energy project materialized, Qi Palawan never dismisses the positive effects that simple but impactful measures can contribute to their sustainability efforts. This is why the resort strictly implements 3Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle.

The use of shampoo and soap dispensers and of eco-bags when resort staff transport things that guests need

To promote local products in the area, bamboo straws are locally made by Qi Palawan’s immediate community.

One of the key practices is to reduce the use of plastic, contamination of chemicals, and consumption of fuel. To do so, the resort management and staff do not serve food and drinks using any form of plastic, such as bottles, cups, plates, straws, and bags, to their guests.

Qi Palawan uses bamboo straws in all their drinks.

They have practically eliminated the use of plastic bags and, instead, promoted the use of locally sourced amenities. They encourage the use of crates and coolers and have implemented a 100% ban on single-use packaging.

Reusable belongings are available in Qi Palawan.

Environment-friendly essentials are being promoted.

Since Palawan is a diving spot, the resort offers “reef-safe sunscreen” to their guests during their island hopping and dive trips. They also use natural, biodegradable cleaning supplies and detergent. These practices help prevent chemical contamination in the sea, and even on land.

Bamboo is not only good for creating furniture. Growing bamboo within
the vicinity helps in ventilation and does not require pesticides.

 
To reduce fuel consumption, the resort has been designed with fuel efficiency and sustainability in mind using bamboo—a fast-growing tree that does not require pesticides—and 100% local materials and labor.
 

Reuse and recycle go hand in hand within Qi Palawan’s premises. All kitchen wastes go through an anaerobic compost to become soil for the resort’s organic garden. A rainwater catchment system is deployed, and the harvested water is used for the garden, helping save clean water. Recycling of water from air conditioning also contributes to this effort. Old towels, kites, and other lost-and-found materials are being repurposed or donated.

Pail and PVC pipe is for catching the drip from the ACs and can get three or four pails per AC per day for watering decorative plants in the garden

 
The observation of 100% trash segregation and recycling enables the restaurant to use recycled paper sheets for the restaurant’s office administrative and management purposes, just as recyclable drink containers (except for single-use plastics) are being utilized for service.

Sustainability Is a Constant Undertaking

Aerial view of solar panels installed in Qi Palawan

 
Infrastructure geometries that allow natural cooling, solar panels that reduce a great deal of carbon footprint, and 3R best practices that help conserve natural resources and prevent hazardous pollution—so, what’s next for Qi Palawan? There’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.

For the resort management, a true commitment to sustainability or zero carbon takes a constant struggle. The next big change for them is the implementation of a specialized tented window that reduces heating and provides privacy. This was also one of the recommendations from ZCR, which during the time of discussion, was still too costly for the resort to implement due to shipping expenses and import taxes. But the management is keeping the project concept in the pipeline, just as much as they constantly think of ways to improve their sustainability efforts.

Pieces of furniture found in the resort are crafted by local carpenters.

 
Likewise, Qi Palawan extends the concept of sustainability to the economic aspect of doing business; that is, to implement the “buy local” idea. This includes the use of amenities and selling of goods that are made in the Philippines, specifically by the locals within the area. That said, the resort uses furniture made by local carpenters and employs locals and trains them as managers, cooks, kite instructors, and dive masters. They even serve vegetables homegrown by the immediate neighborhood, who get paid with prices equivalent to that offered by merchandisers in the far-off town market. This cancels out two round trips, or 160 kilometers, which locals who grow vegetables would have taken if they were to sell their goods in the market.

Constantly, Qi Palawan believes that sustainability is way beyond market positioning. It’s about the establishment. It’s about its people and their livelihood. It’s about economic sustainability. Most of all, sustainability is about everyone’s responsibility to the environment—and making contributions that can result in positive change. And Qi Palawan together with the Zero Carbon Resorts project want to be certain that they remain part of these efforts, constantly.

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