COMO Hotels and Resorts, in collaboration with MasterCard, invites guests to ‘Purchase
with Purpose™’

Tuesday, September 11, 2012. (Singapore) – For the third year running, COMO Hotels and Resorts is teaming up with MasterCard to support development projects and charities across the globe.

From October 1 to December 31, 2012, COMO guests can help local community projects raise US $30 everytime they pay for their stay using their MasterCard. MasterCard’s generous contribution builds upon COMO’s partnerships with grassroots organisations to support underserved communities and enable sustainable livelihoods.

The MasterCard initiative applies across COMO’s nine luxury properties, this year including the newly-opened, Uma by COMO in Punakha, Bhutan. Each COMO property runs social and environmental programmes for staff and the local community throughout the year, focusing on projects and charities with immediate relevance to each location.

Projects currently supported by COMO that will benefit from MasterCard’s Purchase with Purpose™ donation include:

• St. Mungo’s (personal and skill development for homeless women restarting life after domestic violence and the sex trade) in London, supported by The Halkin by COMO and Metropolitan by COMO, London, UK
• Goodwill Group Foundation (vocational skills training for underserved young women) in Bangkok, supported by Metropolitan by COMO, Bangkok, Thailand
• Maafushi and Guraidhoo Schools (hospitality skills training facilities for both high schools) in the Maldives, supported by Cocoa Island by COMO, The Maldives
• Raymond Gardiner High School (sewing and hospitality skills training facilities) in North Caicos, supported by Parrot Cay by COMO, The Turks and Caicos
• Loden Foundation (micro-grants for young female Bhutanese entrepreneurs) in Bhutan, supported by Uma by COMO, Paro and Punakha, Bhutan
• Bali International Women’s Association (welfare services and employment initiatives) in Bali, supported by Uma by COMO, Ubud, Bali
• Tirta Kumara Kindergarten (extension of classroom facilities) in Bali, supported by COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali

COMO Hotels and Resorts and MasterCard have worked together for the Purchase with Purpose programme since 2010, enabling community investment of US$ 75,580 thus far.

Kuno Fasel, Chief Operating Officer for COMO Hotels and Resorts, said: “COMO Hotels and Resorts is delighted to collaborate with MasterCard on Purchase with Purpose. The program builds upon community efforts by our properties throughout the year, so our staff takes great pride in sharing the initiative with our guests. Our guests, in turn, have demonstrated great interest in the projects as they focus on education, entrepreneurialism and supporting the local economy.”

Georgette Tan, group head, Communications, Asia/Pacific, Middle East & Africa, MasterCard Worldwide, said: “More and more, we find that our well-travelled MasterCard cardholders are eager to give back to the community and continue to demonstrate a sense of responsibility about the products they are purchasing. We are pleased to collaborate once again with COMO through the Purchase with Purpose program. MasterCard cardholders who stay at COMO look forward to the program and appreciate the opportunity it presents – knowing they can make a difference, just by using their credit card.”

About COMO Hotels and Resorts
Founded by Christina Ong, COMO Hotels and Resorts is known for its handpicked, intimate and individually-curated properties. COMO Hotels and Resorts provides custom-made luxury travel experiences offering culture, memorable cuisine, adventure and wellness combined with the essence of COMO Shambhala. The COMO properties are: Cocoa Island by COMO, The Maldives; Parrot Cay by COMO, The Turks and Caicos; The Halkin, by COMO, London; Metropolitan by COMO, London and Bangkok; Uma by COMO, Ubud, Bali; Uma by COMO Paro and Punakha, Bhutan and COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali. For more information, please visit www.comohotels.com

MasterCard Purchase with Purpose™
MasterCard’s corporate social responsibility platform (CSR) in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) is focused primarily on bettering the quality of life for women and children. MasterCard does this by supporting a broad range of women’s and children’s causes through scholarships, financial assistance, educational and various sustainability programs, helping provide them with the skills required to stand on their own feet and support themselves and their families. This ultimately improves life and prospects within the communities that these empowered women live and work. Apart from the educational aspects of MasterCard’s CSR programs in APMEA, consumer education is an important area of focus for MasterCard given the significance of financial literacy in improving lives and the socioeconomic standing of families throughout the region.

A key component of MasterCard’s social responsibility and citizenship efforts across the region is MasterCard Purchase with Purpose™. Based on the concept of transactional philanthropy, it is at the heart of a drive by MasterCard to encourage responsible spending while, at the same time, making a difference in someone else’s life. Across APMEA, MasterCard Purchase with Purpose initiatives involve cardholders in the company’s efforts to give back to the community whenever they use their MasterCard cards. More information on MasterCard Purchase with Purpose in the region is available at www.mastercard.com/sea/purchasewithpurpose
Image: Jorge Monje, former GM of Uma Paro, presenting a cheque to their community partner Kela Goemba, a nunnery in Bhutan. Last year’s program supported the reparation of a dormitory which was damaged in an earthquake.