Permaculture Village Philippines

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SIARGAO PERMACULTURE ECO-VILLAGE
voted best island in the world by Conde Nast
DRAFT

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Simon Fjell’s PROPOSAL
A development plan aimed at:
o Siargoa Eco- Village credibility;
o Facilitating and expediting development approval through Siargoa hosting a World
class sustainability and lifestyle project;
o Maximising resale value of the property; and
o Enhancing the effectiveness of associated marketing and sales activities.
Site-specific, this would combine the highest practical level of environmental responsibility
with pleasing aesthetics, unique experiences and a number of elements aimed at increasing
its appeal to Government decision makers at all levels and the market.
Following this the plan would span four phases
Phase 1:
Part A
The land has to be free from encumbrances with:
o a contract be signed by the owner’s brother in Manila who, along with each of his
siblings, was bought out of his 1/5th inheritance by the ‘owner’ on trust many years.
The other siblings have already signed;
o the ‘old’ system title be upgraded to modern format requiring surveying, legal and
Government fees to be paid;
o the owner, who has recently got health issues that limit his ability to work and earn
that expose him and his family to difficulties, be financially supported to do the
above;
o the owner be financially supported for his families living expenses by advance
payments for the land until it is transferred free and clear; and
o a purchase plan be agreed upon taking in to account a return on the investors
support to date to the family; and
o all the immediate family members be comfortable with all the above and sign an
agreement to that effect.
o
Part B
Detail
1. Fully document vision for:
o The site’s usage, planning and architecture
o Environmental features
o Benefits and amenities
o Marketing
2. Monetizing:

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o preparation of investors memorandum,
information memorandums.
concept’s viability and likely effectiveness in achievement of the three objectives.
concurrent non-site development of the concept and pre-marketing.
Phase 2:
Clear title will enable immediate undertaking of the project within current land use
entitlements concurrent to making changes to the land zoning:
o leverage bank and investor finance;
o pay first instalment to the owner;
o build a ‘display’ villa on the site;
o develop a masterplan for a change in zoning. Design to deliver the best eco
outcomes with the emphasis on the sustainability features fitting in with Siargao
Government objectives the island to be and be seen as the ultimate eco-tourism and
lifestyle destination;
o use our existing marketing reach to sell off the plan eight condos and/or villas as
allowable under current entitlements irrespective of rezoning outcomes; and
o develop an onsite nursery and introduce the exotic tropical fruit collection which we
be the landscaping point of difference.
Phase 3: Development to Applications stage
Phase 4: Implementation

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SIARGAO ISLAND – BE INTRODUCED
Siargao, the dreamy tear-shaped island in the Philippines, was voted the best island in the
world by Conde Nast Traveller readers—besting popular beach destinations like Tahiti, Bora
Bora, Bali, and Hawaii. Siargao feels like Bali might have done 30 years ago. However, this
unspoilt island is less than a tenth of the size, can be scooted around in five hours and is home
to about 160,000 residents rather than more than four million. The backdrop of surf, beaches,
lush forests, diving and waterfalls is only half of the spectacular picture. Siargao has been
enchanting visitors for years because of its welcoming vibe and easy island lifestyle. Easily
reached by plane from Cebu or Manila you can also drive to arrive by roll-on-roll-off-ferry,
this tropical island provides a lifestyle in paradise. Here are some reasons why:
Beaches
Beaches are what the Philippines is famous for, and Siargao Island has plenty of it. Between
Could9 and the village of General Luna you’ll find several kilometers of white sand. As Siargao
Island hasn’t been discovered by the masses yet, you’ll only have to share the beach with a
few locals, the odd dog passing by and the always-present Hermite Crabs. Nearby islands like
Daku Island, Guyam Island and Naked Island are also blessed with untouched beaches, making
Siargao Island a heaven for beach bums.
Surfing
Siargao Island is the surf capital of The Philippines and one of the best places to surf in Asia.
Its signature break is called Cloud9 and one of the most well-known waves world wide. Cloud
9 Surf competitions are held twice a year. A three-level viewing deck provides surf enthusiasts
with an excellent vantage point to watch the action up close.
There are a number of other good breaks around the island, such as Guyam Island, Jacking
Horse, and Tuesday Island. On any given day, the locals know exactly which spot is best
depending on weather conditions.
Sohoton Caves
The Sohoton Caves is a unique Natural Reserve a three-hour boat ride away from the village
and lies the Natural Reserve. Several lagoons lie in between rocky hills, covered by lush
tropical vegetation, connected to the ocean by several waterways. The area features a
number of caves that can be entered only during low tide, one of which can be exited by
jumping off a 20-feet cliff.

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The people
Siargao’s inhabitants are some of the friendliest people around and welcome visitors with
open arms. Children will wave enthusiastically at tourists passing by. In the evening, sing along
with the locals in one of the karaoke bars.
Filipinos welcome you with open arms, treat you like family, feed you as well as your grandma
does, exude positivity. They're among the friendliest people you'll come across and have a
fantastic sense of humour. They're a lot of fun.
Jungle Disco
Party with the locals in the jungle! Although Siargao Island doesn’t have a vibrant nightlife,
there is a place where you can show off your winning dance moves. Hidden between the palm
trees lies the Tattoo Bar, or as somecall it, the Jungle Disco. Every Friday night people from
the surrounding villages gather here to let loose and sip on the locally produced Tanduay rum
or a cup of Jungle Juice. Otherwise you can enjoy traditional fire dancers on the beach.

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THE VISION
THE KEYS TO THE SIARGAO PERMACULTURE ECO-VILLAGE
“To create at Siargao Permaculture Eco-village a human-scale, full-featured settlement in
which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is
supportive of a vibrant community and economic prosperity which can be successfully
continued into the indefinite future.”
Cultural
Siargao Permaculture Eco-village is a ‘return to the village” and will evolve a vibrant culture
around the seasonal events of harvests and pickings from its own food forests. It will become
a popular globally significant venue for regular Permaculture courses conducted by its
developer who was co-founder of the Permaculture Institute (1979) and its now global
movement. Wellness courses will be offered along with massage and spa treatments. The
atmosphere of a farmers and craft market will compliment a ‘community gravity centre’ to
give it a feeling of a “great place to be”.
Ecological
Siargao Permaculture Eco-village will allow people to experience their personal connection to
the living earth. They will enjoy daily interaction with the soil, water, wind, plants and animals.
It will provide for their daily needs - food, water, energy - while respecting the cycles of
nature. It will have widespread Permaculture gardens and a Garden of Eatin’ with over 500
exotic tropical fruits and nuts growing. The eco-village will be 100% powered by solar and
have a resident owned electric jeepney shuttle, solar powered traditional boat with outriggers
to visit reef dive and surf spots and electric scooters with surfboard racks.
Economic
Siargao Permaculture Eco-village will be economically prosperous with concentrations of
inter-connected businesses in the sustainability, fine foods and hospitality sectors. These
clusters will encompass an array of linked industries and other entities important to
competition. A leadership project such as Siargao Permaculture Eco-village will attract global
attention and thereby significant business opportunities.
Social/Community
Siargao Permaculture Eco-village will be a community in which people will know many others,
feel supported by and are responsible to those around them. It will provide a deep sense of
being part of a community. It will be large enough to create vitality yet small enough that
everyone feels amongst friends, safe, involved, seen and heard.

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THE DEVELOPMENT
Your home
High on the island and surrounded by towering coconut palms, Siargao Permaculture Eco-
village is a tranquil and peaceful compound planned to host a range of conventional architect
designed energy efficient eco housing styles including spectacular bamboo houses and villas.
It will draw like-minded individuals who are seeking a more sustainable and authentic way of
living, a comfortable alternative to the stresses of modern society. Today, together with a
world-famous Permaculture School and an edible food forest of over 500 exotic tropical fruit
species the eco-village will be recognized as one of Sairgao’s most remarkable communities
in sustainable living and housing.
Some luxury villa and house in Siargao Permaculture Eco-village will be constructed almost
entirely from bamboo, custom-designed by architects and built by hand using traditional local
skills. The beautiful structures showcase how bamboo – combined with brass, copper, and
stone – can create sustainable, luxurious floors, walls, ceilings, stairs, and railings.
All our condos and villas are located only a short scenic walk away from the Permaculture
School, where education is designed around the principles of an organic permaculture
system. It incorporates a community gravity centre with a café and business centre.
We are pleased to welcome property owners, renters, investors, and environmentally-
conscious businesses to become a part of our Eco-village community.

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Your community
A New Direction
While many developers are starting to put a few environmental features as add-ons to what
are essentially conventional developments, in contrast the design of Siargao Permaculture
Eco-village starts from a set of lifestyle and environmental objectives.
Siargao Permaculture Eco-village 's design has been informed by the experiences of lifestyle
seekers. Over the last 30 years most who have moved away from the city in order to live a
simpler, more environmentally sustainable lifestyle have chosen a large-acreage, high-
maintenance "patch of paradise" located some distance from the amenities of regional towns
and villages.
Siargao Permaculture Eco-village is offering people the opportunity to move into a ready-
made, convenient and environmentally sensitive lifestyle - without having to do it all
themselves.
Triple Bottom Line Sustainability: people, planet and prosperity
Not only will Siargao Permaculture Eco-village's houses be designed to the highest
environmental standards, Siargao Permaculture Eco-village's style of settlement pattern:
mixed use, with clustered housing set amongst ample green open space, is the most
ecologically, economically and socially sustainable - making available in a rural setting many
of the conveniences and opportunities for social interaction characteristic of an urban
lifestyle.
Add to this Siargao Permaculture Eco-village's on-site organic food production and the
provision of services like solar electricity, water and sewer from infrastructure engineered
with cutting edge green technologies, and we believe Siargao Permaculture Eco-village will
be setting the benchmark in sustainable design for many years to come.

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The images of Life
Of the total area there will be a series of compact housing clusters with the remainder
comprising of open space, organic agriculture and Permaculture. As a human scale, full
featured settlement, many of the residents' work, social, leisure and entertainment needs will
be met on site - no more than a few minute's pleasant stroll from their front doors.
Retirement / lifestyle
The largest and most influential population, the Baby Boomer Generation, is once again
exerting its gravitational pull on the Australian socio-cultural landscape. Now in a state of
housing flux, this huge demographic has its sights set on the housing market, redefining the
expectations and priorities of mature homebuyers, and changing the face of residential
development.
An apartment on the Gold Coast? Card games and bingo? Not for Boomers, thank you very
much.
When millions of Baby Boomers enter the housing equation, it’s not only clichés that become
obsolete, but a whole host of preconceptions and conventional wisdom. As the nation’s
largest group of consumers, their preferences have consequences. Markets and products
evolve and adjust to Boomer appetites, and retirement-age housing requirements are no
different.
Today, as Baby Boomers enter their 50s and 60s, they are healthier, more active and more
engaged in their lives and their communities than any previous generation in history. They
want more. They demand more. When it comes to deciding how, when and where they will
live, and where they will spend their money and their time, Boomers aren’t in the rocking
chair — they are in the driver’s seat.
In this world the boomers either wholly slink off into retirement or they oscillate between
workplace and lifestyle locale - in a new and ethereal netherworld of part-work/part-
retirement. And this is most surely what the broad middle-band of boomers will do because
they will not be able to fund a retirement lifestyle built wholly around leisure. Siargao Eco-
village will offer the support of a business centre and other earning opportunities onsite
conducting workshops or online with the best connectivity speeds in Asia.

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Home Sweet Home
Baby Boomers are on the move. In fact, many Boomers will move to a new home within the
first year after their youngest child goes off to college. Increasingly, however, these newly
mobile Empty Nesters are breaking away from traditional expectations. They are moving
across town, rather than across the country. They are ready for a more manageable lifestyle,
but shudder at the idea of a managed retirement community or a generic condominium
complex. For many the choice of a Siargao Eco-village treechange, being surrounded by
nature but close to the airport and part of a vibrant community will be very attractive.
They may be approaching retirement age, but retiring is often the last thing on their minds.
They are affluent, active and informed, and their housing priorities will reflect that reality.
Without question, everyone’s priorities are different. To some people, life on a golf course or
beach is an attractive option; the epitome of luxury. But for many Baby Boomers, picking up
their lives and moving far away from family and friends is not an appealing option. They want
a home that lets them live the life they want to live and do the things they want to do, while
staying in the cities and towns they know so well. Inspired by those priorities and designed
with members of the Baby Boomer Generation in mind, an entirely new vision provided by
Siargao Eco-village will provide them with the resources to do just that.
A few homebuilders are recognizing this trend and are providing an expanded range of
innovative housing options that combines the comforts and conveniences of a resort lifestyle
with the aesthetics, amenities and independence of a single-family home; not thousands of
miles away, but close by.
The vital importance of location, allowing flexible accommodation for visiting children,
grandchildren and friends is a driving force and that greater numbers of Empty Nesters would
prefer to be easily accessible by plane while enjoying an affordable luxury lifestyle.
A significant majority of Baby Boomers would prefer to “age in place,” maintaining the
familiarity of home. Siargao’s focus on wellness and health is complemented architecturally
to enable this and has ready access to the local hospital.

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Home is Where the Hearth Hammock Is
Siargao Eco-village’s Boomer-friendly housing options will incorporate a number of thoughtful
design and development strategies to cater to the needs of their target demographic. They
recognize that, to this nostalgic generation, the idea of home as the iconic centre of family
and as headquarters for holidays and family gatherings exerts a powerful, emotional appeal.
Accordingly, while Siargao Eco-village’s homes will be somewhat smaller and more
manageable in size, they are a far cry from the stereotypical tiny cottage or cramped
apartment. Plans include the availability of numerous timeshare ‘tiny house’ visitor
accommodation units for corporate colleague, independent family and friend visits.
Additional subtle, but important, design considerations for Boomers speak to leisure,
comfort, quality and convenience:
o Ample open space and tall ceilings (which create a sense of “volume”) with transitional
spaces like verandas or screened porches.
o Minimizing unnecessary staircases through garden-style layouts
o Well-deserved small luxuries, such as double sinks and large spas.
o Kitchens are important and are ideally highly functional with expansive counter space.
They don’t need to be huge, as there will be ready access to dine in a lot at Siargao
Eco-village’s Food at the Table Restaurant or in nearby villages and tourist hotspots.
o Laundry and utility rooms are convenient and accessible and economically staffed by
locals. These Active Adults do not want to come home only to be reminded right away
that a job is awaiting them.
o Wasted, excess space is not desirable, but, for a generation that often views
retirement as an opportunity to start over and enjoy new experiences, space for
hobbies and other pursuits can be a nice bonus. A shared ‘men’s shed’ and a ‘women’s
space’ will be included.
o Hallways are wider, but not to accommodate a wheelchair; but rather, to allow the
exercise devotee ample room to walk one’s bicycle, diving gear or surfboard into the
house.
o A full featured medical centre proving clinic and home visit care.
Along with free standing villas Siargao Eco-village will feature elegantly designed condos that
present the appearance of a detached home when viewed from the street, providing all the
conveniences and efficiencies of a condo-style design while exuding the aesthetics and vibe
of a freestanding single-family house.

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Active Adults
Siargao Eco-village will echo the optimism and energy of the “Boomer Consumer,” featuring
a high-quality fitness centre and workout facilities. There is a growing recognition that
working out and staying active are very important to Boomers, and that access to a high-
quality fitness centre is a necessity, rather than a luxury. Siargao Eco-village will offer work in
the farming activities, environmental restoration such as tree planting and integrated walking
trails to other residences and the community gravity centre.
Exterior landscaping will be an attractive organic farmland and tropical forest; it’s an edible
landscape, planted with organically-grown fruit and vegetables. The Permaculture organic
farm and food forest will include over 500 species of exotic tropical fruits, but managed and
maintained by professionals, freeing up valuable personal time.
Food forest gardening is a low-maintenance sustainable plant-based food production and
agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees,
shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables which have yields directly useful to humans.
Making use of companion planting, these can be intermixed to grow in a succession of layers,
to build a woodland habitat. You’ll see ‘Pick Me’ signs hanging where the ripest fruit is ready
to pick and enjoy, as well as indigenous plants that serve as natural habitats for wildlife.
Beyond our own tropical farms, Siargao Eco-village will sponsor local farmers in the area to
produce the best quality food without the use of pesticides or unnecessary chemicals and
reduce the island’s dependence on importing produce. It’s an essential component of Siargao
Eco-village’s food philosophy as well as our culture of community and sustainability.
This frees personal time that Active Adults can use to pursue their active lifestyles — whether
it be for travel, entertainment or exercise.
Natural swimming pools will be an important component to the Active Adult community. They
allow Boomers a place to relax and unwind, another option for exercise, and a venue for
entertaining the grandchildren.
Access to community clubhouses, the Siargao Eco-village Conference Centre, and public
spaces will be another welcome feature, but here too, freedom and flexibility are paramount.
There will arrangements in the Conference Centre amenities to provide game and party

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rooms and lounges with space available for private reservations and entertaining larger
groups of guests. But, again, this generation is not their father’s retirement set. They don’t
want bingo and tea socials planned for them — but they want usable common space to host
receptions or conduct group meetings.
Ultimately, Siargao Eco-village’s residential format will enable Boomers to simultaneously
assert their independence and relieve some of the everyday burdens and tedium of
housework, yard work and other mundane responsibilities. Slightly smaller, but high-quality
residences, convenient to the Conference Centre restaurant and other amenities, will allow
homeowners to enjoy the pride and satisfaction of hosting events and welcoming guests,
while providing them with the stress-free freedom to be able to “lock the door and go”; to
travel on a moment’s notice. They make life easier, and they make life more fun.
Boomers are experienced, sophisticated consumers. They tend to be well-travelled, with an
appreciation for quality and a good sense of what they want. And, fundamentally, what they
want is quite simple: Boomers don’t want to change their lifestyle, they want to enhance it.
They may need to change where they live, but they don’t want to change how they live. And
that notion of “where” is getting closer and closer to home every day.
Smart Transportation
o A renewable energy powered Jeepney conversion will connect to General Luna
and the airport
o Electric scooters will be available from the Community Centre
o A solar powered conversion of the traditional lancha with photovoltaic canopy,
batteries, surf-board racks and space for diving gear will be moored a walkable
distance from the eco-village to take residents to reef diving locations, reef surfing
breaks and to town
o Pedestrian-friendly design that encourages a greater use of bicycles, rollerblades,
scooters, and walking as daily transportation
Quality of Life
Taken together these add up to a high quality of life well worth living, and create places that
enrich, uplift, and inspire the human spirit.

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Village hub
An open-air centre, Siargoa Eco-Village will combine a variety of mixed-use components to
create a sustainable village that maximizes public access with easily navigable pedestrian and
vehicular streetscapes.
Marnong Village’s atmosphere will create a unique sense of space by maximizing shade,
building position, water features, landscaping design, building materials and devices such as
natural evaporative cooling and eco roads to deliver a cool and refreshing environment that
is comfortable year round.
The Design Guidelines for Siargoa Eco-Village will include:
o Creating a cool, comfortable and celebrated place year round through the creative use
of shade, water, grass and landscape, the “colors of shade” and devices such as
evaporative cooling from permeable paving, reflective colouring and trees.
o Providing a safe, relaxed and caring sense of space for children, families and customers
alike.
o Developing special neighbourhoods throughout the village, strategically placing retail
clusters within distinctive and creative settings; allowing for individual retailers to add
vitality to the project via branded and customized storefronts
o Creating a regional and day destination shopping and entertainment destination for
the use of local and Melbourne residents.
o A Complete Experience Siargoa Eco-Village’s pedestrian-scale experience will be
punctuated with a true sense of arrival and the project-wide synergy accomplished
through the use of landscaping, art, architecture and environmental graphics.
o Building materials and colours will reflect the concept of cooling and shade. For
example, canopies will be composed of bamboo, steel, natural woods, concrete or
vegetation pergolas and walkways may be comprised of concrete and natural stone,
and cast stone. Outdoor seating will be chosen to reflect the project’s stylish and
contemporary architecture.
o Landscaping elements integrated throughout Siargoa Eco-Village will account for
nearly 30 percent of the project’s area. Siargoa Eco-Village’s landscape plan will call
for a complete shade canopy of village streets from summer sun.
o Siargoa Eco-Village will have a different feeling. It will be a wonderful selection of
shops, restaurants and cafes framed by elegant buildings, cool soft colours, lush
landscaping, and rich with fountains, features, seating, shade and comforts.

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o A careful blend of lifestyle centre and traditional shopping centre, Marnong Village’s
shops and restaurants will be clustered in strategically positions. For example, the
children’s play area and corresponding green space will serve as a focal point framed
by family oriented retailers, while the farmers market and specialty food shops will
work together as a unique cluster.
o Varying heights and materials will reinforce the project’s pedestrian-scale
atmosphere, and customized storefronts will add vitality to the project. Siargoa Eco-
Village will be more than a shopping centre – it will be an authentic, ‘place’ offering a
wide choice of experiences that creates genuine and varied environments that are
appropriately human in scale and proportion, making them equally inviting to walk
along or sit beside.
o Pedestrian-only plazas and promenades, exceptionally wide footpaths, shaded seating
areas and green spaces will further encourage social interaction and movement
between various elements of the project.
o A pedestrian thoroughfare that intersects the project will span the retail corridor.
Lined with trees and overhead shade structures, an outdoor amphitheatre and
decorative water features, including a meandering river water feature that provides
ambient sound.
o Tree-hung lanterns will provide accent lighting during evening hours. A special
Children’s Plaza will feature a green space, playgrounds, shade trees and adjacent
seating. Colourful patterns set in the paving, water features, tile mosaics, and specially
designed climbing sculptures will provide opportunities for interactive play. In
addition, a storytelling area will provide an interactive area for daytime events.
o Shade canopies, large potted plants and seating arrangements will accent the
walkways, and flowering vines will climb the shade canopy columns. Overhead lighting
will crisscross the street, lending a unique character to the streetscape.
o Siargoa Eco-Village’s food plaza will provide indoor and outdoor seating with views
from the veranda. It will be shaded with building overhangs and deciduous trees.
o The Entertainment Plaza will feature a mini-amphitheatre and seating areas for al
fresco dining. Siargoa Eco-Village will integrate retail, entertainment and other
commercial uses into the surrounding community to create a vibrant, sustainable, live-
work-shop development.
o Siargoa Eco-Village is committed to meet growth and demand, while also creating
well-planned regional hubs that drives economic development and community
investment.

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Conference and ‘community gravity’ centre
More than just adding green features to buildings, Siargao Permaculture Eco-village’s
Permaculture Education and Conference Centre will use an integrated design process that
considers all aspects of the physical environment, from aesthetics and function to industry-
related challenges such as hospitality management. The result is a new generation of refined
architecture with optimized energy and water efficiency, sustainable materials, and superior
aesthetics.
The goal will be a centre that produces as much energy as it consumes by including the best
designs and technologies for energy conservation, daylighting, natural cooling, solar water
heating and energy production. This will reduce operating costs and will prevent the centre
from adding to global warming. Smart energy systems and daylighting can also improve user
comfort.
The operations of Siargao Permaculture Eco-village Conference Centre have an
environmental approach. The basis of the environmental activity is the conscious objective of
protecting the environment through the use of renewable resources within an ecocyle that is
sealed to the maximum degree, and the avoidance of environmentally destructive
substances.
In addition to food from Siargao Permaculture Eco-village ’s organic farm, Siargao
Permaculture Eco-village will use eco-labelled office equipment, bamboo furniture and
environmentally friendly cleaning products. The company will implement a number of
measures to reduce emissions linked to transportation: it will arrange group transport (mini
buses and taxis) for customers arriving from nearby public transport using ecologically fuelled
vehicles.
Energy supplies will come from solar collectors and batteries. Kitchen waste will be used for
compost on the farm and other waste will be recycled. Siargao Permaculture Eco-village will
also take a wider perspective on the environment including ecology and wildlife. It will offer
visitors a wide range of activities in organic farming and environmental restoration.
As an important employer in the rural locality it will encourage local employees who also for
environmental reasons reduce transport costs.

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Solar based energy generation will used to heat the saunas and circulate the natural
swimming pool water through biofiltration wetlands; onsite grown coconut palm oil will used
to run the farming equipment.
The ecological features of the centre will be transparent so the centre can be a place of
teaching. The centre will demonstrate the relationships between the built environment and
the natural environment. The developer, Simon Fjell, is a Founding Director of the now global
Permaculture Institute which has sustainable agriculture projects in every country and over
250,000 sustainable design course graduates.
Courses at the centre will range from meditation to Permaculture, from art to bookings for
corporate gatherings and even invite guest chefs to conduct cooking schools in its Restaurant.
In sum, the new convention centre will be a delightful place for residents and visitors, and it
will not place an unfair burden on the rest of the biosphere. Siargao Permaculture Eco-village
will be a designed so carefully that it does not cast a long ecological shadow on future
generations.
“The Siargao Permaculture Eco-village Conference Centre” incorporates
o guest accommodation
o a massage and day spa
o a business centre
o general conference facilities and the capture of a niche market – corporations who are
committed to sustainability best practices or those that want to learn via onsite
programs and immersion in a working model.
We will run extensive environmental education programs, hands Permaculture and
agriculture courses for internationals and locals, green technology demonstrations and
support a number of social enterprises including a market, grocery, café, organic online
supermarket for Siargao home/ resort delivery and a Permaculture and bushfood nursery.
Food and Quality of Life
When one considers all that is involved in putting a plate of food on the table, eating is
possibly the aspect of our lifestyle that has the greatest impact on the environment. And, as
eating is something we do three times a day, every day, the quality of the food we eat is one
of the most important contributors to our quality of life. To be able to eat organic produce
picked fresh from the garden is a great luxury. Unfortunately few of us have the time or know
how to grow our own.
Siargao Eco-village residents, however, will have a commercial organic produce farm right on
their doorsteps. In fact, the food crops will be integrated with the village's aesthetic
landscaping. Simon Fjell bought hundreds of species of exotic tropical fruits from Asia and
South America to market in Port Douglas in Australia and designed a now iconic 160 hectare
(400 acre) edible landscape in St.Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean to supply 6 farm-to-table
restaurants and a Garden of Eatin’ guest experience to the 800 villas within it.

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The vision is for high added value boutique food operations with associated day tourism
operations, including ‘cellar door’ sales of alcohol and food products from Siargao Eco-village
and the surrounding region.
Components are envisaged as:
o We provide space for a resident to set up boutique distillery producing small
quantities of Siargao Eco-village rum from organic palm and sugar grown onsite and
purchased from additional local sources with “Cellar Door” operations
o We provide space for residents to set up businesses to process products derived from
Siargao Eco-village produce such as skin care products, jjams, ready made salads, ice-
cream, juices and smoothie mixes for distribution to the health conscious tourism
operators on Siargao
o A farmers' market in which farmers, growers or producers from Siargao and the local
area are present in person to sell their own produce, direct to the public. All products
sold should will be grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked, smoked or
processed by the stallholder.
o To provide a tourist attraction and direct sales outlet for Siargao products.
o Pick your own fruit and vegetable tours. Take home or take in the Restaurant for onsite
preparation.
o To be provide interest and outdoor recreation for residents.
Connectivity
The Philippines has the worst Internet speeds in Asia other than Afghanistan. Simon Fjell has
co-founded a wireless broadband company, TierOne Communications, that is connecting the
unconnected and underconnected. Under a Government contract TierOne is providing
connectivity to 5,000 hospitals as part of a telemedicine initiative. They have delivered speeds
that exceed the average speed of Australia, using new technology, by a factor of six times
which enables transfer of large files such as X-rays for specialist diagnosis at large urban
hospitals in the Philippines and overseas. Siargao Hospital will be connected in 2020. Having
established these communications rails B2B and B2C services are offered to the wider public.
Siargao Permaculture Eco-village residents will be more than adequately connected to their
businesses, friends and families overseas. They will also be able to watch their favourite sports
live on streaming media and to download movies. TierOne will also offer IPTV bundles in order
to watch your favourite shows.

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The Development Team
Simon Fjell is a serial social entrepreneur who got to the future first with a proven vision he
developed for the property development industry. As the co-founder of the Permaculture
Institute which became a global movement in sustainable design and organic growing he has
conducted courses and delivered designs throughout the World including tropical Amazon,
Moskito Coast, Jamaica, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago and tropical
Northern Australia among others. As a grower and collector, he pioneered an exotic tropical
fruit industry in North Queensland in Australia. He created added value products such as
juices, jams, purees, ice-cream and fruit hampers for resorts at a factory he created. This was
made possible from plant collecting trips throughout Asia and South America. This included
growing fresh the smoothie bowl favourite, Acai, along with many hundreds of other delicious
fruits and nuts.
He was an early advisor to the CERES Environmental Centre in Melbourne which is now an
award-winning sustainability project that attracts both school groups and corporate visitors
wanting to see sustainability in action. He developed the first zero-runoff housing lot in wet
tropical Cairns and used this in the design of the first stormwater capture and reuse system
for a subdivision in Melbourne.
More recently he designed the 160 hectare (400 acre) edible landscape, Belle Mont Farm, and
within Kittitian Hill Resort in St.Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean to supply its six farm-to-table
restaurants and bars with their full requirements along with ingredients for an apothecary
workshop for all the bathroom and spa products. The guest experience of picking their own
in the Garden of Eatin’ is a world first.

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Think it, Do it, Be part of it, Your investment
We have created lifestyle focussed villages that deliver independent residences, nursing
homes and hostels, all within the one address, in desireable locations.
The Ageing In Place philosophy guides us to provide total care facilities within active
communities. Your level of care is entirely your choice, from independent villa living with
visiting practitioners and 24 hour emergency call systems through to high care nursing home
facilities onsite, we provide peace of mind for all stages of life. The difference between us and
other retirement destinations is that our villages are especially sensitive to the changing
needs of our residents. We focus on offering the added services of assisted and higher level
care from trained professionals in facilities on site.
Our innovative retirement villages present the best in progressive thinking with first class
facilities to offer diverse lifestyle choices supported by accredited, medical support services
at the one address. We believe in facilitating choice, independence and multi-levels of care
over an extended period of time to provide an unparalleled quality of life. Our boutique
villages are holistic destinations that support the changing needs and higher expectations of
our residents. It is reassuring to know that if your health deteriorates you can move into low
or high level care at the same location as your partner. So you can visit without leaving home.
From independent villa living through to high care facilities, everything is here, within the one
village. Our communities promote an active lifestyle while providing varying degrees of care
and medical assistance, all onsite. Set within natural landscapes, residences are thoughtfully
designed with an abundance of light, space, comfort and style. Our villa’s hold value, in safe
communities, offering maintenance free, lock ‘n leave confidence. Health and wellbeing
services, emergency 24 hour call systems and responsive levels of medical care and attention
are provided by talented staff and qualified professionals all at the one address. Residents
feel safe in versatile, social environments that offer the latest thinking in aged care.

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