MANILA, Philippines – What do you do when you’ve reached the peak of your career? When you’ve earned millions running a successful furniture business, yet something still feels missing? For Eric Alvin Po, owner of Tagaytay’s new eco-luxury resort EZRA, the answer was simple: throw it all away and start anew.
The meaning of “success” began to change for Eric. In an interview with Rappler, the former owner of luxury furniture brand Mav and Bernhardt said that despite selling beds for P1.2 million and sofas for P600,000, it came to a point where he “just lost purpose” with what he was doing.
“Yeah, we earned a lot, even during the pandemic. However, there came a time when it became burnout. It’s just all about money. There’s no point in what you’re doing,” he shared.
Despite these financial achievements, he felt unfulfilled. “What do I want to leave behind?” he’d ask himself. And then he decided — he wanted to create something bigger; something that combined both his eye for design and his commitment to give back. Sustainability became his goalpost, and he decided to venture forward and honor nature (and the future generations) through EZRA Resort, a new eco-luxury spot in Tagaytay City.
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Located in the scenic hills of Tagaytay, just 15 minutes away from the highway, the 3,800 square meter EZRA Resort opened its doors barely a year ago. But in that short time, it has already set an inspiring benchmark for what it means to travel consciously and sustainably.
“EZRA for me is a new chapter. I sold that previous business, and I left for Canada for a year. It was not for me, so I came back with new investors, and then we did EZRA,” he said. After the chapter, he told himself that any new business moving forward should have a purpose.
“Here it is. We’re doing a very sustainable resort. It’s small for now, but soon, hopefully, we can expand.”
Powered by nature
“We named it EZRA, because Ezra is the only book in the Bible that talks about new chapters,” Eric said.
It sits quietly in a small yet hidden pocket of greenery, making it easy to disconnect from city life. The meticulous landscaping and lush foliage make it feel like a world away from the urban outdoors, and with only four to five cabins on the property, the resort keeps it a private, intimate, and tranquil experience. It’s an intentional limitation.
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Each cabin, named after Sanskrit words, is constructed to be energy-efficient — most are mod-style, ’60s to ’70s-inspired — and combine luxury with eco-friendly materials, modern-retro interiors and decor, and native elements. The cabins at EZRA Resort vary in size depending on how many guests you have.
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The 110-square-meter Ananda Cabin is derived from the Sanskrit term for “Bliss,” the biggest Vijaya Cabin means “Victory,” and the Santosha Cabin is inspired by the word “Contentment.”
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The Shanti Cabin is named after the Sanskrit word for “Peace”: a spacious 150-square-meter cabin with a Mid-Century-inspired open-layout design.
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The Shanti Cabin is tucked behind golden bamboo and trees for privacy. There’s a wooden deck and a hot tub jacuzzi, accommodating couples or small groups of up to four. It’s full of natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows and the roof, illuminating the retro-modern living space with a dining area and a big kitchen — this helps cut down on the need for lights during the day.
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The cabins are pretty high-tech but still feel in tune with the environment — there’s Netflix and Prime Video on the flat-screen TV, multiple kitchen appliances, and the cabin even runs on Alexa. There’s an iPad in every cabin, which you can use to play music through Bluetooth speakers around the space, and a little garden outside, for hanging out around a bonfire.
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Little luxury touches like floating breakfasts in the jacuzzi, prepared picnics around the estate, and complimentary fruits add to the novel and nature-centric experience.
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There’s also an open gazebo in the middle of the property, surrounded by a koi pond and bamboo, where local resto pop-ups, communal dinners, or company meetings can be held.
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The property boasts six different types of bamboo, grown by Eric himself — there are variegated bamboos with colorful leaves, black bamboos that turn black as they grow, and golden bamboos.
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Sustainability at the core
Among his sustainability initiatives, Eric is particularly proud of the resort’s home biogas system. He collects all food waste and puts it in a horizontal, balloon-like tank that he shipped from Israel.
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It’s a complex food waste management system that converts waste into useful resources. The food waste collected is processed to produce methane gas, which is then used for cooking. Eric said that this approach helps prevent methane, a harmful pollutant that contributes to ozone layer depletion, from being released into the atmosphere. The liquid byproduct of the process is then used as fertilizer for plants on the property. The process though is more expensive — it’s easier to buy compressed gas, which is cheaper.
However, the focus is not on cost-saving but on sustainability, Eric reiterated. He said that when the food waste system doesn’t produce enough gas, they buy extra, but the system can provide up to six hours of cooking time when fully charged.
“To keep the system running, food waste is fed into it daily, except bones, which take too long to decompose. The bacteria responsible for decomposing the food waste were activated using cow manure, a process that took about three months to cultivate,” Eric explained. By avoiding food waste, the resort said it prevents any rodent problems, and everything gets recycled or burned.
The system, though labor-intensive, plays an important role in the resort’s sustainability efforts, Eric said.
Another key sustainable effort at the resort is composting. With the resort’s many leaves from mahogany trees, the team collects and buries them instead of throwing them away. They mix in some food waste with the leaves, and after three to four weeks, the organic matter decomposes and transforms into nutrient-rich fertilizer.
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“This process turns waste into healthy soil for the garden. As we continue to add more leaves and food waste, allowing the mixture to break down further and enrich the soil, this in turn supports healthier plants,” Eric explained.
Sustainability is in the details, too — it drives the thoughtful design of EZRA’s hand-crafted furniture.
With the help of designer friends, Eric incorporates natural materials such as ashes from Taal and Pinatubo volcanoes, into beautifully sleek coffee tables and side tables. Everything is crafted by small businesses in Pampanga; Eric said supporting the local community rather than sourcing from large companies is just as important for him.
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Another cool touch is the use of upcycled materials, like TetraPaks for the cabin’s doors and chandeliers. When you look closely enough, the doors still show the nutritional info on the Tetra Pak!
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“The idea came to me after we started facing issues with wood, which would expand in the summer and mess with the structure,” Eric said. Carlo, the interior designer, helped choose this material, sticking to Eric’s plan to use as many upcycled materials as possible.
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They even teamed up with Eurotex to create mattresses made from recycled PET bottles pulled from ocean cleanups, turning them into fabric for the mattresses.
Eric also showed off a special “butterfly roof” designed to collect rainwater, which then flows into a big cistern below.
“The water’s filtered, so it’s perfect for watering the garden, though it’s not safe to drink,” Eric warned. To help with the high humidity in the area, they also use a dehumidifier. When there are no guests, they close everything up and let the dehumidifier collect the moisture from the air. Instead of just storing it as water, it’s connected to a hose that sends it directly into the cistern, making use of the moisture for the garden.
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Fun fact: no trees were harmed in the making of EZRA! The design was made to work around the trees. However, when asked if they looked into solar energy, Eric said that they “ran into a bit of a problem with the shading.”
“We talked to three solar companies, but each one said solar panels wouldn’t work because the roof doesn’t get enough sunlight because of the trees. While we liked the idea of solar, they didn’t want to cut down any trees, and honestly, solar tech is pretty pricey, so it wouldn’t have been worth it in the end,” he said.
Fueling for the future
As of now, EZRA doesn’t offer a standardized menu — the property partners with local restaurants in the area. Guests can order from their rooms, and the restaurants will deliver the meals themselves. EZRA takes the takeout containers and presents the meals better for guests.
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“We don’t have a restaurant yet but are open to renting out the space if anyone’s interested. Right now, we’re doing pop-up events to promote local chefs and give them a space to do their thing, maybe even try out new dishes here,” Eric said.
They also have massage services, but it’s by appointment with local therapists from the neighboring communities. “Everything is about supporting the community, and the local partnerships have been working well,” Eric said.
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Looking to the future, Eric dreams of expanding his vision to other Philippine locations.
“This industry is constantly evolving, and I am starting a new business at this stage in my life — now at 41! When I think about what makes a business truly sustainable, I always go back to what Elon Musk said: you have to look at your business with a 10-to-15-year perspective. If it’s still alive by then, you know it is sustainable,” Eric said. To him, that’s the key —thinking long-term.
“Sustainability is THE business. Sustainability when it comes to nature. Sustainability when it comes to job opportunities. Sustainability when it comes to supply.”
One day, he dreams of becoming self-sufficient.
“When you’re running a business with sustainability in mind, you have to think long-term. If, after 20 years, resources run out, what will happen? Where will we get them?” And that’s why for Eric, building a self-sustaining business isn’t just ideal — it’s essential, especially for the generations to come. – Rappler.com