The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region IV-B (MIMAROPA), successfully concluded its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, SUSTAINABILISEA Phase 2, in Taytay and El Nido, Palawan.
TPB’s CSR program brought together 22 TPB member-volunteers alongside key institutional partners: the Save Palawan Seas Foundation (SPSF), which implemented ground development projects, and the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), whose President, Ms. Malou Japson, spearheaded the mentorship of TPB Members and local stakeholders on the creation of voluntourism packages.
The delegation supported Sitio Calabugtong, a coastal settlement of 145 households in Taytay. Here, volunteers turned over school supplies, classroom repair materials, solar lighting setups, and essential household items. To boost local food security, the team conducted a banana sowing activity. In El Nido, operational gear and support were extended to the Dewil Eco-Mangrove Association, capped by a mangrove planting effort to reinforce coastal ecosystem resilience.
To ensure holistic product development, the itinerary combined grassroots immersion with destination evaluation. Participants conducted hotel site inspections and engaged in an island-hopping circuit across El Nido’s premier eco-tourism spots. The activity culminated in a dedicated networking session and a voluntourism mentorship talk led by Ms. Japson, equipping local stakeholders and operators with actionable strategies to design commercial travel packages that balance leisure with social responsibility.
Marking the formal close of the program, the delegation paid an official courtesy visit to the Municipal Hall of El Nido to engage with Mayor Edna Gacot-Lim and align ongoing regional ecotourism efforts with local government priorities. As part of this final leg, the team officially turned over essential operational gear and supplies to the El Nido Tour Guide Association to directly support their daily stewardship and guiding operations.
“Our goal is to redefine how we explore the Philippines by embedding voluntourism directly into mainstream travel,” says TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles. “By working hand-in-hand with local leaders from the Municipal Government of El Nido, SPSF, and PHILTOA, we are empowering tour operators to create sustainable packages that drive real economic and environmental renewal.”
Through initiatives like SUSTAINABILISEA Phase 2, the Tourism Promotions Board continues to strengthen its commitment to regenerative tourism models that uplift host communities, protect critical biodiversity, and inspire travel operators to champion meaningful, impact-driven journeys across the Philippine archipelago.
