CLIMATE change is a global issue. It is one that is pushing the Philippines to act upon its weak spots and harness its strengths. “It’s inevitable,” said Lamudi CEO Bhavna Suresh said at the media roundtable held last September 27 in partnership with Holcim Philippines and the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA).
Though the country may be facing a dire situation, there is much to be done in response to climate change, from big, industrial efforts to small, household changes.
In line with this, Lamudi reinforced their support for building resilient and sustainable cities in the first panel discussion with NGOs, private organizations and green developers.
The panel tackled the roadblocks to green development in the country and determined the efforts already in place to steer the country into a greener future.
“Most of our coastal municipalities want to be cities eventually. How do we push them towards not just sustainability but also to look at measures that will make them resilient as well?” Angela Ibay, head of the Climate and Energy Program of the World Wide Fund for Nature, posed this important question at the roundtable.
In a country that is dotted with high-rise mixed-use buildings and humble coastal homes, the effort to save the environment is tightly coupled with measures developers can take to safeguard the value of their legacy. One solution, something as simple as planting trees, encourages the growth of foliage and relieves some of the urban heat island effect our cities are experiencing right now. However, it is not enough.
“It’s not a question anymore of whether you can control climate change or not. It’s about adapting to its effects. It’s here. We are experiencing it now,” said Wesley Caballa, senior manager for sustainability of Costa Del Hamilo Inc.
According to Caballa, to do their part, Hamilo is actively pursuing efforts to protect mangrove forests.