Environmental efforts at Hamilo Coast

MANILA, Philippines - Since its inception, Hamilo Coast, SM Land’s premier leisure destination development in Nasugbu, Batangas, has been consistently promoting environmental conservation efforts toward sustainable development. These efforts focus on long-term plans in three specific areas: coastal resource management, solid waste management, and finding renewable sources of energy.

Last September, Hamilo Coast’s estate management team, together with WWF-Philippines, released 126 green sea turtles hatched in Etayo Cove, one of Hamilo Coast’s three marine-protected areas in Nasugbu.

The release is the sixth and largest pawikan hatchling release since 2008. Recent releases included that of other types such as Olive Ridley and Hawksbill species. Together with green sea turtles, these species are already listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). To date, Hamilo Coast has successfully released a record number of 469 hatchlings. 

Pepsi Ayos Pinas! youth volunteers successfully gathered 215 kilos of debris along the shores of Nasugbu, Batangas.

To commemorate this year’s International Coastal Cleanup Day, Hamilo Coast partnered with Pepsi Co. Philippines in its Ayos Pinas! campaign. A hundred youth volunteers were enlisted to help clean up the coastline of Nasugbu, Batangas, including three of Hamilo Coast’s marine protected areas — Pico de Loro, Santelmo, and Etayo Coves. The campaign aims to actively involve the Filipino youth in environmental conservation efforts in the country.

The Hamilo Coast estate management team is also pioneering several initiatives to utilize alternative sources of energy in Pico de Loro, the maiden residential and club community in Hamilo. Efforts include the installation of solar-assisted air conditioning units in Pico Point, Hamilo Coast’s visitors’ center; conversion of entrance way lamps into energy-efficient LED lighting; and installation of solar energy panels to eventually serve as a main power source for Pico de Loro’s lighting needs.