April 9, 2025 l Business Mirror
Danang, Vietnam—This booming metropolis on the central Vietnamese coast is considered the country’s most livable city, with very little air pollution compared to Saigon and Hanoi. Danang is framed by beaches, mountains and national parks less than an hour’s drive away from its well-planned city center.
For eight consecutive years since 2017, Danang has been acclaimed as Asia’s best golf destination by the London-based “World Golf Awards” due to its golf courses, premier resorts and ideal climate. Last week, the 2025 Asia Golf Tourism Convention was held at the Sheraton Grand Danang Resort with more than 350 delegates from 30 countries.
The emergence of golf tourism as a key segment of the global travel industry has prompted the Philippines’s Department of Tourism to make it a priority by establishing the Office of Golf Tourism under Director Lyle Fernando H. Uy. Several Filipino delegates attended the 3-day convention here in Danang organized by the International Association of Golf Tourism Organizations—whose headquarters is in the birthplace of modern golf: Great Britain.
Danang’s top tourist attraction, the spectacular Sun World recreational complex at Bana Hills, has implemented sustainability initiatives to promote environmental protection, including an automatic wastewater monitoring system and an eco-friendly cable car transport system for the vast integrated resort located 1,500 meters above sea level. The adjoining Bana Hills Golf Club is dedicated to waste reduction, energy efficiency, environmental conservation, community engagement and other sustainability initiatives as a member of the Vietnam Golf Coast consortium.
Sustainable development practices in business and industry have become crucial in recent years as analyzed against environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics. Back home, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has proactively advocated sustainable finance through its 11-point Sustainable Central Banking Strategy that includes assessing climate-related financial risks and integrating ESG principles in the BSP’s operations.
For its part, the Securities and Exchange Commission has promoted sustainability reporting among companies that are traded on the Philippine Stock Exchange since 2019. These listed firms are required to submit sustainability reports attached to their annual financial reports, otherwise they will be deemed non-compliant and subject to fines.
Sustainable development roadmap
EVEN a non-listed company such as Ajinomoto Philippines Corp. (APC) has established a comprehensive sustainable development roadmap focusing on two primary outcomes: reducing environmental impact by 50 percent and extending healthy life expectancy for over one billion people. This is part of the 2030 sustainability goals set by APC’s parent company, the Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed Ajinomoto Group.
Recently, the APC unveiled the ‘Renewable Energy Badge’ for its Cebu factory at the Mactan Economic Zone after a ceremonial event on “Powering Sustainable Tomorrows” at the Dusit Thani Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City. It partnered with ACEN Corp., a subsidiary of the Ayala Group, in carrying out the 100-percent renewable energy (RE) switch. This closely followed the full RE transition of APC’s Bulacan factory last year in collaboration with Meralco-owned MSpectrum.
APC President Koichi Ozaki said he is confident that the partnership with ACEN “will continue to make meaningful strides in reducing carbon emissions and fostering a healthier planet.” According to Ozaki, this milestone reflects APC’s purpose of ‘Eat Well, Live Well’ not just for today, but for future generations. He highlighted the achievement as a vital step in advancing environmental goals and the Ajinomoto Group’s commitment to a more sustainable future.
As a major player in the Philippine food processing and seasoning industry, APC’s facilities nationwide are now supplied with green energy–leading the way toward sustainable manufacturing in the country and contributing to long-term benefits for Planet Earth.
***The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of his office as well as FINEX. For comments, email nextgenmedia@gmail.com. Photo is from Pinterest.