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| In Photo: Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo calls on real-estate developers to become advocates of a sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient ... |
The Philippines Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo appealed that property developers and realtors should become advocates of a sustainable, comprehensive and climate-resilient tourism industry of the country, even as their projects contribute to expand the economy.
To quote Teo, “Over the years, we have seen how the real-estate industry evolved from simply constructing buildings to creating liveable communities and workplaces. Sustainability has become a guiding principle in your mission to provide spaces for settlement and productive activities in order to ensure that the integrity of our environment is not compromised.” Teo added, “Another aspect of sustainability that your industry is espousing is resiliency, or the ability of buildings or properties to withstand natural calamities, especially those resulting from the effects of climate change. I personally believe that your efforts to integrate disaster resiliency in your projects have helped in inculcating its value in the consciousness of Filipinos.”
The UNWTO speaks of sustainable tourism as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.”
Teo added that “By inclusive tourism we mean engaging more people to take part of, and benefit from, tourism. This can be done by sourcing materials and services from our localities, or by investing in undeveloped areas to jump-start local economies, such as those in the Visayas and Mindanao.”
Terry Blackburn, founder and managing director of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards also said that the real-estate industry’s contribution to the Philippine economy is something everyone should be proud of.
