COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION OF RESORTS:

THE CASE OF PUERTO DEL SOL

Jasfher Callejo
Alvin Patrick Sumague
 I. Introduction

Contributing to the community is an activity done by companies to support their

community in education, conservation, mentoring, sporting and a number of other great
programs. It is designed by the company to have a positive social and environmental impact on
the communities in which they operate. They do it based on partnering with not-for-profit
organizations. This includes the provision of pro-bono services and the support of a range of
community-based organizations for fundraising, volunteering, workplace support and
engagement. [1]

II. About the Resort [2]

Accommodation

 Mansion Villa (Deluxe Rooms) - Spacious two-storey building done in the Mediterranean
style. Each unit has two double beds with individual balconies
 Bahay Kubo (Premiere Suites) - Two-storey single detached units named after homey Filipino
native dwelling place. The ground level has spacious open-air living and dining area.
Bedroom is on the second level with king-size bed and veranda facing the surf.
 Casitas (Family Suites) - Two bedroom detached units which can accommodate up to four
people with living and dining area. It has an all glass wall with sliding doors, giving you a
view of the South China Sea.
 Nipa Hut - Fourteen detached units which can accommodate up to maximum of four to five
guests, an open air ambiance accented with curtains for guests to enjoy the luxury of
relaxing serene surroundings of the resort.
 Family Room - A dormitory style accommodation with even single bunk beds in each room.
Perfect for the family, students or company outings traveling together.
Food and Beverage
 La Playa  Pool Bar
 Al Fresco  In-Room
 Café Del Sol
 Dining (For Mansion Villa, Bahay Kubo and Casitas only)

Facilities and Amenities

Cabanas, Manicured and landscaped lawn, Zen-inspired pool, children's pool, Outdoor
Jacuzzi, Floating bar with cascading waterfalls, Game room, Souvenir boutique shop, Business
Center, Safety Deposit Box, Laundry Service, Back-up Generator, Centralized WIFI, Water
Filtration System, Hot and Cold Water Refill System

Activities
 Volleyball  Darts
 Badminton  Indoor Board Games
 Pool  Mahjong and Table Set
 Billiards  Videoke (consumable package on
 Table Tennis food and beverages)

Tours and Water Activities

 Land Tour  Kayak
 Boat Tour  Canoe
 Hundred Island Tour  Scuba
 Snorkeling

Dive Spots
• Giant Clams • Silaki Island
• Patar Sanctuary • Bolinao Santuary
• UP Marine (Santiago Island)
Spa Services
• Full Body Massage • Pedicure/ Manicure
• Body Milk Scrub • Manicure
• Foot Spa w/ Pedicure

Location
At the tip of Pangasinan is the quaint little coastal town of Bolinao, famed for its rustic
beauty, timeless appeal and historic legacy. The town is rich in culture, verdant shelters with
breathtaking waterfalls and mystic caves. A beautiful and exclusive resort/ hotel nestle in the
heart of the picturesque Pangasinan- Puerto Del Sol. The crystal clear water of South China Sea
lined with golden white sand that sparkles under the tropic sun, combined with the warmth
and friendliness of the service staff make Puerto Del Sol the ideal destination for relaxation.

How to get there

Take North Luzon Express Way (NLEX) and go straight to Mabalacat, Pampanga. After
passing DAU, exit to SCTEX then take road going to Luisita, Tarlac. It is suggested that you take a
stop-over at Luisita Mall. At the junction of Siesta Court (Victory Liner) turn left and take the
road going to Camiling, Tarlac and straight to Bugallon, Pangasinan. At the junction of Bugallon,
turn left going to Alaminos and straight ahead to Bani and Anda, Pangasinan. At the first major
road before the town proper, turn left at Carmak and follow the road signs to Puerto Del Sol.
PUERTO DEL SOL is around 15 minutes away from the main road. Average driving time from
Manila is 6 hours.
 III. Review of specific examples

Makul Beach, Nicaragua [3]

In Mukul Beach, Nicaragua, the property boasts of 37 spacious accommodations, each

with an ocean view, pool and private staff. It also boasts of a strong commitment to improving
the lives of people in the local community and to sustainable operations. Federico Spada,
general manager of Mukul Beach said that the property has provided 240 jobs for locals, for a
ratio of more than six staffers per room. Because none had hotel experience, he said, the hotel
opened a school for staff and trained from scratch.

Crown Resort, Melbourne Australia [4]

In Australia, Crown Resort in Melbourne has continued to support a broad range of

community activities and charities, based on the belief that they have a responsibility and the
opportunity to help those who are in need of assistance. They have again sponsored many
events, contributed employee time and the use of Crown facilities, and donated Crown
Melbourne packages, particularly for organizations that help children who are ill.
For more than eight years, Crown Melbourne has sponsored and hosted the My Room
Ball which raises funds for the Oncology Unit at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. The
Starry Starry Night project has raised more than $650,000 for The Alannah and Madeline
Foundation. Crown Melbourne also supported the Epworth Medical Foundation Dinner,
attended by 1,000 guests, along with Challenge’s Robert Allenby Gala Dinner and the Diamonds
Are A Girl’s Best Friend Dinner, which both assist children living with cancer and other blood
diseases.

As part of their contribution to The Shane Warne Foundation, Crown Melbourne again
sponsored and hosted the Shane Warne Foundation Boxing Day Breakfast, the Joe Hachem and
Shane Warne Charity Poker Tournament, and the Shane Warne Foundation Anzac Day Brunch.
The Foundation raises money for charities that work with seriously ill and underprivileged
Australian children.

Many of their employees enthusiastically volunteer their time and effort in a number of
ways to benefit the community. For example, hundreds of employees purchased tickets in the
Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt, the proceeds of which went to the Royal Children’s Hospital Good
Friday Appeal. Crown Melbourne also raised funds for the Cancer Council by participating in
Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea held in May each year. Many people contributed and baked
food, decorated work areas, and encouraged employees to attend and donate a gold coin.

Each year, the Staff Club donates the entry fees for their Family Event to the Royal
Children’s Hospital, and each Christmas Day their employees support the Open Family Australia
Christmas program by packing and distributing more than 250 hampers filled with items
donated by Crown Melbourne. With the same generosity of spirit, many employees again
personally delivered hampers and other special items to families and individuals living in
Melbourne.

Crown Melbourne employees also participate in numerous sporting and social events
that raise money for charity. The Staff Club promotes and coordinates participation, and Crown
Melbourne subsidizes entry fees to encourage staff participation. Events include the Around the
Bay in a Day cycling event that raises funds for The Smith Family, the MS Melbourne Summer
Cycle, the Eureka Climb that raises funds for Interplas, and the Run for the Kids.

Rivertime Ecolodge Resort, Laos [5]

In Laos, for many years, the Rivertime Ecolodge Resort owners have been active in the
local community, contributing time and funds to the development of the local schools and
temples as well as participating in general and technical training of Lao agricultural workers and
teaching English to local children.
 With the opening of Rivertime Resort and Ecolodge, a further expansion of their
contribution to local development has been possible. The actual construction and initial
development of the resort brought much needed income to local families in terms of wages and
payment for construction materials and services. This contribution was short-term only. Long-
term contributions to the local community will come from the development of sustainable
programs made possible by income generated by guests of the resort. These programs are
aimed initially at providing much needed material assistance to the three local primary schools
as well as playing a significant role in the protection and improvement of the local environment.

There are three schools within walking/cycling distance of Rivertime Resort: Ban Na Taer
Primary School (across the river), Phon Thong Primary School and Phone Ngam Secondary
School. All three schools are in terrible physical condition with inadequate and overcrowded
classrooms, as well as lack of classroom furniture and toilet facilities.

Along with some generous guests, they have so far built a water system for the toilets
and installed two ceiling fans in the classrooms at Ban Na Taer Primary School and have also
built a toilet and shower unit for the local temple in Phon Thong.

They are now collecting books together in an effort to set up small school libraries in
these three schools as well as Ban Dong Bang Secondary School a few kilometers down the road
since they also have links with that school. Rivertime has started the fund off with $200 plus
about 20 books but they have a long way to go. Teaching and study materials are available in
the city but are too expensive for most villagers and teachers to afford. Rivertime Resort is
developing a sustainable program to assist basic construction and repair, fitting out and
purchase of essential educational supplies for children in all three schools.

In addition, Rivertime works with national organizations such as the Fund for Promoting
Education, the Association for Lao Children, the Ministry of Education and Room to Read, to
help promote education of disadvantaged Lao children nationwide. One effort in this regard has
been their development of a series of 14 graded, illustrated English readers for Lao Primary
School children and two Lao language textbooks for secondary school children which have now
been distributed to schools throughout Laos.

Starwood Hotels and Resort [6]

The Starwood Hotels and Resorts Foundation’s mission is to act as a catalyst for global
societal growth & development, ensuring associates, residents, visitors and local businesses can
experience vibrant and thriving communities. By developing strategic partnerships that leverage
their resources and expertise to address critical local needs, the Starwood Foundation
empowers communities to build and sustain the economic, social and cultural vitality or regions
where Starwood Hotels operates now and in the future.

Their ability to influence lasting, sustainable improvements in communities around the

globe is accomplished through collaborative partnerships with international charitable
organizations. The Starwood Foundation is dedicated to enriching communities by supplying
financial grants to select partner organizations driving change in the following focus areas like
workplace readiness, community vitality and human rights.

They provide general skills/job readiness training for unemployed and underemployed
individuals to promote economic growth of local communities and stimulate interest in growing
sectors that will increase pursuit of employment in hospitality and related industries.
They preserve and support the social, economic, and cultural value of communities to ensure
their long-term viability. They also support human rights awareness and advocacy efforts
globally to ensure equitable practices and standards across private and public sectors.

Laguna Phuket, Thailand [7]

In Thailand, Laguna Phuket’s corporate social responsibility program began with the
rehabilitation of Bang Tao Bay, once a tin mine and declared by the United Nations
Development Programme as: "too environmentally damaged to have any development
potential," and Laguna Phuket has continued to safeguard its natural environment, cultural
heritage, and promote communal prosperity.
 While Laguna Phuket has continuously supported associates with fair employment and
well-rounded benefits, it has also maintained a commitment to communities through
community relations efforts and cultural events. Charitable projects within local communities
have been implemented since 1992.

Recently in 2007, the CSR programme of Laguna Phuket was initiated and focuses on
social, environmental, and sustainable business development. CSR is currently driven from the
bottom up by the Laguna Phuket Social Committee, comprised of core CSR personnel and
representatives from all business units.

There are 5 CSR programs under the social and developmental projects of Laguna
Phuket. These are the Fully Booked! Mobile Center, Foundation for Education, Developing
Sustainable Schools Program, Community English Language Center and Laguna Phuket
Kindergarten. In social and development projects, they aim to build the capacities of local
communities and associates through socially beneficial projects, adequate educational support,
and access to quality educational services. Youths and community members benefit from a
nurturing environment and healthy development. Associates reduce financial burdens, continue
to advance professionally, and have a high satisfaction for familial welfare.

Another key area where Laguna Phuket contributes to the community is the
environmental conservation. It is where they emphasize raising awareness on climate change
and human impact on local natural resources. In partnering with local conservation efforts,
Laguna Phuket supports various initiatives that ensure sustainable rehabilitation of marine and
shoreline resources around Phuket Island. Examples of this area are Sea Turtle Conservation
Program and Mangrove Tree Planting.

Religious and Cultural Preservation initiatives help to promote and preserve ancient
traditions of various origins in local communities. In doing so, Laguna Phuket contributes to
uplifting the spiritual well-being of associates, their families, and local community members, to
ensure a balance between the influx of western influences brought by tourism and preservation
of the local way of life. Examples are Vegetarian Festival and Buddhist Lent Day.
 Lastly, Associate Benefits and Relations initiatives strive to provide associates with a
quality professional and personal life. As a community, Laguna Phuket values the well-being of
associates and their families, and believes that holistic concern fosters lasting satisfaction, trust,
and positive attitude among associates. Examples under this category are Drug Free Workplace
Program and Laguna Phuket Associates Saving Cooperative.

Chaweng Beach Resort , Thailand [8]

In Chaweng Beach Resort, they aim to create and maintain some worthy and creative
practices among their associates in taking care of their hotel, and conserving the environment.
They have set up a committee with representatives from all Hotel departments to specifically
focus on various Hotel environmental issues. Their long term goal is to save the natural
resources, and take part in the whole world-wide campaign on energy-saving, and on
environmental care and protection.

It is their conviction to continuously practice energy conservation at all areas of the hotel
by educating and inspiring their team on their individual contribution. They are committed to
support any community activities to improve the environment (Koh Samui), and the whole
world as a whole, i.e., tree planting, beach cleaning, temple and school cleaning, energy-
conservation practices, and on reduce, re-use, re-cycle, etc.

What they have done at first was that they have conducted environmental awareness
training for their associates, and had shown them a video on “An Inconvenient Truth” that talks
a lot about “Global Warming”. Associates are given training in the proper use of their hotel
equipment and resources so as to minimize breakage or mal-functioning of the equipment.
They also have some regular environmental activities in the hotel that involve Their associates
i.e., beach cleaning, hotel cleaning, hotel dormitory cleaning, and also other community
projects like street cleaning, school and temple cleaning.

At the associates’ area, they also have a board showing posters on energy-saving and
environmental concern to create awareness among each department of the hotel and also have
their department’s ‘Standard Operating Procedures’ (SOP) on ‘Energy Conservation’. Associates
are also encouraged to join community seminars on any environmental, or energy-conservation
issues. Guest are reminded and encouraged through the use of tent cards to participate in the
Hotel conservation exercises like water-saving, and re-use of bed linen and towels. The hotel
participate and support many different community activities at Koh Samui like the “Low Carbon
School Project” that is also supported by THA (Thailand Hotels Association), various regular
community activities like Beach, Street, School, and Temple Cleaning, etc. They give priority to
local suppliers in order to maximize the positive economic impact of tourism at Koh Samui.

Amani Tiwi Beach Resort [9]

In Amani Tiwi Beach Resort, the resort has been on the front row in the fight against
children abuse which is a major vice at the coast. This is done by ensuring that gainful
employment is offered to the youth in the community and also educating the people on this
and its consequences. On the same note, the resort visits schools around the area for instance
the team recently visited the students from Kaya secondary school and gave the students from
needy backgrounds some learning materials such as books, geometrical sets and school bags.
The students were also provided with a meal and some snacks during the visit.

The resort also values the essence of clean beaches and their importance not only to the
resorts economic purpose and but also to the community that is why the team at Amani Tiwi
Beach Resort takes time to engage in beach cleaning activities. The resort also organized a
Tennis tournament that was held in Kisumu at the Nyanza club. The aim of this tennis was to
bring together children from all backgrounds in Kisumu with a game. The motto of the
tournament was “Together taking tennis to the People”. It is the aim of the resort to continue
participating in activities that are of benefit to the society as we believe that our responsibility is
not only confined within the perimeter wall of the resort but also far into the horizons.
 IV. Theoretical Framework

Figure 1.
Strategic Framework of CSR Activities
by Responsible Sourcing Solutions: From Policy to Practice

With this framework, we would like to know if Puerto Del Sol has reached its maximum
potential as a resort that contributes to the community. First, we need to identify if Puerto Del
Sol is sourcing responsibly by knowing if the resort is employing locals from Bolinao,
Pangasinan.

Next process was to identify how the employment of employees impacts the workers’
status of living by knowing their benefits in working on the resort. This would also include how
the families of each worker are affected, (i.e. their children) and how does this impact on the
family level affect the community level of progress.

Last process is to see if Puerto Del Sol does voluntary contributions and charitable works
to the community in exchange of all the services its getting from the locals.
 IV. Data Collection

The researchers did an interview with Miss Cherry Valentin, theCorporate Sales Manager of
Puerto Del Sol Beach Resort and Hotel Club. Here is a transcript of the researcher’s interview.

Interviewer: How does Puerto Del Sol contribute to the community of Bolinao, Pangasinan?
Ms. Cherry: Puerto Del Sol hired and trained locals of Bolinao like the masseuses in the spas,
and people in the Food and Beverage and in the Housekeeping departments. They are also
included in the projects that will help maintain and enhance the tourism and environment of
Bolinao.

Interviewer: How does the locals benefit from the resort?

Ms. Cherry: The people continue to learn and they were able to send their children to schools.

Interviewer: Were there specific projects that the resort had done for the community?
Ms. Cherry: The usual project Puerto del sol did was every Christmas season where they do gift
giving to the less fortunate.

V. Conclusion

In conclusion, Puerto Del Sol is indeed employing locals from Bolinao, Pangasinan. They are
in different areas of the resort which include the Food and Beverage department, the
Housekeeping department, and in the spas as masseuses. In connection with these training,
people are able to learn skills and through continuous salary accumulation, they were able to
send their kids to school and have a much better life. Puerto Del Sol also conducts Christmas
season events for the less fortunate by giving them gifts as a giveback to the community.

With the guide of the framework, the researchers are able to assess Puerto Del Sol as a
resort that really gives back to its community.
 VI. Recommendation

Based on the related examples of community contribution of resorts to the community,

Puerto Del Sol can also provide general skills/ job readiness training for unemployed and
underemployed individuals to promote economic growth of local communities and stimulate
interest in growing sectors that will increase pursuit of employment in hospitality and related
industries. One specific example would be to Increase ratio of locals from Bolinao for
employment.

Puerto Del Sol could also sponsor fund raisers or create events for community development
in forms of education, health care and culture/environmental protection. It can either be in
partnership with non government organizations, or with the local government units. This is an
improvement that can reach almost all the factors that can foster a sustainable development
not only for Bolinao, but also for the people living in it. Parts of the revenue could also go to
chosen foundation in line with the objectives said above.

Lasltly, Puerto Del Sol could also own a school for the employees’ children. This is one
example seen from one of the beach reviewed above, the Makul Beach, Nicaragua. This would
foster a venue for education and skills training that can promote knowledge among everyone.
This could also be a potential source of employment after they finish the school for training.
References:

[1]
http://www.ghd.com/global/about-us/community-contributions/
[2]
http://www.puertodelsol.com.ph/images/downloads/e-brochure.pdf
[3]
http://www.travelweekly.com/South-America-Travel/Nicaragua-resort-touts-new-chef-
community-contributions/
[4]
http://www.crownresorts.com.au/our-contribution/community
[5]
http://www.rivertimelaos.com/benefiting.html
[6]
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/corporate/about/citizenship/foundation.html
[7]
http://www.lagunaphuket.com/CSR/
[8]
http://www.chawengregent.com/social-responsibility.php
[9]
http://www.amanitiwibeachresort.com/en/corporate-social-responsibility