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

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

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

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, resort, leisure, commercial, and institutional land uses in the sprawling estate. But beyond its vast scope and stunning vistas, Hamilo Coast embraces sustainable tourism at the core of its philosophy and shows how beautiful beachfront homes can harmonize with nature and the environment.

2022 marks Hamilo Coast’s 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, ridge-to-reef management, solid waste management, mangrove reforestation, the use of renewable energy sources, and environmental awareness.

This long-standing collaboration with WWF signifies Hamilo Coast’s determination to pursue eco-tourism and sustainability while upholding 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.” 

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

Santelmo Cove was among those declared as a Marine Protected Area (MPA) regarded as a coastal zone where human activities are strictly regulated to ensure their long-term conservation.

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 ensure their long-term conservation. Declaring more MPAs would also mean expanding Hamilo Coast’s scope in safeguarding more marine ecosystem and resources. 

Hamilo Coast also continues to implement a mangrove reforestation program in its 24-hectare mangrove belt—one of the largest in Nasugbu. Here, Hamilo has planted 50,000 propagules hand-in-hand with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines.

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

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

Finally, Hamilo Coast and WWF will further push for environmental awareness by celebrating occasions that show respect for biodiversity. One is the annually held Earth Hour, during which time people are urged to shut down electricity to make a substantial difference in energy consumption. Individuals, organizations, and establishments 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. 

Likewise, 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 collect trash and record 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 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. It is approximately 90 minutes from Manila via Cavitex and the Ternate-Nasugbu Road. For inquiries, call (632) 7-945-8000 or visit www.hamilocoast.com.

Meralco Group bags 22 wins at the 19th Philippine Quill Awards

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) emerged as one of the top companies at the recently concluded 19th Philippine Quill Awards after the power distributor bagged 22 wins and the Company of the Year 1st Runner-up award.

Recognized for its internal and external communication programs, the Meralco Group won eight ( Excellence Awards and 14 Merit Awards for various programs and initiatives on pandemic response centered on health and safety, customer-centricity, service excellence and stakeholder engagement.

“We have always been committed in creating communication plans and programs that help empower our customers and the public, most especially since the pandemic continues to pose challenges in our way of life. These said challenges invigorate us to strive harder because we firmly understand how crucial stable and reliable electricity service is in enabling work-from-home and online distance learning arrangements and in getting our responsibilities done,” said Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga.

“To be recognized as one of the top companies in communications is truly an honor and it pushes us to develop and implement more programs that will benefit our customers, our communities, and our country,” he added.

Among Meralco’s campaigns that received highest awards include those that ensured customers, stakeholders, and employees were protected, healthy and equipped with helpful information against the COVID-19 pandemic. “#AyokoMagViral: A Meralco internal campaign against COVID-19” under the Internal Communication category and “Safety First: Empowering Enterprises to Fight an Invisible Enemy” under the Safety Communication category received Excellence Awards on Communication Management.

Meralco’s initiative to make customer payment process more convenient via the “Fitting the Bill: Meralco makes paying bills easier with the Customer Account Number”, and its relentless efforts to ensure its external stakeholders remain safe and informed despite the pandemic through the “Meralco Power Up Live: Empowering Business Customers Amidst the Pandemic” both won Excellence Awards in the Customer Relations category.

Also recognized with an Excellence Award under the Customer Relations category was the “Safeguard the Economy at All Costs by Waiving Energy Demand Charge” program, which demonstrated Meralco’s efforts to support its business customers amid the global health crisis.

The Company’s push towards sustainable transportation through “Electric Motorcycle Deployment for Meralco Business Center Field Representatives” campaign likewise earned an Excellence Award in the Change Communication category.

Meralco PowerGen Corporation subsidiary Atimonan One Energy, Inc. (A1E), meaenwhile, received two (2) Excellence Awards under the Corporate Social Responsibility category. “Kaisa sa Kabuhayan: Aplaya Sardines Enterprise with Atimonan Fisherfolks” and “Kaisa sa Kalusugan radio health program” are both pandemic response programs that benefitted A1E’s host communities in Quezon province.

One Meralco Foundation (OMF), the company’s social development arm, bagged four (4) Merit awards for “Household Electrification Program: Powering-Up Communities Amidst the Pandemic”, “Meralco One for Trees: Helping Farmers Survive the Pandemic through Sustainable Reforestation”, COVIDCOMMS 2021: Farmers to Frontliners and Marginalized (F2FM) Project: Invigorating the Livelihood of Farmers”, and “Stronger Together-The 2020 MVP Academic Achievement Awards Virtual Ceremony”.

Other Meralco’s initiatives that received Merit citations were the following campaigns: “Unwavering Service and Malasakit amid the Pandemic and May-June 2021 Power Shortage”, “Providing Consumers the Power During Summer”, “Meralco Corporate Partners Viber Community – Engagement When Connectivity is a Must”, “Ensuring our Stakeholders are Informed Despite Social Distancing: Quarterly Operating and Financial Media Briefings”, “Putting Things in Perspective: Meralco Communicates the Upward Trend of Power Rates 2021”, “Meralco’s 2020 Corporate Reports (Power On, Live Life and Give Hope)”, “Biyaheng Meralco: A Virtual Townhall with our CEO”, “Customer Experience Index (CXI): The Case of Meralco Business Centers”, “COVIDCOMMS2021: Meralco’s Facebook Page Keeping the Lights On in the New Normal”, and “MVP: The Man and His Art – A Visual Inventory of Filipino Artistry Gracing the Halls of Philippines’ Major Companies”.

Organized by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines, the Philippine Quill Awards is considered the country’s most prestigious awards program in the field of business communication – emphasizing the excellent use of communication in achieving goals and in making a difference in society.

IABC President Belle Tiongco lauded Meralco on its performance, saying: “For as long as I have been involved with the Quills, Meralco has always been a beacon of communications excellence. Meralco is a communicator that prioritizes its role as a mover, a force for good, in Philippine society. That’s a mindset, I believe, that organizations should emulate so that communications can really be a platform for national development. Mabuhay Meralco, for your performance in this year’s Quills.”

This year’s awardees came from a crop of more than 800 entries - the highest in Quill history, according to the IABC, an association of top business, industrial and organization communicators, and professionals that supports the highest professional standards and practice of exceptional quality and innovation in organization and business communication.

Ben&Ben's new international single "The Ones We Once Loved" offers a fresh take on forgiveness.

The ones we once loved

Written by the band’s very own Paolo Benjamin, the stripped-down track is emotionally impactful even in its apparent weightlessness

Having amassed more than a billion streams and a total of 3.5 million listeners on Spotify, Ben&Ben continues to make generation-defining statements with heartfelt tunes that resonate on a universal level. Considered as one of the most commercially successful acts in the Southeast Asian region, the nine-piece collective has recently won the Best Asian Band at the 2022 BandLab NME Awards, and reaped multiple recognitions for their groundbreaking work on the sophomore album, Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno.

With an impressive music portfolio and an upcoming North American tour, the Filipino hitmakers return with another international release following the success of 2020’s “Doors' ' and “Leaves,” a collaboration with Korean singer-songwriter Young K of Day 6. Released under Sony Music, their new single “The Ones We Once Loved” is a quietly startling confession that sounds emotionally impactful even in its apparent weightlessness. Written by Ben&Ben’s very own Paolo Benjamin, the track builds its staircase to somewhere personal and intimate, offering a unique perspective on love, forgiveness, and breakup.

“It's a song that owns up to one's faults, makes proper apologies, but also expresses hurt, as breakups are often two-way things,” says the band in an official statement. “It’s also one of the hardest songs we’ve written, because it requires the writer to forgive himself for his past and own up to his faults and mistakes. The painstaking process towards that state, the cycles of anxiety and catharsis that the writer went through, and the eventual expression of all of that in the form of this song, as an encapsulation of such a heavy journey, is what makes this song stand out among our other songs.”

Produced by Johnoy Danao and Jean Paul Verona, the song takes a deceptively stripped-down approach in terms of musicality, but careful not to lose the earnestness that defined their recent hits. According to the folk-pop outfit, they wanted to keep the arrangement as bare and as transparent as possible while still maintaining a certain depth, weight, and storytelling within instrumentation. 

“Supporting the vocals is the staple piano sound, as one would hear when being sung the humblest and sincerest of songs, slowly followed by more and more melodic instruments as the singer opens up and exposes vulnerability,” the band explains the sonic motif behind the release. “At the end of the day, we wanted to make an arrangement that would provide no barrier to taking in each meaning of every word of a song that has so much to say.”

Backed by rich but sparsely layered instrumentation, the song, particularly its chorus, captures “what so many of us are often too afraid or unprepared to say after a difficult breakup.” Hoping that listeners would take responsibility in making amends with one’s self, and the person on the other end of the grieving process, the band shares, “We are hoping that this song somehow helps people bridge that gap and feel the importance of really letting go through a multi-faceted forgiveness: one of the other, and of the self.”

“The Ones We Once Loved” serves as Ben&Ben’s official single in support of their Philippine send-off concert and North America/Canada Tour in 2022. It also marks their first collaboration with globally renowned photographer Geloy Concepcion, whose work was recently featured in Vogue Magazine, and other notable publications and exhibits worldwide.  

“We’ve always wanted to do a collaboration with Geloy Concepcion as most of the band members look up to him, that when we realized he would be the perfect artist to work with for The Ones We Once Loved, we instantly took a chance and set a meeting up with him,” Ben&Ben shares. “In Geloy’s current project ‘Things You Wanted To Say But Never Did’ we saw how resonant and resemblant his messaging was to The Ones We Once Loved and that he may be the best artist to communicate the song’s message. Geloy’s eye and his way of introducing a space to let out feelings and emotions was one we wanted to emulate in this campaign—a space where people sit safely and quietly with their feelings.”

Earlier this week, Ben&Ben encouraged their fans to use the hashtags #BenandBen #BenandBenTOWOL #TOWOL and #TheOnesWeOnceLoved as part of its Twitter activation campaign promoting the international release of “The Ones We Once Loved.” The hashtags revealed official Ben&Ben Twitter emojis, and unlocked a special preview of the song last August 24, 2022. 

Ben&Ben’s “The Ones We Once Loved” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.

 

About Sony Music Entertainment

At Sony Music Entertainment, we honor the creative journey. Our creators shape movements, culture, communities, even history. And we’ve played a pioneering role in music history, from establishing the first-ever music label to inventing the flat disc record. We’ve nurtured some of music’s most iconic artists and produced some of the most influential recordings of all time. Today, we work in more than 100 countries, supporting a diverse and distinctive roster of talented creators at every level and on every stage. Situated at the intersection of music, entertainment, and technology, we bring imagination and expertise to emerging products and platforms, embrace new business models, and employ breakthrough tools—all to support the creative community’s experimentation, risk-taking, and growth. And we form deep, trusted, cause-based partnerships to uplift and empower communities around the world. Sony Music Entertainment is part of the global Sofami yily. Learn more about our creators and labels here.

Sinag Schools program powers up school in Batangas

SM Foundation (SMFI), the corporate social responsibility arm of the SM group, together with Maxeon Solar Technologies, recently powered up the Lemery Pilot Elementary School (LPES) in Batangas through the Sinag Schools program.

This social good collaboration between SMFI and Maxeon aims to provide clean and renewable energy to schools in grassroot communities by installing solar panels on an SM school building, especially to those that have low operating expenses. 

In addition to the solar panel installation which intends to power positive change in the way energy is consumed in public schools, the program also aims to enhance the understanding of students in terms of energy management and the need to transition to cleaner energy alternatives with lower environmental impacts.

Through the Sinag Schools program, SMFI and Maxeon installed 21 solar panels— estimated to produce 6510 watt-p—on an SM school building in Batangas.

“Through this program, we want to power up the learning and development of young people. We want to help teach young people about solar energy, about renewable energy. We want to power up the next generation to help save our planet,” Maxeon Fab4 General Manager Glenn Everett said.

The SM school building at the LPES, which was donated by SMFI in partnership with SM Prime Holdings (SMPH) in 2017, now boasts 21 solar panels—estimated to produce 6510 watt-p. With the savings on electricity, the school may realign their budget to more efforts and other innovations that will give the students an environment more conducive to learning.

It takes a village to raise a child

SMFI executive director Debbie Sy underscored the importance of collective efforts in advancing the learning experience of every student in the country: “We believe that collaboration can drive growth and become a force for good in addressing societal challenges. CSR partnerships can create solutions that improve society by fostering learning, promoting innovation and gaining access to new technologies, such as the Sinag schools program. CSR collaboration can pool resources, both financial and human resources - between multiple organizations which can amplify social good impact.”

"The establishment of an ever-evolving CSR strategy and partnerships will help companies and non-government organizations in developing and implementing crucial social good programs over decades while having procedures in place that integrate social and environmental priorities into CSR core strategy – all in close collaboration with stakeholders,” she further added.

Moreover, Everett mentioned how SMFI and Maxeon share the similar set of values and interest when it comes to helping Filipino learners: “We have this concept of powering positive change in the world. We are happy to be working together with SM Foundation to power up the Lemery Pilot Elementary School.”

“Individually, we can do so much. But together we can do actually more. For us to bring our solar technology and SMFI to bring in their schools, these things are much better together than they would be apart,” he concluded.

SM Supermalls employee volunteers led the distribution of donations from SM Foundation to the students of Lemery Pilot Elementary School.

Spreading social good all the way

SM Foundation made sure to truly touch the lives of the learners and teachers of LPES as it donated eight desktop computers, 200 bags with school supplies, and more than 160 pcs brand new kinder and elementary books to further promote the love for reading among the students. Clothing items for parents were also distributed.

For more information about this initiative, follow SM Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube: @SMFoundationInc.

SM Foundation and Maxeon Solar Technologies formally held the community launch of the Sinag Schools Program at Lemery Pilot Elementary School in Batangas.

Maxeon is headquartered in Singapore. The company designs, manufactures, and sells Maxeon® and SunPower® brand solar panels. Maxeon has sales operations in more than 100 countries, operating under the SunPower brand in certain countries outside the United States. Maxeon is a leader in solar innovation with products that span the global rooftop and solar power plant markets through a network of more than 1,700 trusted partners and distributors. A pioneer in sustainable solar manufacturing, Maxeon leverages a +35-year history in the solar industry and numerous awards for its technology.

SM Foundation, through its School Building Program, is an active partner of DepEd’s Adopt-a-School program. This social good initiative aims to promote quality public education by building classrooms nationwide. To date, it has turned over more than 100 school buildings to grassroots communities.

SM Prime and AboitizPower Secure Long-Term Cleanergy Deal

 

(From left to right) SM Prime Energy Consultant Jaime Patinio, AboitizPower Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations Sandro Aboitiz, SM Engineering, Design and Development President Hans Sy, Jr., SM Prime President Jeffrey Lim, AboitizPower President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Rubio, Aboitiz Renewables, Inc. Vice President for Commercial Strategy, Sales, and Engagement David Aboitiz, AboitizPower Vice President for Retail - Commercial Operations Business Unit James Byron Yu, and SM Prime Chief Finance Officer John Nai Peng Ong gather for a luncheon on Thursday, August 4, after sealing a long-term partnership with the commitment to helping build a cleaner and brighter future.    

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), one of the leading property developers in Southeast Asia, secures a long-term deal with AboitizPower for Cleanergy supply, realizing its goal of increasing its renewable energy portfolio to more than 50%. This is in support of the Department of Energy’s program of moving up the renewable energy supply component of the country to 35% by year 2030.

Under the agreement, AboitizPower is poised to supply reliable and responsibly-sourced energy from Tiwi and MakBan Geothermal Power Plants, and PV Sinag’s Power Plants, operated and managed by AboitizPower subsidiary, Aboitiz Renewables, Inc. (ARI). This long-term contract will power SM Prime properties, including malls, leisure homes, offices, hotels, and other establishments under the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) by the end of 2022.

“This partnership with AboitizPower is aligned with our unwavering commitment to being a catalyst for economic growth and steward of nature. We will continue providing world-class amenities within our sustainable lifestyle cities that have been beneficial and inspirational to millions of Filipinos,” said Jeffrey Lim, SM Prime Holdings Inc.’s President.

SM Prime builds legacy communities based on its core sustainable pillars: Economy, People, Environment, and Community. It is dedicated to generating value sustainably through its diverse business segments.

“AboitizPower is thrilled to be SM Prime’s partner in building sustainable lifestyle cities. We thank SM Prime for trusting us to be their partner in their transition to clean and renewable energy. It is a privilege to be given the opportunity to power various SM Prime properties with our renewable assets”, said Sandro Aboitiz, Senior Vice President of the Commercial Operations Business Unit.

“We consider it a great milestone for our group to be in support of SM’s transition to renewable energy and are working to rapidly expand our renewable portfolio as the demand for Cleanergy grows. We have supported a growing number of corporations transitioning to clean and renewable energy and we are excited at the prospect of seeing a future where Cleanergy is the norm.” said David Aboitiz, Aboitiz Renewables, Inc. (ARI) Vice President for Commercial Strategy, Sales, and Engagement.

The leading renewable energy provider plans to expand its Cleanergy portfolio in the next 10 years to support the government’s plans of boosting the renewable energy industry in the country. AboitizPower is targeting approximately 50:50 Cleanergy and thermal capacity mix by 2030.

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About SM Prime

SM Prime Holdings Inc., one of the leading property developers in Southeast Asia, is committed to providing safe and sustainable spaces for its stakeholders. Its development strategy is anchored on the responsible use of resources. In the communities it serves, it is able to promote resource conservation, environmental protection, and disaster resiliency by implementing solutions for water, waste, and energy management.

SM Prime is a key player in the SM Green Movement that aims to improve the quality of life of communities through sustainable solutions to promote a green planet, green living and a green culture.

Find out more about SM Prime and the SM Green Movement.

Ben&Ben teases fans with cryptic billboards across Metro Manila

 

Cryptic billboards and posters alluding to a new Ben&Ben release have recently appeared in strategic locations all over Metro Manila.

The material, which contains discarded film photos with texts exposing some personal thoughts, is said to be part of the lyrics of an upcoming Ben&Ben song to be released sometime next week.

A few days ago, the nine-piece Filipino collective tweeted what looks like a snippet of a lyrics offering an intimate take on the painstaking process of letting go.

Ben&Ben also dropped a performance video of “Stand By You,” featuring Indonesian superstar Pamungkas. The collaborative visuals, which was recorded earlier this month at SoundCheck Studio, has racked up more than 220,000 views as of press time.

Set to conquer the international stage with their first North American tour, the Paninindigan Kita music act will be performing in iconic and key venues across nine cities in the US and Canada—ahead of their send-off concert on September 3 at the CCP Open Grounds.

PCPPI reinforces food safety system and culture across all plants

 

Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI)—the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country—is bolstering the company’s food safety culture. It benefits its people and the customers in the long term, following the launch of its food safety education campaign.

PCPPI plants implemented the Talas ng Kaalaman on Food Safety program. It is to strengthen the knowledge of its employees on the standard food safety procedures. The goal is to improve its operations responsibly and sustainably.

“PCPPI is committed to meeting the highest food safety and quality standards. This is the reason we continuously implement programs and workshops that would improve the skills of our people. We ensure that they too become ambassadors of our food safety culture,” said Frederick D. Ong, PCPPI President and CEO.

The information campaign was executed through Facebook, bulletin board posts, and email blasts. It provided comprehensive information about food safety culture. It informed how to fight food fraud, product protection, good manufacturing practices, and allergen management. It also highlighted some of the cleaning practices. These include the pest control process, proper waste disposal, and locker sanitation and maintenance.

Throughout the program, PCPPI conducted random ambush interviews with employees. This is to measure their grasp of the food safety system. It recognized the departments with the cleanest space and well-informed personnel on the importance of food safety.

Aside from this, PCPPI completed the Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) for its Metro Operations Services, Pampanga, Rosario, STRO, Davao, and Bacolod plant. The FSSC is a globally accepted standard. It recognizes companies’ processes that are at par with global standards— from employee selection to production and warehousing. Its goal is to evaluate the systems in place to ensure food safety.

PCPPI also assures that their products are safe for consumption as all PCPPI plants have the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) License to Operate. All PCPPI products also have its valid certificate of product registration.

The company also recently completed other third-party food safety and social welfare audits. Some of which are the McDonald's Safe Water System (SWS) and Supplier Quality Management System (SQMS) for the PCPPI San Fernando plant.

PCPPI manufactures and sells well-known brands such as Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, 7-Up, Mirinda, Mug, Gatorade, Tropicana, Lipton, and Premier.

LET'S COOK BUTTER GARLIC SEAFOOD!!!

Here is a simple recipe for a dish that is both quick and easy: seafood with butter and garlic! 

We combined shrimp, crabs, shellfish, squid, maize, and potatoes for this dish. 

Removing the squid's skin will prevent it from curling and will ensure that it is cooked to perfection. To ensure a thorough cooking of the crabs' interior, chop it in half. Once the shrimp became orange, that served as a clue that it was already cooked. To enhance the flavor of the dish, I also added oyster sauce, a ton of butter, some green chilies, and a dash of salt and pepper. 

This can feed 6 to 8 people.