Hamilo Coast partners with WWF in eco-tourism and sustainability

Hamilo Coast embraces sustainable tourism at the core of its philosophy and shows how beautiful beachfront homes can harmonize with nature and the environment.

Hamilo Coast and WWF: partners in eco-tourism and sustainability

Hamilo Coast, a premier beach resort town in Nasugbu, Batangas, is a weekend haven of the country’s opulent set, yet it is on track as a promising model of sustainable eco-tourism practices. 

Touting 5,800 hectares of prime seaside development, Hamilo Coast is a project of SM Prime’s Costa Del Hamilo, Inc. (CDHI), which carefully integrates residential, commercial, leisure, resort, and institutional land uses in the sprawling estate. But beyond its vast scope and stunning vistas, Hamilo Coast adopts sustainable tourism at the core of its philosophy and shows how beautiful beachfront homes chimed with nature and the environment.

This year Hamilo Coast marks its 15th year of productive partnership with the conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF). Hamilo Coast and WWF have been working together on key areas for sustainability—coastal resource management, the use of renewable energy sources, solid waste management, mangrove reforestation, ridge-to-reef management, and environmental awareness.

This long-standing collaboration with WWF signifies Hamilo Coast’s eagerness to pursue eco-tourism and sustainability while maintaining international standards for leisure property development. 

Ms. Imee G. Francisco, Vice President and Head of CDHI Projects and Operations, takes pride in the partnership’s objectives. “More than building and maintaining a beautiful community, we seek to create and sustain a world that future generations can enjoy. To help serve this end, CDHI continues to develop Hamilo Coast without compromising the quality of wildlife living around it.” 

Hamilo Coast and WWF will focus on addressing the major components of waste management, which include the assessment of solid waste, water, and wastewater management practices, the promotion of foodshed farming systems, and the formulation of the environmental management plan. Apart from these, Hamilo Coast and WWF will continuously work on programs that will help conserve, protect, and nurture the environment.

Mangroves are the first line of defense for coastal communities, stabilizing shorelines by preventing erosion and providing natural barriers to storm surges, flooding, and hurricanes. As effective carbon storage, mangroves absorb six times more carbon than mature tropical forests, making it fundamental in helping to slow down the effects of climate change. 

Finally, Hamilo Coast and WWF further push for environmental awareness by celebrating occasions that show respect for biodiversity. The annually held Earth Hour, wherein for one hour people are urged to shut down electricity to make a substantial difference in energy consumption. Individuals, establishments, and organizations also come together on Coral Triangle Day to shed light on ocean conservation and the ways we can protect and preserve the world’s epicenter of marine biodiversity. 

For one, Hamilo Coast and WWF’s Ridge to Reef program declared three of Hamilo Coast’s 13 coves–Pico de Loro, Etayo, and Santelmo–as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). These are coastal zones where human activities are strictly regulated to guarantee their long-term conservation. Declaring more MPAs would also mean enlarging Hamilo Coast’s scope in safeguarding more marine ecosystems and resources. Hamilo Coast also continues to administer a mangrove reforestation program in its 24-hectare mangrove belt—one of the largest in Nasugbu. Here, Hamilo has planted over 50,000 propagules hand-in-hand with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines.

Hamilo Coast and WWF further push for environmental awareness by celebrating occasions that show respect for biodiversity such as the Coastal Clean Up

Moreover, the development boasts the largest volunteer effort for the ocean’s health, made possible with the International Coastal Cleanup, where people gather on the Pico and Santelmo beaches to gather trash and document information on the collected debris. 

For all these sustained efforts, WWF has awarded Hamilo Coast with the Longest Sustainability Partner Award, recognizing the development’s continuing commitment to sustainable tourism and its positive impact on the Philippine tourism industry.

Francisco affirms, “CDHI is proud of how far we have come at Hamilo Coast with the help of WWF. This inspires us to do even more, in the hopes that our efforts will make it possible for future generations to witness the beauty of nature as we see it today.” 

ABOUT HAMILO COAST
Hamilo Coast is a master-planned seaside residential community in Nasugbu, Batangas. Developed and managed by Costa del Hamilo, Inc., a subsidiary of SM Prime. Approximately 90 minutes drive from Manila via Cavitex and the Ternate-Nasugbu Road. For inquiries, call (632) 7-945-8000 or visit www.hamilocoast.com.