Seda Cebu leads shift to 'green hospitality'

Urban hotel operator Seda Central Bloc Cebu is ramping up sustainability measures as rising fuel costs and tighter margins push hospitality players to rethink operations, sending early signals of an industry-wide shift toward greener and more cost-efficient business models.

- Ehda M Dagooc

Marking its sixth anniversary in February, the Ayala Land Inc.-owned property used a media appreciation event to spotlight its transition from pandemic-era survival to a strategy centered on energy efficiency, resource conservation and operational resilience — priorities that are gaining traction across the tourism sector.

Ron Manalang, who recently assumed an expanded role as cluster general manager overseeing Seda's Cebu properties, said the hotel's sustainability agenda is not only an environmental commitment but also a financial hedge against volatile fuel and utility prices that continue to weigh on transport, logistics and hospitality businesses.

The industry is facing persistent cost pressures, particularly from energy, said Manalang,