The Kudat Coco-pot, selling at the retail price of RM9.50 each is an ideal plant décor. The project is an initiative of Borneo Ecotourism, Solutions and Technologies Berhad or BEST Bhd., a non profit foundation set up by Borneo Eco Tours to help develop local community’s capacity through social entrepreneurship and alleviating poverty in Matunggong, Kudat.

Phil Dobson, Managing Director of Exquisite Borneo Villas (EBV) at The Kudat Riviera commented, “When we saw these coco pots being offered by BEST Berhad, we jumped at the opportunity to purchase 100 of them! Whilst on one hand our resort offers super luxury to our high end guests it also prides itself in its attitude towards environmental responsibility as a highest priority on its agenda. This agenda for EBV stretches to include working alongside local communities wherever possible to enable them to maintain traditional and sustainable industries.

This is both vital for Sabah and also an area that is of huge interest in our sector of tourism. The coco pots are actually wonderful locally manufactured products that blend in perfectly with our villas that are constructed almost entirely of natural materials. We congratulate BEST for taking the initiative to stimulate activity like this within the local communities and encourage them to expand the product base of locally made items. EBV will certainly fully support such initiatives and we are sure other resorts in Sabah will do too. With such a good cause behind this, this would be one record that we would love and encourage to see beaten…!”

Meanwhile, Albert Teo has set a target to sell 10,000 coco-pots in the next five years and hope that more landscape nurseries and resort hotels will come forward to buy this product for their hotels and also to help the local community become more self reliant in improving their own livelihood.