The first integrated resort in the Philippines is also the first in the Asia-Pacific to switch to cage-free eggs
Resorts World Manila (RWM), the first Integrated Resort (IR) in the Philippines, won praise from Lever Foundation, a US-based international NGO, for its commitment to join the global shift toward the use of only cage-free eggs across all hotels, and food and beverage (F&B) outlets in the IR by 2025 as part of its sustainable culinary initiative.
On March 22, RWM kicked off its overarching sustainability program dubbed, “I Love Earth” with the launch of its Sustainable Culinary initiative advocating the use of cage-free eggs.
Resorts World Manila president and CEO Kingson Sian’s overarching message, “Cage-free eggs are just the start. With “I Love Earth,” we are uniting the efforts of RWM and all its hotel partners to promote not just sustainable operations throughout the property, but also sustainable living among our staff and all our stakeholders.”
Bruce Winton, multi-property vice president of Marriott International for the Philippines and overall chairman of the I Love Earth sustainability program, expresses delight in leading this initiative of the IR. “It is indeed an honor to be entrusted by RWM with this important role and lead the significant endeavor of chartering the course of I Love Earth, a concerted initiative of all hotels and operating units within the IR toward sustainable operations,” he says. “Purposely and sincerely, we embrace what this program stands for, and that is putting Earth to heart, the same dictum that we at Marriott International also champion, all aimed at serving our valuable guests, communities, and fellow associates brilliantly while taking great care to respect and preserve our environment.”
On the other hand, Marriott Hotel Manila executive chef Meik Brammer chairs the sustainable culinary committee of I Love Earth, taking the lead in joint sourcing of cage-free eggs for all the hotels and F&B outlets at RWM. “Egg is a symbol of a new life or a start of something bright and sunny. Our pledge to use cage-free eggs is just one of the many things we are doing and we want to do in terms of sustainable culinary,” he says. “It is an honor to be able to lay the groundwork in launching a noble endeavor, more so to become a part of jumpstarting a hardworking sustainability program such as I Love Earth.”
Key officials, general managers, and executive chefs of Resorts World Manila, Marriott Hotel Manila, Sheraton Manila Hotel, Hilton Manila, and Hotel Okura Manila graced the occasion. The hotels’ executive chefs served guests with their version of dishes with cage-free eggs during the event.
Batangas Free Range Chicken (BFRC), one of the partners which will supply sustainable products to the different hotels and F&B outlets, sampled its egg products during the launch. BFRC, founded by Emerson Sicar, is a Social Enterprise (SE) that was born out of passion to provide alternative healthy poultry products and livelihood in the Philippines.
Robyn del Rosario, sustainability program manager at Lever Foundation, closely worked with RWM and Marriott Hotel Manila to provide useful information that would help further polish the project. “We congratulate Resorts World Manila for being the very first Integrated Resort in the Philippines and the APAC region to commit to sourcing only cage-free eggs for its operations,” he says. “The new cage-free egg policy will improve the welfare of animals in the complex’s supply chain while also reinforcing Resorts World Manila’s commitment along with the other participating hotels to provide world-class experiences to its guests.”
‘Egg is a symbol of a new life or a start of something bright and sunny. Our pledge to use cage-free eggs is just one of the many things we are doing and we want to do in terms of sustainable culinary.’
Leading animal protection and food safety organizations around the world encourage a switch to cage-free eggs, which are more humane to animals and safer for consumers. On caged egg farms, each egg-laying hen is confined for nearly her entire life in a cage so small she can barely turn around. Research by the European Food Safety Authority and others has found that cage-free egg farms are up to 25 times less likely to be contaminated with key strains of salmonella compared to hens raised in cages. Battery cage egg production has been banned throughout the European Union as well as in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, India, and parts of the US.
In recent years an increasing number of restaurant, hospitality, retail, and packaged food brands have pledged to use only cage-free eggs in the Philippines. Resorts World Manila is the first Integrated Resort in the Philippines and in the APAC region to make a commitment to cage-free egg sourcing.