Going Beyond Earth Hour

El Nido Resorts joined 172 countries and celebrated under the stars during the global ‘Lights Off’ event. In March 28, from 8:30pm to 9:30pm, guests and staff of Miniloc, Lagen, Apulit, and Pangulasian seized their power in changing climate change. All non-essential lights were switched off for one hour – Earth Hour.

A global movement that started as a single city initiative in Sydney, Australia in 2007, Earth Hour has since grown as the world’s greatest environmental action in raising awareness for global warming and climate change. In El Nido Resorts, this collective commitment to the planet goes beyond switching off lights. Guests and staff were invited to write on a Pledge Wall for the Environment – about the little acts they can STOP and START for the Environment. A total of 14.46 kgs of trash were collected during the Earth Hour Coastal Clean Up at the Small Lagoon. To encourage more volunteers, participants with the Most Creative Pledge and Most Unique Trash received a special gift from the ENR Environment Department.

This year, we will make the Earth Hour celebration more meaningful through our partnership with WWF’s Give the Gift of Light Project. The cost savings from turning off our generators will be used to donate solar lamps among fish ranchers and seaweed farmers in Barangay Beton, Taytay, Palawan. More than lighting up this offshore community, the solar lamps will definitely give the children in Beton a fighting chance to study at night and achieve a brighter future.

I’m happy to join the Earth Hour 2015 Coastal Clean Up and receive such a surprising award. Our first visit to Elnido had many, many wonderful memories. All staff are so friendly and kind, especially last night, carried our kids who fell asleep during night candle event to our room. It was very impressive! Everything Great, Miniloc! I hope I can see you again sometime soon.

Elaine is anywhere. She started her career as a Tourism Officer for the Provincial Government of Isabela where she handled community-based projects in the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. In 2013, she joined Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) and served as an Ecotourism Advisor in Samar. Her restless feet and heart took her to Africa, volunteering for an ecotourism project in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe where she acquired a global perspective on tourism and development. Elaine has a degree in Tourism with a Graduate Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of the Philippines-Diliman. She is currently the Environmental Officer of Miniloc Island Resort advocating for sustainable tourism and dreams of a world full of responsible travelers. Indeed, Elaine is anywhere- doing what she loves and what is right.