It was a double victory for Negros Occidental in the Environment and Climate Category of the global Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) Berlin in Germany Tuesday night, March 4.
Nature’s Village Resort (NVR) in Talisay City won 1st place and Bago City was in 3rd place, the Department of Tourism Western Visayas announced on Wednesday.
“This prestigious recognition highlights Nature’s Village Resort’s dedication to eco-friendly hospitality and sustainable tourism, setting a benchmark for green accommodations in the Philippines,” the DOT said.
Bago City continues to lead in climate action and environmental stewardship, highlighting innovative green practices that inspire destinations worldwide, the DOT also said..
NVR, the cities of Bago, Sagay and Sipalay were the four entries from Negros Occidental and the only ones from the Philippines that made it to the finals under the same category.
The Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards showcase and celebrate the most inspirational initiatives for sustainable tourism development from stories submitted to the annual Green Destinations Top 100 Stories competition based in The Netherlands.
NVR’s good practice story, “Nature’s Way: Fostering Sustainable Practices and Positive Environmental Impact”, cites its reduction of economic leakage by producing compost material through vermiculture, its eco-bricks program, reduction of electricity bills by installing solar panels, and selling excess food waste to local hog growers.
NVR also upcycles materials, creating decorative fixtures and turning waste into art. NVR champions local communities by hiring and training individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and harnessing their skills, it said.
NVR, in a statement on Wednesday, said “the recognition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship”.
Bago City placed third for its entry: “Regenerative Agritourism: Cultivating a Sustainable Future for Bago City”.
To support Bago City’s economic recovery, the local tourism and agriculture agencies launched the “Booming GREEN AGritOurism” program.
This initiative transformed farmers into “agri-entrepreneurs”, maximizing farm resources, and promoting sustainable tourism.
The Bago program includes the Booming GREEN “Farm Tours,” “Farmers Weekend Market,” and “Gastronomy Tourism.”
This is the second time that Bago was chosen as third place winner among the finalists shortlisted from the stories submitted to the annual Green Destinations Top 100 Stories competition.
The first was in 2023 for its “Reviving the Majestic Diversity of the Bago Watershed” project following its inclusion in the 2022 Green Destinations Top 100 Stories list.
Bago City Senior Tourism Operations Officer Mae Ann Furtos and Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Julianae Lavadia, representing Mayor Nicholas Yulo, received the award in Berlin on Tuesday.
The two other entries of Negros Occidental that made it to the finals were Sipalay City’s Green Belt Eco Park and Critical Habitat initiative that has transformed a modest tree-growing effort into a vital mangrove and beach forest conservation area and Sagay City’s Sagay Marine Reserve that has turned illegal fishers into sea guardians.*