El Nido Resorts: Environment comes First

MANILA, Philippines - El Nido is changing. Right when you step onto the tarmac of the small airport in Lio airport, you notice changes being made. Soon, the runway will be lengthened and the arrival and departure areas – which are currently modest open air structures – will be renovated.

From a couple of flights offered on a small plane, there are now four daily flights to the island with 50-seater planes fully booked with tourists eager to frolic and bask in El Nido’s sand and sun.

In Lio town, new properties are being constructed as well. LiO Estates, developed by El Nido Resort’s Ayala Land and Ten Knots Philippines, is envisioned to be a mixed use resort town with a church, school, plaza, residential and commercial areas, several bed and breakfasts (BnBs) and even an art village. It is Ayala Land’s first venture into tourism estate development.

“Everything is a work in progress,” says El Nido Resorts director for sustainability Marigs Laririt. Alongside the rapid developments in the area, she ensures that the local community does not get left behind. “We are very aware of how we don’t want to become estranged from the local community,” she says, adding that some 85 percent of El Nido Resorts employees are locals.

Much like El Nido Resorts, LiO Estates will integrate the natural environment into its very design. Laririt adds mostly e-vehicles will be used around the property and biking will be encouraged with dedicated bike lanes. “No building will be more than three stories high,” she says. The property is also being planned around the lush vegetation in the area. Trees will be part of the construction and will not be cut down, Laririt assures.

El Nido Resorts has long been recognized not only for its luxurious facilities and gorgeous views, but also for its care for the environment.

With its sustainable practices dating back over 30 years, the resort has reaped international awards for their environmental programs. Most recently, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) awarded El Nido Resorts the 2015 “PATA Gold Award for Environmental Education Program” for their Be GREEN (Guard, Respect, Educate El Nido) project.

Pangulasian Island, El Nido Resorts’ newest and most luxurious property, was deemed “Southeast Asia’s Best Sustainable Boutique Hotel” at the World Boutique Hotel Awards.

The resort received the “Asia’s Responsible Tourism” awards from the World Travel Awards and finally, El Nido Resorts was named “Best Branded Accommodation” at the 2015 PATA Tourism InSPIRE (Industry’s Sustainability Practitioners Inspiring Responsibility and Excellency) Awards.

Another key sustainability project of the resort is their pilot farm which supplies the resort’s kitchens with fresh vegetables. The farm has nine greenhouses abundant with lettuce, cauliflower, kale and arugula. There are rows of tomatoes, eggplant and watermelon, all of which find their way to the plates and forks of diners at El Nido Resorts.

“We’re trying to prove to the local communities that they can do the same thing. We’re not into commercial agricultural production because we want to leave a lot of room for the local farmers to be able to produce for us,” says Laririt.

Locals have not taken to farming since Palawan soil is not conducive for root development, so the gardeners at the resort’s farm found ways to improve the physical conditions of the soil by amending it with organic fertilizer composed of carbonized rice hull, manure from the farm piggery, vermiculture and food waste from the resort. Laririt hopes that these innovations will encourage more and more locals in the community to cultivate their own vegetable gardens. “We invite people, especially those who study agriculture, to study the techniques. Everything goes back to the soil,” she says.

Another of the latest developments in El Nido is the reopening of Lagen Island last month. The luxury property underwent renovations for about 125 days. The refurbished rooms have an airy feel, making them seem larger than they were before. The receiving area has been moved so guests are greeted with warm smiles and the famed Lagen rock as soon as they arrive.

The many infrastructure improvements being made in El Nido are making the once hard-to-reach island more accessible. The renovations in Lagen Island – and the planned renovation of Miniloc Island – make the resort even more attractive to guests.

Director of operations Marc Cerqueda welcomes the influx of tourists to the area despite the resulting congestion in popular places like the Big and Small Lagoons. An avid swimmer and snorkeler since he was young, Cerqueda clearly loves El Nido. Working mostly in city properties – his most recent post before El Nido was Hilton Fukuoka – Cerqueda says, “This is my first and last resort… I have no plans of leaving!”

He adds, “More people should know about the place and come here, as long as people respect the place.” As long as people see the beauty of El Nido, they will be moved to preserve it, he says, gazing up at a night sky full of twinkling stars as the waves gently lap against Lagen’s shore.

Indeed, with its picturesque sunsets, emerald waters and massive limestone cliffs, it is not hard to fall in love with El Nido’s beauty – and know instinctively that this is an environmental wonder that must be protected. Some things should never change. Photos by George tapan