Costa Del Hamilo, Inc. (CDHI), the leisure resort residences developer under SM Prime Holdings, Inc., has renewed its sustainability partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines (WWF-Philippines) to advance marine conservation and coastal resource management at Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu, Batangas.

The renewed agreement marks the fifth phase of the Hamilo Coast Sustainable Development Project, according to CDHI. The initiative will focus on marine conservation and the collection of updated environmental data to guide the management of the estate's marine ecosystems, with particular attention to its marine protected areas.

Planned activities include a site-selection survey to assess the ecological suitability of Pico de Loro Cove for a potential artificial coral reef project — structures designed to give corals and other reef-associated species new surfaces to colonize. Marine assessment surveys are also set to be conducted at Etayo Cove, Pico Cove, and Santelmo Cove, with the findings set to inform whether the artificial reef project proceeds and how the estate's protected areas are managed through the phase.

In addition, the program will hold Education for Sustainable Development sessions covering marine conservation and solid waste management for CDHI personnel, guests, property owners, and members.

"Our renewed partnership with WWF-Philippines builds on nearly two decades of collaboration and a shared commitment to long-term environmental stewardship," SM Leisure Resort Residences Planning and Design Head Harvey T. Sy said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

"We intend to deepen this work through more integrated conservation efforts that strengthen biodiversity, support ecosystem resilience and create lasting value for the communities and environment around us," Mr. Sy added.

The 5,900-hectare Hamilo Coast estate lies within the Coral Triangle, a marine region spanning 5.7 million square kilometers across the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste, according to CDHI. Widely regarded as the global center of marine biodiversity, the Coral Triangle hosts a substantial share of the world's coral and reef fish species, making the condition of its coastal waters significant for the fisheries and tourism that depend on them.

"Businesses that depend on nature also have an opportunity and a responsibility to help protect it," WWF-Philippines Executive Director Katherine Custodio said.

CDHI said data generated under the project would be used to inform habitat restoration, biodiversity conservation, sustainable tourism, and local fisheries initiatives, undertaken with the participation of local government units, environmental organizations, locators, and community representatives. In coastal municipalities such as Nasugbu, where fishing and tourism are important livelihoods, the state of nearshore reefs and fish stocks is closely tied to the local economy.

The conservation program is being carried out alongside property development at Hamilo Coast, where CDHI is building the 2.3-hectare Pico Terraces community and is targeting the turnover of its second residential tower, Balea Suites, by the fourth quarter of 2027.

— Juliana Chloe A. Gonzales