Getting Involved to Evolve A resort’s strategy for environmental awareness

CEBU, Philippines - “It is high time everybody gets involve in their own small way,” said Jenny Lingham, a vacationing European who participated in Alegre Beach Resort’s coastal clean-up.

A Triple A resort that caters nothing but first-class service to its guests, Alegre gave uniqueness a special twist when it introduced a one of a kind strategy – educate, involve and preserve last Feb. 8.

Gerrie Sola, the resort’s marine biologist and dive instructor got its guests interested to participate in a coastal clean-up together with the resort’s personnel from the management down to the security guards. Along the way, Sola conducted a small talk on the biodiversity of the marine life surrounding the resort such as the usefulness of the smallest shell, the rocks, sand and even the sea weeds. This is part of the resort’s services relative to its thrust on environmental preservation.

Diving enthusiasts such as Jenny Lingham and her husband Anthony, decided to extend an extra mile – doing it underwater. “After the talk of Gerrie, we felt the need to check underwater. For the past years, we have been diving, we only look for colors of the reef such as the corals and fishes; appreciate its grace amidst the splendid coral formations and all this is abundant in Alegre Resort housereef. However, Gerrie taught us to see and learn that clean-up does not only mean trash it also means preserving the environment. Too much of a star fish that feeds on corals such as the “crown of thorns” would destroy the marine life, deprives the fishes of a dwelling place and to some even their source of food, ” said Jenny.

Known for its pristine white sands, Alegre Resort is most proud of its  marine sanctuary where abundant marine life thrives. More than a half a decade ago, Sola and the resort have been awarded for its disiltation program; it has been consistently hailed by Trip Advisor as one of its Excellence Awardees and has lived up to all these commendations even after Typhoon Haiyan left northern Cebu in devastation.

Alegre’s protected reef is now a point of inspiration for the fisher folks, tourism industry and guests from all over the world.

“Marine life composes a great portion of mother earth, and for every guest who gets interested in life underwater, they go home taking a piece of this knowledge with them, and with that I know that somewhere a part of this world, no matter how small gets to be cleaned, is preserved and enjoyed once more,” said Gerrie Sola. 

“We have been diving around the world. The Philippines is one of the beautiful, exotic places we have been and it is also here that we have learned the real value and meaning of the underwater clean-up. As a teacher, I believe that this should be taught to our children as something to do, not just after strong typhoons such as Haiyan but every time we enjoy the beach, the sand and the sun – we learn to give back a little by picking up after ourselves,” said Lingham.

Reza Cockrell, COO of Alegre Resort is indeed true to his word when he said, “It is time to give back”. (FREEMAN)