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Photo credit: MyPhotato
OUR ADVOCACIES _//
Cut Down On Your Carbon Footprint_//
For out-of-town deliveries (i.e. Tagaytay, Laguna, or Batangas), we have a Delivery-and-Turn-Over Service wherein we deliver to a set meeting place and time, and another group from your end will complete the journey of our flowers to your preps place. This way, we do not have to charge out-of-town fees.
The Internet As A Green Tool_//
90% of couples booked with Vatel Manila found us via the internet. Since a lot of our couples are based overseas, all our transactions happen online. Face-to-face meetings are now a thing of the past, thanks to social media! Maintaining a virtual office definitely brings down our overhead costs for the benefit of our couples.
We have likewise made use of our Facebook Page and our Instagram Account as tools for cascading information as well as for sharing updates, notices, and fresh ideas.
Our reply efficiency for initial inquiries is 90% (within 12 hours from receipt of the email). Turnaround time (time from receipt of filled-up form to the costing proper) is 2-3 days depending on the complexity of the request.
Being Green As A Way of Life_//
More than a company policy, being and thinking green is a way of life. Our font choice for our printed documents, for example, is Century Gothic which, according to studies, uses 30% less ink than Arial.
Our forms are filled up via email & our Service Contracts are signed online thus taking away the need for travel & meetings.
Supporting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)_//
The EUREPGAP label found on the boxes of our imported flowers signify compliance with GLOBAL G.A.P "which serves as a practical manual for Good Agricultural Practice (G.A.P.) anywhere in the world. The basis is an equal partnership of agricultural producers and retailers who wish to establish efficient certification standards and procedures. The GLOBALG.A.P standard is primarily designed to reassure consumers about how food, or certain farm products like flowers, are produced on the farm by minimizing detrimental environmental impacts of farming operations, reducing the use of chemical inputs and ensuring a responsible approach to worker health and safety as well as animal welfare."
The GLOBAL G.A.P website contains comprehensive information for all interested parties: producers, suppliers, retailers, journalists and consumers. Visit it here.
Help End Child Labor and Promote Workers' Welfare_//
When my Mother was still living, she championed the cause of ending child labor in the Philippines when she was the National Coordinator for Learning of PLAN Philippines. She also was a member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Task Force on Child Labor.
In her memory, Vatel Manila supports the global movement to end child labor by buying Ecuadorian roses that carry the Flor Ecuador and FLP logos. Learn more about Flor Ecuador here. For more details on the Flower Label Program, read here.
Bias for Local Farmers_//
Since 2004, Vatel Manila has made it a policy that flowers used in our entourage arrangements be at least 50% locally sourced. To support our farmers, we buy directly from farm owners. Supporting our farmers also spur further research and development in improving our local floral species.
For us, it's not about just buying and using flowers. It's buying and using flowers responsibly.
