In the later part of the 1990s, Jonathan Jay Aldeguer’s Islands Souvenirs was involved in “numerous environmental efforts, ranging from tree planting activities to scuba clean-up drives,” Aldeguer tells Enterprise Magazine. But with the formation of “several companies under the Islands Group (IG), we continued to espouse the corporate social responsibility (CSR) thrust of IS with all its subsidiaries, though, just recently, we have formed the Green Islands Foundation Inc. in the hopes (of consolidating) the group’s efforts and heighten its involvement in our commitment to the preservation of the environment.”

Aldeguer admits that “I used to be worried that (environmentalism) might just be a trend. But with the effects of global warming written on everybody’s wall, I believe more and more people and institutions will join the advocacy for a better environment,” he says.

This is of utmost importance even more so in the field that IG is in: travel and tourism.

“Tourism’s main draw and attraction, especially in the Philippines, is its natural resource. In the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Philippines has at least three destinations making the top 10. And since tourism is one of the last few industries that is still thriving, it makes perfect sense to take care of our jewels,” Aldeguer says, adding that this is even more true “with the advent of adventure tourism, so that, so far, there have been several effective efforts being done (by or with IG). Both bird and fish sanctuaries are being rehabilitated. Communities are also being educated. We are getting there and since we are deeply entrenched in the tourism industry, we try to do our fair share.”

Aldeguer adds: “Since going green has been part of our culture, we are mindful in many of our corporate ways, as well as our tour packages. For our island hopping tours, we try to promote the fish sanctuaries (to help communities) earn more, but we are also mindful not to overcrowd certain destinations, since too much human presence and intervention can upset the ecological balance of these places. We also educate our customers about proper interaction with the fish and corals – in fact, for the kids, we are in the process of developing a kiddie booklet that focuses on how to help preserve these sanctuaries.“

Still other IG efforts include actively supporting the Olango Bird Sanctuary, one of the country’s best bird watching destinations. “We are closely working with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in helping promote, as well as preserve the sanctuary. Although I must say that we yet have a long way to go in terms of going entirely green, we are pleased that we have made modest contribution to the green cause,” Aldeguer says.

For IG, “we do not really approach our green efforts with a return of investment (ROI) in mind – for us, of course, we believe that the ROI will be in the form of a better and protected environment for the future,” Aldeguer says. This is mainly because our environmental efforts have been part of the company’s culture for over a decade now, so that (even) our employees and immediate associates have likewise turned green, and they join us in most of our efforts, such as tree planting activities, and seminars that we participate in.”

Without the financial figures to judge the success (or failure) of IG’s environmentally friendly endeavors, Aldeguer says it’s when what they do affect people that makes them happy. “More than certain efforts or events, we are most proud of the fact that going green for us began very early, even before it became fashionable. This was brought about by our intrinsic and sincere belief in the need to save our environment,” he says.

All in all, Aldeguer IG’s green efforts “are still very modest. However, with the setting up of our new foundation, I hope we will be able to professionalize our involvement and step up the efforts as well,” he says. “Our aim is to become a more serious advocate of going green. We are still in the process of mapping out the main focus and objectives of the group, (though) the focus will be in tourism, that’s for sure.”