Discovery Hotels and Resorts cares for communities through clean water
What if you can do what you
love while helping along the way? Such is the philosophy of The Discovery
Leisure Company, Inc. (TDLCI), the Filipino hospitality group behind some of the
finest award-winning hotels and resorts in the country. It is a sentiment shared
with their international NGO partner Waves For Water, which works on the
frontline to provide clean water access to communities around the world.
TDLCI chief operating officer
Jun Parreño said, “We want to inspire our employees by letting them travel to
remote places and meet the friendliest people, while making a difference at the
same time.”
TDLCI’s maxim “Service That’s
All Heart” applies not only to how they care for their guests and clientele,
but it is also the guiding principle as they touch the lives of those in need.
After all, the hospitality
industry not only provides gainful employment, it also generates substantial
economic and social impact for partner communities, no matter how far-flung
they may be.
Forged in 2016, the
partnership between TDLCI and Waves For Water resulted in its project
#TogetherForWater, with an initial outreach program in Nagtipunan, Quirino.
Located in the mountainous northern part of the Philippines, the local
indigenous Agta community finally gained access to clean water via 10 water
filters, potentially benefiting close to 1,000 people.
Access to clean water is a basic human right. It reduces poverty and
increases opportunities for education and employment, thus contributing to the
advancement of individuals and their communities. To ensure the long-term
sustainability of this program, TDLCI’s group of hotels and resorts—among them
Club Paradise Palawan, Discovery Shores Boracay, Discovery Primea Makati,
Discovery Suites Ortigas and Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay—has pledged to
raise Php 200,000 each for their respective neighboring indigenous communities
where clean water is needed the most.
A series of unique
fundraising events were organized by employees of TDLCI in the spirit of
giving. From Discovery Suites’ fun spin classes in Ride Revolution, where
donors “ride” for a cause in an exciting workout environment, to the full-house
Seasoned to Perfection Charity Dinner at Flame in Discovery Primea, where
chef-turned-GM David Pardo de Ayala stepped out of the boardroom and back into
the kitchen to specially curate a six-course menu.
Other activities include
Adopt-a-Household, where one can donate a water filter set for a family, to
Change for Water, where guests’ loose bills and change were collected – a
little goes a long way, after all. All these were set into motion towards the
noble cause of providing such a basic necessity as clean water, which for many
in remote areas has become a precious commodity.
“The hospitality market employs a huge
workforce from local communities,” says Carlo Delantar, country director of
Waves For Water. “TDLCI is one of our valued partners in the Philippines as
they saw the need for clean water while integrating a campaign that embodies
their values as a workforce and social champion.”
Today, this life-changing partnership has seen the donation of 60 water
filters in Sitio Carla, Malay, Aklan; 60 water filters in Sitio Camanga, Coron,
Palawan; 30 water filters and two 1,000-liter tanks as a rainwater harvesting
system in Sitio Suha, Norzagaray, Bulacan; and 60 water filters in Sitio
Yangka, Capas, Tarlac.
“Corporate
partnerships are integral to the advancement of the Waves For Water advocacy of
providing clean water access” says Jenica Dizon, director of operations of
Waves For Water. “They enable us to implement large scale projects that benefit
whole communities.”
Apart from the impact these initiatives have had in the aforementioned
communities, a change in TDLCI’s employees was also realized. “Waves For Water
requires a deep commitment from our employees as it is an exercise in getting
out of their comfort zones”, says Didoy Fullon, corporate director for human
resources of TDLCI. “The experience grounded them, touched their core, and made
them better individuals”.
What’s next for TDLCI’s partner communities?
“While clean water access is at the core of our CSR program, it can only be a
truly meaningful and sustainable initiative if we can help our partner
communities holistically,” TDLCI’s chief operating officer Jun Parreño said.
“Once we’ve covered all our beneficiaries’ basic water requirements, we’ve made
a commitment to consistently visit them to address their other needs, whether
it be medical, dental, educational, or livelihood-related. We’re here to stay
for them. That is what Discovery’s ‘Service That’s All Heart’ is all about.”
For more information on TDLCI’s
#TogetherForWater project, and to take part of this laudable initiative, please
visit https://bit.ly/discoveryadvocacy.
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