Mina Gabor has a collection of 20 different bird’s nests gathered from around the 52-hectare property of International School of Sustainable Tourism in Cavite. These are abandoned nests in different shapes and sizes built by 74 wild birds that live in the area.
The former tourism secretary founded ISST in 2010. It is the first sustainable tourism school in the Asia-Pacific, a private nonstock and nonprofit corporation. The school is dedicated to uplifting the lives of communities with ecological resources that need to be preserved and sustainably used for tourism.
“You can have the best boutique hotel and merchandise in the souvenir shop, but the wrong deal will spoil your entire branding,” Gabor said. She said the school’s goal is to put more people in the income bracket. The institution can find a market or a buyer for them. Next is to make sure that the environment is protected.