INTERFACING Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) called anew for the passage of the proposed Local Green Building Ordinance, a measure to address the rising urban heat index in the city.
Lemuel Manalo, IDIS program coordinator, said the group, along with experts, crafted a new draft for the proposed ordinance in the local context.
To note, Councilor Diosdado Angelo Mahipus Sr. proposed the measure in 2018 but it was not pushed through, as the ordinance was an adoption of the Mandaluyong Green Building Code.
“One of the comments of the Sanguniang Panlungsod is that it may have a conflict or different interpretation when it comes to the alignment of the National Green Building Code,” Manalo said.
The National Green Building Code was finalized by the Department of Public Works and Highways in 2017.
Manalo added that they have lobbied the ordinance to Mahipus Jr., then council committee chairman of the environment. However, they have to integrate the updated measures into the proposed ordinance, such as requiring solar panels in buildings, which was not explicitly stated in the previous proposal.
Milky Shane Gindon, of the IDIS Policy Advocacy office, said one of the proposal’s highlights is lowering the required floor areas in various buildings.
“Since the national building code requires 10,000 square meters, it was recommended to lower the floor areas, para mas daghan ang mo-follow sa mandate,” Gindon said.
This will also include the creation of sky-rise greenery, which is not discussed in the building codes of Mandaue, Cebu, Pasig, and Quezon City.
She added it includes regulations on energy and water efficiency, materials and waste management, site sustainability as well as indoor environmental quality.
The proposal will also include a “Center of Excellence”- to showcase existing green building practices that private corporations and builders can adopt.
Incentive schemes on how can the government allocate a budget to support the establishments that practice the ordinance.
The said draft will be presented during the Davao City Green Building Code Forum on October 30 at the Ateneo de Davao University- gathering representatives from the city government, private institutions, builders, and academe to discuss the feasibility of the ordinance before turning it over to the city council for appropriate legislation.
Arch. Jim Palma, Sustainable Building advocate, said green building should not only be a trend, but a standard that uplifts both people and the environment.
“Green building offers us a pathway to not only protect our environment but also to improve the way we live, work, and interact with our surroundings. We have a responsibility to ensure that the legislation supports this effort,” he added.
