A key dimension of sustainable tourism, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, is respect to socio-cultural authenticity of the host communities as well as conservation of cultural heritage and traditional values.
Bohol lives up to the values of sustainable tourism amid the challenges of pushing massive infrastructure developments with the opening of Panglao airport. Most of the new hotels and resorts opening up in the Visayan province make sure they live up to the principles of sustainability.
Bohol’s attractions revolve around Filipino traditions, cultural practices, and native products made from indigenous materials.
With many destinations across Bohol’s 75 islets and 1,109 barangays—from numerous waterfalls to caves to 1,776 chocolate hills—the Bluewater Panglao Resort is fast transcending from a mere takeoff point and luxury accommodation facility to a tourism attraction itself.
Just 54 rooms and six venues for various functions in a sprawling 6.2-hectare (62,000-sqm) property make more than enough space for a well-landscaped paradise between heaven and the deep blue sea, but all in the context and character of a true-blue Filipino.
Electric carts take guests around the verdant landscape featuring indigenous plants along the footpaths and walkways leading to the accommodation and leisure facilities, restaurant, events venues, activity areas, and the 70-meter-wide beachfront.
The accommodation facilities feature 46 large premier deluxe rooms, four family lofts, three one-bedroom villas and one two-bedroom villa with a dipping pool.
The premier deluxe rooms alone are big at 42.22 square meters or a total of 64 square meters including the veranda and its patch of green.
The rooms are more than big enough for all the amenities that include a large flat wall TV, mini bar, a king size bed or two queen size beds, and shower and bath with a tub and walk-in closet.
Even if teeming with modernity, the facilities are of a Filipino-inspired architecture inside and out, with the steel roof topped by more than six inches of cogon grass that requires regular replacement every five years.
The cogon grass makes the structures not only very Filipino but also well insulated from heat and sound. Even heavy rains cannot be heard inside.
Between the two rows of two-story premier deluxe buildings nestles an almost 1,000-square meter swimming pool with a poolside bar that uniquely offers adobo and sisig pizzas. A bridge runs across the pool to link the facades of the two buildings and provide access to an island-like central platform for sunbathing. A roofed and curtained open structure on an elevated ground nearby is where guests can indulge in a relaxing massage.
Another pool of 520 square meters, intended for day tours, is situated near the 120-pax capacity restaurant and coffeeshop that serves buffet breakfast and a la carte meals. Leading its bestsellers is the adobo rice in bamboo with fried pork and lechon toppings.
The restaurant overlooks the beach, which is best for kayaking and snorkeling as it is just 300 meters away from a marine sanctuary. Buoys mark the perimeter of the sanctuary where the beach comes to a sudden steep drop, making a majestic coral wall out of the underwater cliff and attracting divers and marine videographers from around the world.
The resort is also a favorite destination for beach weddings and many other social and corporate activities held in any of its six function rooms and activity areas—the Kawayanan Hall with 200-pax table-setting capacity, Baybayon 300 pax, Hardin 30, Panaman 30, Managat Hall 80, and Mamsa meeting room 30—all distinguished by the topnotch services of Bluewater’s well-trained personnel.
As of full-year 2017, the Bluewater Panglao Resort has drawn visitors from various parts of the Philippines, China, Korea, Taiwan, United States, and Europe, according to vice president for sales and marketing Margie Munsayac.
“The resort opened in 2011, endured the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in 2013 and its economic effects, and now lives on to become one of Bohol’s top resorts,” said Munsayac.