The city government of Iloilo plans to create a green architecture ordinance, noting that the city continues to brace for progress and development.
This was disclosed by City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas during the multi-stakeholders’ forum together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP).
Treñas stressed the importance of creating a greener footprint for the city, balancing urban development with sustainability and environmental initiatives – and one way to achieve it is by having green architecture programs.
“We have no existing ordinance that encourages owners of buildings to have green features in place… So ini para ma-encourage man ang mga building [owners] sa syudad nga magbutang sang mga green feature sa ila nga mga developments like ang pag-incorporate sang mga rain water harvesting,” he said.
The mayor added that they will mull giving incentives or discounts on real property taxes for residential houses that will install solar panels.
The UAP also explained that part of green architecture is designing and creating buildings with the lowest possible negative impact on the environment through the use of sustainable materials and energy sources in construction.
However, Architect Michaela Rosette Santos–Tayag, who was one of the speakers at the forum, dubbed “Towards a Greener Footprint for Iloilo City”, explained that green architecture also takes into consideration the significance of creating a healthy indoor environment for a building’s inhabitants.
Architect and urban planner Paulo Alcazaren, who helped develop the 9-kilometer Iloilo River Esplanade, also said that with the architecture boom in the country, it is crucial for urban planners, architects, and engineers to go for green architecture and to design environmental-friendly infrastructure models and landscapes.
Meanwhile, DENR Secretary Ma. Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga, said that Iloilo City has become a model for other Local Government Units (LGUs) in creating their own coastal parks or “esplanades”.
For the city to achieve a greener footprint, Loyzaga pointed out that there should be a greenhouse gas inventory and a need “for risk-informed nexus governance.”
“We must seek a greener footprint to battle climate change. Every fraction of a degree counts,” the secretary stressed.
The Iloilo City Government has already developed several environmental-friendly initiatives that serve as models to other LGUs, which include the waste-to-energy project and electronic transport system in partnership with the private sector; the massive tree planting in plazas, floodways, roads, and other open spaces; the Tree Park Network Project, and the redevelopment of the city’s two biggest public markets.AAL/JNH/PIA6 Iloilo
