NEWSFLASH

Manila, Aug. 1, 2000 - Bass Hotels & Resorts-Asia Pacific, a founding member of the Asia Pacific Hotels Environment Initiative (APHEI), is launching an in-hotel fundraising promotion and awareness campaign in support of the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), the largest and most experienced conservation organization in the world today.

Starting July 1, 2000 until November 30, 2000, 33 Bass properties in the Asia Pacific Region under the Inter-Continental, Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza brands will be adding the equivalent in local currency of one US dollar to their guest's folio with the latter's approval. Donations will be turned over to WWF to fund projects for the protection of Asia's endangered animal species.

The campaign whose rallying cry is "Sleep Well, You Just Saved A Life" underscores Bass' desire to do business in a manner that best conserves natural resources while maintaining high standards of customer service and fulfilling its role as a good corporate citizen. Bass operates 3 hotels in the Philippines namely Hotel Inter-Continental Manila, Holiday Inn Manila and Holiday Inn Resort Clark Field. Total rooms inventory for the 3 hotels is 1,265.

Donations gathered from these 3 hotels will go to WWF-Philippines. A non-governmental organization (NGO), WWF-Philippines' work is focused on the preservation of the country's rich marine resources through programs that preserve genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. Among its priority areas are Turtle Islands, Sibuyan Island, Tubbataha Reef and El Nido in Palawan, Balayan Bay in Batangas and Donsol in Sorsogon.

Studies conducted by the organization reveal an alarming rate of degradation of the Philippine natural environment.

Less than 5 percent of the country's coral reefs are in excellent condition. Its seas are overfished. Illegal fishing methods and pollution have caused this decline. Only 20 percent of the Philippines' original forest cover remains, of which there are only 800,000 hectares of virgin forest (2.5 percent of total land area as of 1994).

With 70 percent of the Filipino population dependent directly or indirectly on marine resources as a source of food and livelihood, the continuing decay of the environment will be disastrous.

This urgency will be highlighted during the Bass Hotels & Resorts "Sleep Well, You Just Saved A Life" campaign by means of poster displays in the hotel main public areas, tentcards at the Check-in Counter and inside guestrooms, press conferences and releases, write-ups in hotel publications and website promotions as well as verbal communication to guests upon check-out.