South Palms Panglao MGallery Puts Bohol on Asia’s Hospitality Design Map

South Palms Resort & Spa, MGallery Collection has earned two major honors at AHEAD Asia 2026, winning the Sustainability and Spa & Wellness categories. The double recognition places the Panglao resort among Asia’s notable hospitality projects and highlights Bohol’s growing presence in luxury travel, design, and sustainable tourism.

The awards were presented during the AHEAD Asia 2026 ceremony on September 11 at Pan Pacific Orchard in Singapore. The event marked the beginning of the 10th-anniversary celebrations of the global AHEAD Awards program.

A Resort Rooted in Bohol

South Palms Panglao takes a distinctly local approach to resort design. Instead of simply incorporating Filipino-inspired decorative elements, the project draws directly from Bohol’s landscape, materials, craftsmanship, and communities.

Reclaimed timber, sourced from fishing boats and structures damaged by typhoons, became a key element of the resort’s interiors and architecture. Limestone excavated from the site was also repurposed as architectural cladding, reducing the need to transport construction waste off-site.

The approach extends beyond the resort’s visual identity. Passive design strategies and solar energy help reduce operational requirements, while water and waste management systems support a more resource-efficient operation.

The property also uses greywater reuse, on-site water bottling, glass recycling, and composting as part of its sustainability strategy.

Local Materials and Craftsmanship

The resort’s connection to Bohol is evident throughout its guest spaces. Philippine-made furniture, handwoven raffia, local earthenware, and locally sourced ingredients contribute to an experience that reflects the island’s character.

This emphasis on local craftsmanship also became an important part of the property’s design narrative.

AHEAD judges highlighted the project’s “great storytelling and locally driven narrative,” noting its response to the site’s environment and surrounding community.

For Hope Uy, Managing Director of Panglao Shores, the development was intended to reflect Bohol rather than reproduce its culture as a design theme.

“Bohol’s culture has always been generous, warm, and deeply connected to the land and sea around it, and this resort was built as an expression of that generosity, not a replica of it,” Uy said.

Designing Around Bohol’s Identity

The design process involved extensive engagement with local materials and artisans.

Patricia Ho Douven, Founder of White Jacket, said the objective was to tell Bohol’s story through the resort’s materials, craftsmanship, community, and everyday way of life.

“Our goal was never to make South Palms simply ‘look Filipino’, but to share the story of Bohol through materials, craftsmanship, community, and the local way of life,” she said.

Atelier Pond Founder Phillip Pond also emphasized the importance of experiencing the destination firsthand during the design process.

“We didn’t design for Bohol from a distance. We spent months living with its craftsmen, its materials, and its rhythms before a single line was drawn,” Pond said.

The result is a hospitality concept that places Bohol’s local identity at the center of the guest experience.

Sustainability as Part of the Guest Experience

South Palms’ Sustainability award recognizes an approach that integrates environmental considerations into the property’s design and operations.

The use of reclaimed and locally sourced materials reduces reliance on new resources, while water reuse, recycling, composting, and renewable energy form part of the resort’s operational strategy.

Local sourcing also creates a stronger connection between the resort and its destination. Furniture, handicrafts, tableware, and ingredients help bring elements of Bohol’s creative and agricultural communities into the property.

This combination of design, operations, and local participation gives sustainability a visible role in the overall resort experience.

Recognition for Spa and Wellness

South Palms Panglao also received the AHEAD Asia 2026 award for Spa & Wellness, recognizing another important component of the property’s hospitality offering.

The award adds a wellness dimension to the resort’s broader design story, reinforcing its positioning as a destination where architecture, nature, relaxation, and local culture come together.

For travelers visiting Bohol, this complements the island’s existing appeal as a beach and nature destination while expanding its profile within the luxury wellness market.

A Collaborative Project

The South Palms Panglao project brought together a multidisciplinary team of developers, hospitality specialists, architects, designers, and consultants.

C9 Hotelworks served as the lead hospitality consultant, working with Panglao Shores, Alturas Group of Companies, Accor, SCSY Architects, Rchitects Inc., Enter Projects Asia, White Jacket, Atelier Pond, Topo Design Studio, and XCO2.

The collaboration reflects the project’s scale and ambition to create a resort that responds to its physical location while building a strong sense of place.

Bohol’s Growing Design Profile

The double win at AHEAD Asia 2026 gives South Palms Panglao a prominent platform within Asia’s hospitality design community. More importantly, the recognition highlights Bohol as a destination capable of supporting sophisticated hospitality projects with strong local and environmental narratives.

For the Philippine tourism industry, the awards also highlight how resort development can incorporate local materials, Filipino craftsmanship, community connections, and environmental practices into high-end hospitality.

South Palms Panglao MGallery’s AHEAD Asia 2026 recognition ultimately puts Bohol’s design story at the center of a wider conversation about what contemporary luxury hospitality in the Philippines can look like.

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