UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

COLLEGE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

El Nido Resorts

In Partial Fulfillment in the Requirements of the Course

THM 52012
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND APPLIED ETHICS

By:
Amante, Maria Paulina C.

September 2023
 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
COLLEGE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

Introduction
El Nido Resorts is committed to providing guests with a relaxed, engaging, and
educational experience while also minimizing their environmental impact and promoting respect
for the local people and culture. El Nido Resorts' offerings prioritize sustainability and
environmentally friendly practices. They offer menus featuring sustainable options for
nature-based activities that minimize carbon footprint, enhance natural and cultural
interpretation, and utilize renewable materials in their construction, green design, and
architecture. El Nido Resorts has strong community partnerships and provides guilt-free luxury
experiences amid their unbeatable tropical biodiversity.

Corporate Social Responsibility

El Nido Resorts has been operating responsibly in an ecologically rich area since the
early 1980s. They implement environmental practices training in which El Nido Resorts believes
that education plays a vital role in promoting respect for the natural environment in El Nido.
Protecting this precious resource becomes an honor rather than a duty by instilling this sense of
concern. This is the guiding principle behind their Be G.R.E.E.N (Guard, Respect, Educate El
Nido) environmental practices training seminars, which are mandatory for all resort staff.
Launched in 2007, Be GREEN covers various topics, including ecological solid waste
management, water and energy conservation, biodiversity conservation, and environmental
legislation. At the end of each session, a short quiz is administered, and a final exam is given
after completing all the modules. Following the training, a sustainability tour is conducted, which
includes immersion training in their Materials Recovery Facility and organic farm. Upon
completion of the training, staff members will receive their official Be GREEN turtle name pins.
At El Nido Resorts, engaging with the community is very important. The environment
team teaches their own staff and works with local public schools in the El Nido area. They
partner with Kiminawit Elementary School, Brgy. Villa Libertad Elementary School and
Maytegued Elementary School in Taytay to hold Be G.R.E.E.N. sessions. These sessions teach
students about El Nido's biodiversity, its environmental threats, and how to help by being green.
The sessions are interactive and entertaining, with singing, dancing, and games. Over a thousand
students have participated in the Be GREEN program since it began. The program also extends
to over 30 local boatmen, 20 security personnel, 38 contractors and their workers, 15 LGU
Personnel, and about 35 fishermen. The company is committed to expanding the reach of Be
GREEN and making it more comprehensive. The staff enjoys participating in these sessions
because they get to spend time with the children while learning about the environment. Be
 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
COLLEGE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

GREEN Beyond El Nido Resorts received the Pacific Asia Travel Association 2015 Gold Award
for Environmental Education in recognition of its efforts.

Be G.R.E.E.N. at Kiminawit Elementary School

El Nido Resorts also take several measures to protect the environment. Their sewage
treatment plant uses native reed bed filters to prevent murky water from being discharged into
the sea. They also have a materials recovery facility that receives all recyclable and organic
wastes from the resorts. A rainwater catchment system and water-saving devices are also in
place, along with a desalination plant, to avoid depleting water sources on the mainland.
Additionally, they have a set of solar panels. El Nido Resorts has a comprehensive nature
conservation and protection program, including monthly coastal cleanups, eco-reefs, mooring
buoys installation, and safeguarding giant clams and marine turtles. They also actively
participate in El Nido's Maine Monitoring Task Force. Shampoo and liquid soap dispensers are
used in the rooms instead of small plastic bottles or sachets. Treated and recycled water is used
to fill toilet tanks, and there's an electricity shutdown for at least one hour daily.
When it comes to their menu, El Nido Resorts made a conscious decision to create more
sustainable menus by using ingredients that have fewer food miles, more organic components,
and positively impact the local economy. As a result, their uptake of local ingredients has
increased from 15% to almost 58% over the past six years. Additionally, the resorts have
 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
COLLEGE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

vegetable farms that use compost produced at the MRF, resulting in plentiful lettuce, herbs, and
other local vegetables. El Nido Resorts also supports local suppliers.
One practice that makes El Nido Resorts more sustainable is that they support scientific
research on the flora and fauna in El Nido and Taytay. When researchers visit, El Nido Resorts
provides them with everything they need, such as accommodations, boats, equipment, and extra
people to help with their studies. In 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011, Dr. Gerry Allen and Dr. Mark
Erdmann were hosted by El Nido Resorts. They surveyed the coral reef fish in Bacuit Bay and
Sibaltan (El Nido), as well as Taytay Bay (Taytay). In total, they found 855 species of coral reef
fish in El Nido and 403 species in Taytay Bay. They even discovered some new species of fish,
such as damselfish, gobies, wrasse, and jawfish. Their work resulted in a book called "Reef
Fishes of El Nido," which features 110 of the most commonly seen coral reef fish in Bacuit Bay.

Possibly a new species of skink found in Brgy. Villa Libertad, El Nido, Palawan,
Brachymeles sp.

Apart from that, El Nido Resorts participate in celebrations of environmental events such
as Earth Day, World Oceans Day, International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), and World Responsible
Tourism Day and many more. Moreover, supporting conservation efforts similar to conservation
of endangered sea turtles and mangrove reforestation projects are actively performed particularly
in El Nido and Taytay.
In connection with the Sustainable Development Goals, the CSR Program of El Nido
Resorts addresses sustainable goals numbers 6 Clean Water and Sanitation, 7 Affordable and
Clean Energy, 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, 14 Life Below on Water, and 15 Life on
Land.
 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
COLLEGE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

SDG #6 Clean Water and Sanitation

Because of El Nido Resorts’ sewage treatment plant, this prevents the sea from
being contaminated by raw sewage and gray water. With the help of their machineries, the
resorts’ treated water was able to be maximized in ways such as flushing toilets, watering the
plants, and storing the fire hydrants resulting in reduced water consumption. When it comes to
sanitation, before arriving at the resort's materials recovery facility, solid wastes undergo strict
segregation. The facility, which is managed by the Garden Department, receives both recyclable
and organic debris from the resorts. Recyclable waste is stored in holding bins after segregation
and picked up by a local junk shop dealer for recycling. On the other hand, organic waste is
composted onsite and later utilized in resort gardens or organic farms in El Nido mainland. El
Nido Resorts recognizes the harmful effects of non-recyclable scraps and implemented a
refillable drinking water system in 2008 to eliminate the need to purchase bottled water during
activities. The Kitchen Department also has its own refilling system, where old containers are
sent to the supplier for a refill instead of buying cooking oils in new containers.

SDG #7 Affordable and Clean Energy

El Nido Resorts conserves water by using rain catchment and low-flow devices in guest
rooms and staff quarters. They also have a desalination plant to convert salt water into fresh
water for human consumption, avoiding overuse of limited water sources on the mainland and
competition with local communities. El Nido Resorts promotes sustainable living through
various initiatives such as using energy-efficient bulbs and water heaters, maximizing
natural lighting, installing solar panels, and participating in Earth Hour and Eco-Hour. They
even purchase seedlings to plant in the El Nido watershed from the energy savings of their
electricity shutdown during Eco-Hour.
SDG #11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
El Nido Resorts prioritizes eco-friendly activities to showcase the natural beauty of the
area while preserving its biodiversity. Guests can participate in low-impact exercises and
navigation guides are present to ensure that the environment is not disturbed. The resort has been
using eco-friendly boat engines since 2006 and keeps their engine maintenance systems up to
date to minimize the impact of carbon monoxide emissions. The resorts use sustainable menus
and support local businesses by purchasing locally produced vegetables and livestock.
Additionally, women from different villages create native bags and slippers for guests to use
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COLLEGE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

during their stay. This results in employment and more livelihood opportunities for their local
communities.
SDG #14 Life Below on Water
El Nido Resorts is committed to preserving nature and collaborating with the
community and local government to address pressing concerns. They prohibit illegal fishing,
evaluate coral and reef fish, and conduct environmental education campaigns. In addition,
Installation of eco-reefs in Tres Marias and Mooring Buoys of the resort is their way to protect
damaged coral reefs and prevent them from being devastated from typhoons. Protection of giant
and endangered clams through relocation from Bacuit Bay to Miniloc and Lagen Island Resorts
to protect them from harvesting. They also introduced El Nido Biodiversity Online, a database
featuring plant and animal species in the area. The resort also participates in scientific research of
flora and fauna that enables it to identify the carrying capacity of dive sites as well as new
species underwater. El Nido Resorts also promotes Marine Turtle Conservation Program where
in El Nido and Taytay's marine turtles are endangered with five specific species nesting in El
Nido. They support conservation through tag-and-release programs.
SDG #15 Life on Land
El Nido Resort reminds its guests to conserve natural resources of the resort by
following the "Ten El-NiDos' ' Environmental Code of Conduct. They prohibit touching any
animals and collecting shells, corals, starfish, or other animals as their way of protecting the
environment.
 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
COLLEGE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

References:

Hotels, E. (2021). The 10 most sustainable hotels in the Philippines. ETIC Hotels Journal.
https://etichotels.com/journal/the-10-most-sustainable-hotels-in-the-philippines/

El Nido Resorts. (2022, September 2). El Nido Resorts. https://www.elnidoresorts.com/

What we do. (2015, July 19). Ten Knots Group Environment and Sustainability.

https://environment.elnidoresorts.com/about/what-we-do/

De La Cruz, C. I. (2018). Here’s how El Nido Resorts promotes sustainable tourism. SPOT.PH.

https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/the-latest-news-features/75480/el-nido-resort-sustainab

le-tourism-a00171-20181018-lfrm

THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development. (n.d.). https://sdgs.un.org/goals