Changing the climate of hospitality

The World Meteorological Organization said the sweltering El Niño phenomenon we experienced recently was “one of the top five strongest” that was ever recorded. The dry spell only intensified the characteristic warmth of the Philippine summer months into an almost unbearable, cruel heat.

It was severe enough to cause more than P300 million worth of losses to our agriculture. It posed a direct threat to our health, too, inasmuch as spending only a short time outdoors (with limited protection from the blistering heat) wasn’t only stressful mentally, but actually detrimental to one’s body.

The intense weather, regardless of it being a natural phenomenon or one aggravated by human improvidence, was a strong reminder of a need to approach nature with respect and responsibility. This sense of stewardship is at the core of sustainability, a rising philosophy for an increasing number of organizations in our country.

At its core, sustainability is about ensuring the survival of the resources we use and preserving it for the next generation. For businesses, it means producing goods or services in a manner that avoids the depletion of natural assets while minimizing waste, as well as reducing its carbon footprint, or even enriching its surrounding communities.

Sustainability as a company’s guiding principle can manifest itself in many ways. A friend of mine who recently stayed at a resort in Tagaytay (no doubt to escape the traffic and frantic pace of Metro Manila life) was “pleasantly surprised” about the level of commitment to sustainability that the establishment exhibited, even in the smallest details.

“Those single-use plastics you usually see in other hotels? I saw none during my entire stay at Anya [Resort Tagaytay] – it sounds trivial, but all that waste adds up quickly,” she enthused. The food she sampled was prepared from ingredients sourced in Tagaytay as well, and served alongside earth-friendly dinnerware and cutlery.

After that delightful conversation, I decided to reach out to Santi Elizalde, Anya Hospitality Group (AHG) and Roxaco Land’s president and CEO. Perhaps I could hear more about how businesses can adopt ways to improve their sustainability and have it further complement the experience of their guests and clients.

Santi found my friend’s comments “very flattering and affirming.”

“Every time we hear it from guests themselves, that confirms that our sustainability policies and consistent staff training are paying off,” he shared.

Santi described Roxaco’s approach to sustainability as “inclusive and intentional.” Across its business units, which apart from AHG include residential, leisure and commercial properties, “we ensure that the way we operate, plan and serve are guided by the harmony we want to achieve, balancing our commitment to our clients and the environment and communities that surround us.”

A balancing act may be the best way to sum up any business’ attempt to uphold sustainability practices, especially with publicly listed companies such as Roxas and Company Inc. (RCI), to which Roxaco belongs as a subsidiary. Corporations indeed have a responsibility to their shareholders, and with the concept of sustainability still relatively nascent, the reality is that finding congruity could be challenging. (To be continued)