Businesses can do good business by doing good. (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/236549)
We built Hello PH! on three pillars: Safety, Environment, and Community. These pillars are the foundation that help us meet our goal of raising the standards of travel and dive holidays in the Philippines.
Here’s more about what we stand for and how we keep our commitments in these areas:
Safety: Travel enjoyably. Travel Safely.
It’s our mission to show you the best of the Philippines, where you can enjoy visiting our destinations and world-class diving with total peace of mind, knowing that you are in good hands. We encourage safety by:
- Advising all of our guests to buy travel insurance and dive insurance. We’re happy to recommend trusted local insurance companies if you need help finding the right one.
- Providing you with an up-to-date directory of police, hospital and emergency numbers in the destinations where you’re headed.
- Focusing on underwater safety. We inspect each of the dive shops we partner with and examine their safety standards. We give you valuable insight and information on the particular dive site you’re in so you can monitor your own safety and of those around you.
- Working with our service partners by discussing safety best practices before connecting them with our guests.
Environment: Our turn to nurture Mother Nature
The Philippines has the second largest coral reef in Southeast Asia, spanning 26,000 square kilometers, hosting a mind-boggling diversity of species, according to the country’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
Unfortunately, overpopulation, dynamite fishing, overdevelopment, unbridled poaching, and illegal harvesting of species such as reef fish, sponges, and coral have devastated Philippine coral reefs to the point that many fringing reefs accessible by shore are in poor condition.
Still, we hold the distinction of being the “Center of Marine Biodiversity in the World” because of healthy reefs that still exist in locations such as Verde Island Passage, the Celebes Sea, southern Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, and waters in the Visayas, says Dr. Porfirio Alino of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute in this article (http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/05/31/11/only-5-phl-coral-reefs-remain)
We at Hello PH! are unwavering in our commitment to protect and preserve these sites. We take our environmental development to heart, and hope you will as well. We care for the environment by:
· Instructing our guests and dive partners to uphold best diving practices. We’ll share this knowledge and regulations pertinent to each dive site.
· Paying our environmental fees wherever we go. We support local governments and their ordinances so they have the resources they need to continue their work of saving the environment.
· Raising our awareness of environmental issues. We attend marine symposiums, join relevant organizations, and adapt to constructive feedback from the locals and our guests.
Community: Meet our community and each other
Hello PH! is proud to be Filipino. We believe that the local communities are part of the experience of traveling to a new destination and that interacting with Filipinos will enrich and broaden your perspective of our country. We foster community by:
· Finding other establishments that are committed to sustainable principles. By using their products or services we help these business grow and lead the way for others.
· Spotlighting the local personalities, businesses, and guests that are actively contributing to the future of sustainable travel and diving in the Philippines.
· Creating space for interaction between our guests and the communities. Our hope is that you will form long-lasting friendships, share your stories, and bond over the amazing dives you’ve enjoyed here.
We strive to make these pillars and guiding principles of Hello PH! a reality in our day-to-day operations. If you come across an idea, concept, person, or practice that can help us grow toward the concepts we’ve outlined above, please let us know by clicking here. (link the Contact Us page)