SUSTAINABLE FUTURE IN REAL ESTATE
There’s growing significant investor interest in sustainability in the real estate business. Many business leaders are now looking to provide feasible solutions to address and handle the sustainability challenges.
Recognizing the Property Technology (PropTech) trends this year, real estate companies are studying, making necessary changes in designing, and building residential and commercial properties with sustainability in mind.
On its mission to provide innovative real estate technology solutions, the PropTech Consortium of the Philippines partnered with the Asia CEO Forum, the largest regular business event in the Philippines and considered as one of the most important in the Asia Pacific region.
They conducted Asia Sustainability Forum 2022 with the theme, “The Future Will Be Green or Not At All,” gathering business leaders from different industries on a hybrid set-up via Zoom and live at the Manila Marriott Hotel, Resorts World last June 23.
The forum discussed techniques to minimize waste and implement resource efficiency. Its goal is to exchange and communicate the latest developments on waste management among leaders of the public and private sectors. The forum also served as an opportunity to network with service providers that showcased continuously advancing recycling and waste technologies.
Emma Imperial, founder and chairperson of PropTech Consortium of the Philippines and the chairperson & CEO of Imperial Homes Group of Companies, urged business leaders and investors to rethink their ways and practices in rebuilding the future.
She added that a sustainable future could be realized through technology, and it is the key to opening great possibilities and solutions.
The first presenter Rosie Tsai, the president and CEO of CitiHomes Builder and Development shared their company’s innovation and sustainability efforts.
They started to incorporate solar panels in their residential home design several years ago to reduce carbon footprints and adopted green building features in their housing units by providing a 500-liter rainwater harvest tank for homeowners usage and flood mitigation.
Marvi Trudeau, deputy executive director of Pilipinas Shell Foundation, talked about their NGO projects that helped decrease malaria cases in Palawan.
They mobilized 71 tons of produce from farmers to food suppliers during the pandemic, provided agricultural and tourism livelihood opportunities to hundreds of Palaweños, and established sustainability projects for educating indigenous people.
The next presenter David Rafael, president and CEO AboitizLand talked about how their company is committed to a sustainable agenda and initiatives that would help make the world a better place, not only for people living today but for generations to come.
Raymond Ravelo, the chief sustainability officer of Meralco, also shared the company’s commitment to an affordable transition to clean energy through the use of solar panels and battery energy sources with the full support of the Department of Energy (DOE).
Cary Lagdameo, president of Damosa Land, explained how their projects in Davao promoted sustainable developments in real estate. He was able to launch milestone projects in the city, such as the first agroindustrial estate, the first condominium project, the first flexible workspace solution, the highrise office tower, and the first master-planned agri-tourism development.
Other presenters who shared their new wave of improvements and sustainability efforts were Dennis Montecillo, independent director of RASLAG Corp.; Iggy Sison, chief sustainability officer of Del Monte Philippines; Dr. Erik Haites, president of Margaree Consultants; architect and urban planner Jun Palafox; and Colin Steley, sustainability director of Stratcon Philippines.
Such events raised awareness among investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders on how to promote sustainability in their businesses and on the importance of continuously investing in sustainability as a core value for businesses and society.