In Cebu, Bluewater Maribago Turns ‘Amuma’ into a Way of Life

“Who’s the husband of the queen? I mean, the father of the eggs?” I asked, my voice coarse from a sore throat. It wasn’t a Netflix series I was asking about.

This rather naïve question was meant for Indig to answer. He’s an agriculturist and beekeeper at Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort. He seemed a bit stunned by my question, but he went on to explain that about eight to 15 drones would mate with the queen bee and then die afterward.

The queen bee, after mating only once in her life, would continue laying eggs throughout her lifespan of three to five years.

“Gamhanan gyud diay ang babaye (the woman is indeed powerful),” I remarked. We laughed.

That was my small sparkle of a life lesson from visiting the bee farm of Bluewater Maribago, a premier resort on Mactan Island. The honey from its farm goes straight to the breakfast buffet every day.

During my recent homecoming, I decided to stay again at this family-owned, wholly Filipino resort, just as I did three years ago. It felt like being in the bosom of home within my motherland, Cebu. I came back.

Bluewater Maribago is one of the few resorts in Cebu that has been mindful of sustainability since its inception. With more than 35 years as a favorite family destination, it is known for its amuma a Cebuano word for care or nurture for guests, staff, and the environment.

Unknown perhaps to many of its guests, Bluewater has ensured farm-to-table freshness in its food offerings.

Aside from fresh organic honey, its famous Delfino’s pizza is made with homemade sourdough, and the mushrooms are harvested from its own farm.

General Manager Rhyz Buac said the farm still cannot fully supply the needs of hotel guests, but they make sure their suppliers provide farm-fresh and organic produce.

Bluewater Maribago has cultivated its own trees, bamboo, herbs, decorative plants, and domesticated animals on its farm to supply fresh organic materials for its Amuma Spa and kitchen.

Margie Munsayac, Bluewater’s Vice President for Sales and Marketing, said providing care is inherently a Cebuano trait and a shared philosophy among the resort’s owners.

“Right from the start, we have been mindful of taking care of our guests and the environment. That’s our core value. Of course, like everything else, we took baby steps in implementing care in our programs.”

The word amuma was suggested to the family owners by a respected Cebu media personality, recalled Munsayac, a pioneering executive at Bluewater.

The resort’s amuma philosophy is integrated into caring for people the Cebuano way guests, employees, the environment, and the community.

Bluewater also strictly maintains the cleanliness of its beachfront, underwater areas through its annual Scubasurerocleanup dive and land, making it a consistent winner in environmentally sound practices in the locality.

It received the ASEAN Green Hotel Award in 2016, 2018, and 2020, and was a finalist in the 2025 Sustainability Champion category of the 4th Cebu Tourism & Hospitality Awards.

In walking the talk, Bluewater also takes care of its workers. Chef April Doria said she appreciates the company for giving them opportunities to discover and improve their dishes.

“It’s a growing experience being here for 10 years especially when we’re given the chance to innovate within a budget and take care of the kitchen crew too.”

That growth is echoed by Mike Oyao, who started in the creative department and is now the top marketing executive handling all Bluewater properties.

“I was given the chance to become the best version of myself.”

Buac, also a pioneering pillar of Bluewater, said amuma has proven to be the foundation of the company’s sustainability. He believes taking care of people and the environment should simply become a habit.

“If you amuma the environment, it will take care of you. If you amuma the staff, they will take care of the guests well and they will stay longer. If you amuma the guests, they will come back.”

There lies the sustainable power of Bluewater its mindfulness for care.

Even during the pandemic, the resort managed to innovate and stay afloat. It converted its facilities into temporary homes and offices for call center employees, and into a safer respite for cancer patients who needed to be isolated from COVID patients in a nearby hospital.

During those harrowing times, Bluewater halted construction of a six-story building. Today, the Sidlakan wing is open to guests from the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) segment. The hotel now has 255 rooms, blending the high-rise Sidlakan with its one- and two-story bungalows across the seven-hectare property in Mactan.

“Our north star, Sidlakan, is up and expanding our clientele with the same care we give,” Munsayac beams.

Three years ago, I spoke with hotel owner and assistant general manager Domiku Ugarte, who fondly remembered his grandfather, Arcadio Alegrado.

“He established the resort to cater to families and made sure we took care of the trees. We never chopped them down during construction and we took care of our people.”

That tradition of care lives on.