COMPLIANCE with standards on sustainability and building green spaces is essential and should no longer be an option that can be set aside, the Philippine Green Building Council (PGBC) said Wednesday.
During The Manila Times’ 2024 Real Estate and Construction forum, PGBC Board Vice Chairman Rowena Canlas Ramos said the council is reinforcing the property and building industries through the Philippines Green Building Certification Program with three rating tools.
The first tool is Berde, which stands for “Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence.”
This rating is meant to assess, measure, monitor and certify the performance of green building projects beyond existing national and local building and environmental laws, regulations and mandatory standards.
Acquisition of a Berde certification displays the company’s dedication to performance. It is also recognized by the national government and the Department of Energy.
Ramos said the council is continuously improving Berde based on the current best practices and technologies, changes in regulatory requirements, improvements in industry standards, and experience and insights gained from using Berde in green building projects.
Berde’s framework addresses the environmental, social and economic aspects of both buildings and the district.
Ramos said the new version of Berde buildings will be launched in September.
Berde consists of a five-star rating system, a one-star rating being the minimum and a five-star rating being “world-class.”
The second tool is the Advancing Net Zero Philippines, which identifies the rate at which buildings reduce resource consumption and emissions by shifting toward more sustainable sources.
At present, the rating is focused on energy. Ramos said PGBC has yet a way to go in terms of total conditions.
The rating looks into passive efforts as a first step, then energy reduction, energy-efficient technologies and strategies and a shift to renewable energy.
Advancing Net Zero Philippines uses the same five-star rating system as Berde.
The third tool is the Health and Well-being for Buildings. PGBC believes there is a connection between development projects and health, such as using clean drinking water and proximity to markets with fresh produce.
The focus of this tool is to assess the intervention of projects and its impact on the well-being of the employees as well as their comfort, social well-being and lifestyle. This tool also uses the same five-star rating system.
Ramos encouraged businesses to use these tools as a guide toward sustainable construction, design, operation and social responsibility.
The certification from these ratings can also show the company’s transparency, boost positive marketing and ensure compliance with the government’s standards and regulations.
Ben Kritz, columnist of The Manila Times; Red Rosales, national president of the National Real Estate Association Inc.; and Jacqueline Constantino, department manager, Institutional Housing of Pag-IBIG Fund during the TMT forum on Reinforcing the Property and Building Industries’ at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay, July 31, 2024. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO
Ben Kritz, columnist of The Manila Times; Red Rosales, national president of the National Real Estate Association Inc.; and Jacqueline Constantino, department manager, Institutional Housing of Pag-IBIG Fund during the TMT forum on Reinforcing the Property and Building Industries’ at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay, July 31, 2024. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO
Ben Kritz, columnist of The Manila Times; Red Rosales, national president of the National Real Estate Association Inc.; and Jacqueline Constantino, department manager, Institutional Housing of Pag-IBIG Fund during the TMT forum on Reinforcing the Property and Building Industries’ at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay, July 31, 2024. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO
Ben Kritz, columnist of The Manila Times; Red Rosales, national president of the National Real Estate Association Inc.; and Jacqueline Constantino, department manager, Institutional Housing of Pag-IBIG Fund during the TMT forum on Reinforcing the Property and Building Industries’ at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay, July 31, 2024. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO
Ben Kritz, columnist of The Manila Times; Red Rosales, national president of the National Real Estate Association Inc.; and Jacqueline Constantino, department manager, Institutional Housing of Pag-IBIG Fund during the TMT forum on Reinforcing the Property and Building Industries’ at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay, July 31, 2024. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO
Ben Kritz, columnist of The Manila Times; Red Rosales, national president of the National Real Estate Association Inc.; and Jacqueline Constantino, department manager, Institutional Housing of Pag-IBIG Fund during the TMT forum on Reinforcing the Property and Building Industries’ at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay, July 31, 2024. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO
Ben Kritz, columnist of The Manila Times; Red Rosales, national president of the National Real Estate Association Inc.; and Jacqueline Constantino, department manager, Institutional Housing of Pag-IBIG Fund during the TMT forum on Reinforcing the Property and Building Industries’ at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay, July 31, 2024. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO
Ben Kritz, columnist of The Manila Times; Red Rosales, national president of the National Real Estate Association Inc.; and Jacqueline Constantino, department manager, Institutional Housing of Pag-IBIG Fund during the TMT forum on Reinforcing the Property and Building Industries’ at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay, July 31, 2024. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO
Red Rosales, National President of National Real Estate Association Inc. during the Reinforcing the Property and Building Industries forum at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay, July 31, 2024. Photo by Rio Deluvio
“We believe that the way to move forward for every project that is being designed, constructed, operated, and changed is to increase certification tools to help you measure project performance while addressing the environment, social and economic impacts,” Ramos said.
At the same forum, industry leaders also addressed the transformative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the real estate and workspace sectors.
Vanessa Ledesma, chief of staff at United Architects of the Philippines, highlighted the substantial shifts in real estate demand spurred by the pandemic.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has permanently altered our work habits, with a significant shift towards working from home. This change impacts real estate demand, particularly commercial spaces,” Ledesma said.
With an increasing preference for remote work, there has been a notable decrease in traditional office space requirements. This trend has prompted developers to rethink property investments toward more versatile and sustainable solutions, Ledesma said.
Rowena Natividad, partnership growth head at International Workplace Group, echoed the sentiments with a focus on the burgeoning hybrid work model.
Natividad emphasized that the flexibility of remote work not only reduces operational costs but also enhances productivity and employee satisfaction while preserving corporate culture through innovative workspace solutions.
A study published in the International Journal of Strategic Property Management confirmed that Covid-19 has catalyzed a widespread shift toward remote work, fundamentally altering how companies manage their office spaces.
The research revealed that firms’ evaluations of their employees’ remote work experiences significantly influence their future office space strategies.
The study also indicated that while the pandemic affects the quantity of office space needed, its effect on the quality of that space is less pronounced.
It underscored the continued importance of economic factors in shaping future office space strategies, with environmental and social considerations playing a supportive role.
Natividad further emphasized the advantages of hybrid work models and flexible workspaces, citing cost efficiencies and heightened productivity as primary benefits.
She also highlighted the potential of adaptive reuse of historic buildings to meet evolving workspace needs while preserving corporate identity.
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