Discovery Hospitality formalizes portfolio-wide EESG framework to drive sustainable growth

Signing of the Engagement Contract formalizing DHC’s group-wide EESG advisory engagement with Adaptive Insights Consulting, Inc. (A.I. Consulting). Pictured from left to right (top row): Cynthia Arce, Jose Cortez, Reynaldo Domingo, and Lynette Ermac; (bottom row): Jette Gamboa and Jun Parreño

Homegrown group Discovery Hospitality Corporation (DHC) has formally engaged advisory firm Adaptive Insights Consulting, Inc. (A.I. Consulting) to establish a group-wide Economic, Environmental, Social, and Governance (EESG) framework across its hotels and resorts nationwide.

Unlike conventional ESG approaches, DHC’s EESG framework explicitly folds in economic performance alongside environmental, social, and governance outcomes — reflecting the view that long-term sustainability must also create measurable business value.

The initiative moves DHC beyond property-by-property sustainability achievements into a unified operational standard for its brand portfolio, which includes Discovery Resorts, Discovery Primea, Discovery Suites, Kip&Kin, and Signature Collection.

While several DHC properties hold individual sustainability credentials, such as Discovery Coron’s Good Travel Seal from Green Destinations and its recent ASEAN Green Hotel Award at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Cebu — a track record it now looks to build on in helping shape the sustainability agenda for the wider Philippine hospitality industry, the new engagement aims to institutionalize these practices into measurable financial and governance metrics across all locations.

“Our foundational principle as a group has always been straightforward: It’s our business to care,” said Jose ‘Jun’ Parreño, Jr., Chief Operating Officer of DHC and President of Discovery World Corporation. “To make that meaningful today, that care has to show up in how we manage our environmental impact, support local communities, and govern our business. Bringing in external experts allows us to back up our corporate values with a rigorous framework that links responsible operations directly to long-term financial health.”

A.I. Consulting, founded by Jette Gamboa, Cynthia Arce, and Jose Cortez, will oversee the design and rollout of the portfolio-wide framework.

“A company operating on the belief that it’s their business to care treats sustainability as a core operational strategy rather than a reporting exercise,” said Gamboa. “DHC is focused on how EESG standards actually perform on a property’s balance sheet. We are building a model that turns that commitment into clear and measurable standards that improve operational performance while creating long-term value.”

Since pioneering its hospitality model with the launch of Discovery Suites in 2000, DHC has consistently benchmarked genuine Filipino care against global standards. This portfolio-wide EESG integration builds on that legacy — translating it into stronger operational performance, better-protected destinations, and guest experiences that stay true to what makes each property distinct, while positioning DHC for long-term competitiveness and growth across the Philippines.