So what is my design value proposition?

Thawed from the writing deep freeze

“To create, one must first question everything.”

— Eileen Gray

Writing has been and always will be one of my deep passions. Fervently writing a mishmash of unpublished poems, composing and finishing several short fictions (soon to be compiled into a DIY booklet), maintaining a regular angst-y, multi-dimensional blog site, and penning straight-up news, feature story, and editorial columns for our quarterly university publication eight years ago, I can proudly say that this period in my life has been my writing heyday. This, while pursuing full-time studies in architecture and nose-diving into the world of design and the built environment for five years, and being sucked into this cavernous, transcendental realm (more about this on another post). Being a (self-professed) creative, I enjoyed writing very much as it has afforded me a venue to outwardly express my views, thoughts and observations about certain prosaic goings-on, hard-boiled social and political issues, and eccentric human behavior, and weave together simple and complex words into meaningful, and sometimes challenging, personal and non-personal narratives meant to stroke my ego. A big thanks also to the popularity of blogging and online publishing during this time, I gained some scintilla of legitimacy as a budding writer, despite my limited network and lack of acceptable training.

Having quite an elbowroom for learning, I was able to study and take inspiration from certain writing styles thanks to my consistent and omnivorous reading habit in the past, engaging in spirited discussions among my peer-scribes, and teetering between rigid journalistic writing for the university paper and masturbatory creative writing. And so my writing style back then was completely loose, where my non-linear thoughts, emotions, and the volatile pulse of my contemporaries prevailed and got the better of me, all resulting into a somewhat half-baked compendium of fluff that lacked cohesion, direction, and burned edges.

After my somewhat prolific stint as a student journalist (and finally getting an editorial box in my last year as a student scribe,) I became more neck-deep with work and serious in kick-starting my professional career. Other interests and extra-curricular endeavors divided my time until the fire on the wick guttered out. That one thing I was so enamored with, I woke up one somber day not doing anymore. That one thing I was so zealous about, I found my self fully detached and emotionless towards for reasons unknown. And the coldness and apathy dragged on, the pleasure became a banality, a taxing chore of sorts, and until the fuel has been exhausted, causing my writing engine to conk out.

Perhaps in the recent years, the closest semblance of serious writing I’ve gotten was intense research writing whilst undertaking postgraduate studies. The imposed discipline and imperative outputs got me back on my feet, although by brute force, but the charm and appeal of writing (from the days of yore) with flowing gusto had never been the same. Sure, I still do manage, from time to time, write something decently (with around 500 words or so) and garner flattering “likes” on my socmed account, but that’s about it. Nothing incendiary. No party poppers and piñatas in sight. No life-changing inward revelation that compelled me to embrace full-time writing again.

Making small inroads into developmental and voluntary work, I found deeper sense and vocation in my chosen field via its social, utilitarian, human-centered and non-profit side. It was not even deliberately planned at all. It’s just that my educational track, personal advocacies, and interests all aligned somewhat, and amazingly broadened my horizons as to how architecture and design can push the envelope of public good more than private interest. Let alone that our profession is geared to respond to the needs of those who can actually shell out money. And that begs the question, but what about those who cannot? Enthused about this prospect, I became more intentional and embarked on knowing more about how exactly can architecture and design help address the most pressing problems within my locality, if not the world; How can it become accessible to the non-traditional economic segment who very well have the same untapped, unsolved needs? Henceforward, I questioned the education I received and felt shortchanged by the fact that our academic curriculum was tailor-made to favor heavily private practice and for-profit enterprises. There was a clear-cut dearth in emphasizing the social, utilitarian, human-centered, and non-profit identity of architecture and design. Needless to say, I made a firm decision – a decision to go against the grain of current architectural practice (why, hello there, unstable paycheck, hello freelance life, hello anxiety attacks!) and pursue orthodoxy (*insert “we’ve got a badass over here” meme here*). I have gotten around to learning and touching upon vernacular construction, temporary and transitional shelters, humanitarian design, frugal innovation, permaculture, agrihoods, intentional communities, off-the-grid communities, urban acupuncture, incremental housing, earthships, design charrettes, guerrilla urbanism, woonerfs, cool roofs, bioswales, and building-integrated photovoltaics, among other noble and notable concepts. It’s still an unending journey, if one is committed to lifelong learning.

Now, as my knowledge starts to accumulate into one unwieldy mass, it will be a complete disservice to the true worth of my profession if I cannot preserve, much more diffuse, these compounded learnings and experiences into something bigger than myself. Which brings me back again to my newfound purpose: to spread and preach the gospel of architecture and design, all for the greater good.

Through writing, and focusing on one channel (through this blog site), I strive to consolidate my ideas, learnings, experiences, and increasing network into one wellspring of knowledge where students, professionals, enthusiasts, change-makers, and laymen (yes to inclusivity!) can tap into and learn from. I intend to write about meaningful and succinct topics that take up innovations in design, radical architecture, disruptive building technologies, sustainable planning practices, and the what’s hot and what’s not in the impact design scene.

So, there you go, I’m now signing on!

Rodelon Ramos, the author and owner of this specialty blog, has many dreams: One of them is to establish his own social design practice to serve unserved populations and marginalized communities, and mobilize a pool of design professionals from different fields who can pitch in their talents, expertise, and radical yet novel design ideas to uplift and improve the lives of communities and people in need.

How a pandemic exposed the cracks of Philippine urban planning – or the lack thereof

Let’s all agree: This is the longest, most excruciating period of our lives spent in forced confinement, made all the more fragile by an unprecedented medical threat never seen nor felt by today’s generation. This egregious health crisis has brought the best and the worst in the human spirit and collective psyche of our humanity. The small wins we’ve seen over the afflictions that engulfed us have to be celebrated. On the other hand, we have to mull over the fair share of disheartening stories and injustices that magnified how acute and perverse inequality is during these extraordinary times.

We’ve all seen and heard the grim news and social media narratives in the midst of this pestilence – cities upon cities imposing their intensified lockdown, borders and non-essential movement being restricted, supply chains being throttled, healthcare system being overwhelmed, local and national economies being hamstrung, and the most vulnerable populace being left to fend for themselves, among other surreal scenarios we used to relegate in apocalyptic movies and literature. Despite the precautionary (or stopgap) measures enforced by the national government to stem the tide of local transmission, public outrage, discontent and rising anxiety over the effectiveness of these measures, the competence and reliability of the leaders during the times of crises, and the uncertainty of what lies ahead, are pervading the national discourse. Man-on-the-street sentiments are rife with plight and pleas for succor, and demand for accountability and clear-cut guidelines from the government abound.

Mandatory checkpoints dotted the borders and strategic roads in Metro Manila during the enhanced community quarantine. (Source: Neil Daza)

As Metro Manila, a highly dense urban agglomeration of close to 14 million people, reached an inevitable standstill due to a region-wide community quarantine, it was as though the Pandora’s box had been pried open. Mass transportation had been shuttered, leaving behind stranded essential healthcare and skeletal workforce who cannot discharge their important functions anymore. Workaday and informal laborers were swept to one side, constricting their chance to survive as they cannot earn their day’s hard work crucial to their short-term sustenance. Homeless people on the streets were rounded up on grounds of violating stay-at-home measures. Markets, despite remaining open, are all full to the brim with people buying their day-to-day sustenance, thus transgressing upon the prescribed ‘social distancing’ orders. Students and professionals were advised to shift to distance learning and online working, but there was no substantial internet backbone in place that can facilitate compliance to such tall order. Evolving health advisories point to keeping one’s health in tiptop shape, but access to nutritious food is close to impossible when the supply of food produce is hampered, and stocks on the grocery shelves will take time to get replenished.

At the very center of these troubles, a question needs to be begged: Do our lives necessarily need to undergo disruption in times of outbreaks (i.e. the CoViD-19 pandemic), or could we have done it differently and fool-proofed our urban societies into outbreak-responsive cities? A quick overview of our human history shows how highly virulent epidemics have raged on and claimed millions of lives. Our built environment (i.e. our cities, and the homes we hole up in) have responded, in recent memory, to the proliferation of deadly outbreaks. But to date, have we gleaned the hard lessons from the past so we can make a better, more proactive choice, most especially when it comes to planning our cities?

Or did we let our guard down?

Containing the cholera epidemic in Farola District, Tondo, Manila, 1902 (Source: Arkitekturang Filipino)

The Informal Workforce & Urban Slums

Why can’t just the informal workforce, those who live as far off as Dasmarinas City, Cavite, or Bocaue, Bulacan, to suspend their travel, forego their work, and while away their time at the comfort of their homes, while the highly contagious virus dissipates? What they typically earn is exhausted to their immediate expenses, rendering them unable to save for a rainy day. Also, the dearth of decent jobs in their respective hometown is aggravating their economic situation. This can be further explained by the dynamics of large cities and urban areas, where the clustering of economic activities and human footprint becomes more concentrated while the steady generation of competitive jobs serves as an attractor to the migration of (usually) young, productive workforce who can make do with measly remuneration. Also, large, economically productive cities engender rural-urban corridors where human capital becomes commodified. As cities become more expensive, less developed areas along the rural-urban corridors that radiate from the thriving business centers usually become suitable for unplanned, haphazard growth (urban slums, mass housing, suburbanization.) Urban theorists and economists such as Anthony Burgess, Homer Hoyt, David Ricardo and J.H. von Thunen, have observed these polarizing effects of urban centers, and visualized their spatial manifestations.

The Concentric Zone Model, one of the well-known urban models, developed by Burgess

Too Much Centralization and Sprawl

There’s a consensus among experts that Metro Manila, being a cohesive administrative region, has grown as much twice its size, cannibalizing geopolitical units around it, and forming an organic, built-up megalopolis composed of highly urbanized cities and municipalities in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, and Batangas. The resulting sprawl came about due to the centralization (and congestion) of opportunities and services, and inevitably created a north-south urban expansion. Considering how unwieldy the urban agglomeration of Metro Manila has become, what used to be prime agricultural lands that can augment, if not provide, the food requirements of a highly-dense urban region, has become a thing of the past, as human settlements, commercial and industrial estates were prioritized over land use that favors food production. What does this kind of development entail? That instead of establishing food baskets closer to our homes, we are promoting an unsustainable food supply vulnerable to volatile logistical issues and disasters caused by anthropogenic climate change, when our food practically needs to travel by kilometers, before they even reach our plates.

This unfettered concentration of growth has led to the primacy of the urban region, which is shockingly disproportionate to the rest of metropolitan cities across the Philippines. The crowding and clustering of workforce, developments, governance, economic outputs, and sadly, regional elitism, led to the appalling moniker it earned – the “Imperial Manila.” Being just a narrow strip of land, Metro Manila whoppingly contributes to around a third of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Wealth is being captured within this diminutive geographic space, leaving a widening poverty gap across the country, while the imbalance and concentration of wealth ultimately leads to a disparity of opportunities and outcomes in less developed areas.

Trend of urban growth in Metro Manila. (Sources: German Remote Sensing Data Center & German Aerospace Center)

To densify, or not to densify?

Falling prey to our obnoxious obsession to build, build, and build, we made our cities suffer from a horror vacui where open spaces and land use are practically sacrificed at the altar of compact, high-density development. What does this signify, when there is nothing to be gained by overcrowding? Felt at once, problematic issues in social infrastructure have surfaced and reared their ugly heads during the abrupt imposition of the lockdown.

One of the prescribed measures during the outbreak is ‘social distancing,’ calling for people to observe at least 1 meter of distance from one another, in order to bog down possible human-to-human transition that can happen through close contact. Any call to properly carry out ‘social distancing’ would sound hollow, especially in packed neighborhoods and pockets of urban poverty.

Without a doubt, ‘social distancing’ undermines its viability when urban poor families of five or seven are forced to inhabit closed, makeshift quarters where they have been living in for years now. Multiply these households into tens and hundreds, and stacking them on top of one another, and you get a ‘perfect storm’ for a contagion.

CoViD-19 Cases, Poverty and Points of Interests in Quezon City. (Source: PCIJ)

On the other hand, middle class households who live in condominiums and subdivisions are also prone to the spread of any disease, given the constraints in habitation present in urban centers,  but they are nevertheless insulated by a layer of comfort and protection that comes with their social class. Their proximity to lifeline amenities, open spaces, and permeable road networks increase their chances of survival amidst this pandemic.

Without a doubt, the price to pay for the high human density of our cities will be congestion, inefficiency, and acute inequality. Cheek by jowl, we have to endure physical closeness in order to avail of the basic services and inadequate amenities offered by our cities. Our public servants – teachers, policemen, nurses, and doctors – instead of attending to an ideal demographic proportion, have to be spread too thinly.

Infographic on Social Distancing in Metro Manila Homes. (Source: IBON Foundation)

The Criticality of Civic Buildings and Open Spaces

Public and open spaces that cater to the public realm such as parks, recreational areas, and nature reserves, are robust, irreplaceable assets that drive real estate values and promote resilient urban ecosystems. The most common categorization of open spaces is that they are the “breathing lungs” of the cities that provide us a breather from the pollution that smother all of us. Aside from this, the essence of open spaces in the field of disaster risk management is central in ensuring emergency preparedness, precluding risks from and impacts of hazards, and facilitating relief and long-term recovery. Highlighted during the surge of this pandemic, we have seen how civic structures and the few remaining sprawling grounds we have, are flexibly converted into emergency quarantine facilities. These ephemeral structures are mostly built indoors, as setting up field hospitals may be deemed challenging, given that our cities are practically deprived of open spaces. To show how grave the situation is, Filipinos have to make do with a meager 5 square-meter of open space, a far cry from the ideal 9 square meters. In addition, open spaces, mostly in the form of green, vegetated areas, are linked to respiratory wellness and good mental health in adults who grew up close to them. To think that a sizable number of our population has been denied of access to green spaces, and they are at great risk to be hit hard by the complications caused by the virus.

LEFT: Population Density of Metro Manila, RIGHT: Tree Cover and Green Spaces in Metro Manila (Sources: BARacoMap & DATOS Project

Moving forward

With things being in a frantic flux, it’s going to be hard to say how we are going to fare post-CoViD-19. But one thing is for sure, the previous status quo has been demolished by force majeure, and it’s high time we take collective action to address our failures, negligence, and apathy which all brought us to this deadlock to begin with. It stands to reason that our way of life needs to be recalibrated. Further, our cities need to be reshaped in a way that future outbreaks will be staved off, and inequities be extinguished – for good.

Strictly speaking, cities have been quintessential drivers of innovation. Different vicissitudes have compelled the form, shape, and size of cities to be modified to a more palatable version where humans can thrive and emerge better than ever. Our cities – and their flawed blueprints – must strive to become sanctuaries, and not as petri dish for contagions that can decimate humanity.

Presently, various disciplines are already envisioning our society that has overcome the aftermath of the pandemic. We will be seeing radical alteration to our built environment (this is going to be a topic for a separate entry!) and obsolete mental models as soon as this global crisis deescalates. Driven by data and backed up by science, we are going to see tangible changes in the realms of housing, mobility, health, wellness, information flow, food supply, energy, governance, and economy, among others.

The battle has not been won yet on all major fronts. Let’s all bear in mind that we all have a shared, collective responsibility to make things work and win this battle, as we are all waves from the same sea, leaves of the same tree, and flowers of the same garden.

The Good and Glorious Architecture of Gabaldon School Buildings

On January 12, 2020, an escalated volcanic activity emanating from the Taal Volcano resulted into a phreatic explosion that caused far-reaching ashfall affecting the central and northern regions of Luzon, and localized seismic tremors in the Province of Batangas. In its wake, hundreds of thousands of families were force-evacuated from their established settlements into neighboring cities and municipalities that were deemed outside of the 14 to 17-kilometer radius permanent danger zone. This prolonged calamitous episode caused massive displacement of the local population and bloated the capacities of planned and unplanned camps to the extent of congestion and disarray. Needless to say, immediate aid and relief efforts quickly poured in, with different private groups and civil society organizations reaching out to different sites where help is most needed, adding up to the disaster response efforts of the provincial, regional, and national governments.

On January 22, 2020, our team from Habitat for Humanity Philippines was deployed to conduct a Post-Disaster Assessment in large evacuation centers and to gather data to be used for a disaster response proposal identifying the most appropriate humanitarian intervention. Further afield, we visited three prominent school sites that were used as evacuation centers in the Province of Batangas. These were the Balayan East and West Central School in the Municipality of Balayan, and the Calaca Elementary School in the Municipality of Calaca. We also visited another busy school campus turned into a planned camp site in the Province of Cavite, which is the Alfonso Central School. All three schools housed dislocated residents who hail from different localities in the inner ring of the Taal Volcano’s effective danger zone.

In these three major school sites, all the campus buildings were used as temporary evacuation centers as classes were halted until further notice. During our interview and interaction with the affected families, one can’t help but notice the imposing school buildings of familiar architecture, standing tall and proud, despite years of old age, and serving as temporary strongholds for families dislodged by Taal’s unrest.

The Gabaldon-Type School

These familiar structures are collectively known as Gabaldon School Buildings. They were designed by the prolific American architect and urban planner William Edward Parsons, who elevated the vernacular Filipino architecture through the use of modern construction methodologies such as reinforced concrete and galvanized iron roofing. This play of materials developed into sturdy, light and airy civic buildings built across the Philippine archipelago. His notable architectural oeuvres include the Army and Navy Club, the Philippine General Hospital Main Building, and the Paco Railway Station, all built in the City of Manila and were part of the ambitious master plan drawn by Daniel Hudson Burnham. Generally, the Gabaldon School Buildings were publicly-commissioned structures sponsored under the Act Number 1801, which was authored by Isauro Gabaldon, a member of the Philippine Assembly. The Gabaldon school buildings were built all over the Philippines from the early 1900s to late 1940s.

The Gabaldon School Buildings took precise cues from the form and function of the bahay kubo and bahay-na-bato typologies. Parsons critically observed how our native dwellings have suitable and climate-appropriate architecture that translates to optimized habitability to its long-term users. The resultant building form of the Gabaldon schoolhouses gracefully emphasized the built features of the modest vernacular houses and imprinted these further into the evolving fabric of Filipino architecture.

These school buildings are said to have been put up using a standard size of 7 by 9 meters (23 ft × 30 ft), ushering in a concept of modular construction that entailed rapid deployment and construction during the age where public education (and general access to it) were being bolstered during the American rule. The single-story Gabaldon buildings are elevated 1.2 meters (3.9 ft) from the ground, and are principally made of premium Philippine hardwood, masonry, and reinforced concrete. Other pronounced features of the Gabaldons are supersized awning capiz-shell windows and transoms, high ceilings, wide roof overhangs, and latticework called callado. All these building features facilitate optimized ventilation and natural illumination.

The Modern Day Usage and Significance of the Gabaldon School Buildings

Upon passage of the Republic Act 10077 or the National Heritage Act of 2009, all the built Gabaldon school buildings were declared as “Important Cultural Properties”  having exceptional cultural, artistic and historical significance to the Philippines. Being instrumental in providing conducive environment to the young Filipino learners across time and regions, the multidimensional significance of the Gabaldon school buildings are now fully recognized thanks to the very recent promulgation of the Republic Act 11194 or the Gabaldon School Buildings Conservation Act of 2019. Under this law, all Gabaldon School Buildings, around 1440 of them, have to be protected and conserved, and local governments have to adopt measures to safeguard these architectural gems.

Long life, loose fit, low energy

Hands down a fine specimen of passive, low-impact design, a lot of essential takeaways can be gained from these wonderful Gabaldon school buildings. One, the Gabaldon structures are context-rooted and climate-sensitive. It voluntarily did away with the imported building articulations of the West, and celebrated the local building character and craftsmanship through innovation and paying homage to the wisdom of the builders of the past. Second, the Gabaldon structures are intrinsically designed to be flexible, that even the Japanese occupied these buildings and turned them into garrisons during World War II. At one point in time they were also re-purposed as field hospitals, and as present-day evacuation sites. The Gabaldon schoolhouses have open layout, symmetrical design, generous fenestrations, spacious corridors and shaded porches, essentially reinforcing a tropic-appropriate architecture. Generally, such attributes can be said to be ‘good architecture,’ and exemplify the metrics of “long life, loose fit and low energy” concept by Sir Alexander John Gordon of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

On the whole, the Gabaldon school buildings reflect a “long life, loose fit, low energy” character through and through. Can they possibly serve as a design springboard for other civic structures and rekindle the interest in designing our public buildings as breathing, pulsating organisms? Perhaps we can take a look at how our evacuation sites, hospitals, multi-purpose centers, and communal buildings are designed, and hark back to how our vernacular dwellings are built, and consider essential human elements in relation to the physics of our climate? Good architecture is still around and in our midst, manifested by olden yet unprepossessing structures such as the Gabaldons.

The Architectural Bounty of the Bajao People

The archetypal identity of the Bajao people, or the Sea Gypsies, a seafaring ethnic tribe hailing from the Southern Philippines, is one typified by a nomadic and less sophisticated mark. In Metro Manila, Bajao families are typically seen on the roads, begging for food and alms, riding the jeepneys singing and banging on their provisional drums, with the mothers carrying their emaciated children on their arms.

• Malitam

Solar Hope, a non-profit organization providing solar lamps and other outreach assistance to the Badjao community in Brgy. Malitam, Batangas, got in touch with Habitat for Humanity Philippines (HfHP) to assist them in addressing the housing and settlement needs of the Badjao community. Solar Hope presented their organization and current programs in the community on an introductory meeting held last October 22, 2019 at HfHP’s office. HfHP Human Settlement Team headed by Ms. Marilyn Estrellado expressed their interest to help and requested Solar Hope to initiate the due diligence of the land and property (securing of public titles, tax declaration, identification of the land owners) being occupied by the Badjao migrants for more than a decade now. As part of the identified next steps, it was jointly agreed by Solar Hope and HfHP to conduct a site visit in the area to assess the living conditions of the Badjao people, interact with the other stakeholders operating in the area, and explore the kind of assistance that HfHP can offer.

Representatives from Solar Hope, Habitat for Humanity Philippines, National Commission for Indigenous Peoples, Barangay LGU of Malitam, Batangas, and student-volunteers from Malayan Colleges Laguna

The team went to the area on November 15, 2019 and met with various stakeholders. Representatives from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), St. Bridget College-Batangas, Sahaya Ministries (a local church), Solar Hope and community members were present. One of the main points discussed during the courtesy call was the organization of the tribe and selection of their leaders, and registration with NCIP. According to the NCIP, this will enable the IP group to be recognized by the government and will allow them to access certain government services and programs aimed at uplifting the lives of the indigenous peoples. It was mentioned that the Department of Social Welfare already assigned leaders in the community, but this was done not following the proper process. It was agreed by all the attendees that proper leader selection and organization should be conducted after consultation with the community members, and that NCIP will be taking the lead in this process in closed coordination with Solar Hope and Sahaya Ministries.

After the meeting, the team surveyed the community to have a better understanding of the current living situation and needs of the Badjao people in the area.The Badjao community is situated on the river delta or estuary of Calumpang River, which drains off to the Batangas Bay. This makes their community highly susceptible to rising sea levels, flooding, and coastal erosion.

Access to the area is difficult. While tricycle can usually reach the site, the roads are very muddy and in poor condition. The very rough road along the bank of Calumpang River are suffering from prominent erosion due to the strong river current especially in portions where the mangroves were cut.

Badjao families are of a sizable number. There are around five to seven family members in a single household. Some of the extended families live independently but are close to one another.

Access to the area is quite difficult. While tricycle can usually reach the site, the roads are very muddy and in poor condition. The very rough road along the bank of Calumpang River are suffering from prominent erosion due to the strong river current especially in portions where the mangroves were cut.

The houses are built on stilts more than one (1) meter high and are accessible via bamboo ladders. This is practiced as an adaptation to tidal flooding that they normally experience during the month of August. The open space below their houses (silong) are also utilized for domestic, social, and recreational activities.

There is a level of construction skills among men, particularly in carpentry, as evidenced by the vernacular type of housing that they build using vernacular materials such as bamboo, nipa, coconut lumber, and sawali. Repair and improvement of the houses are done by the community members themselves.

Another small industry that continues in the community is shipbuilding. Although the seafaring Badjao people historically dwelled on boathouses, outrigger boats are now exclusively used for fishing activities.

Outrigger boats used by the Bajao fisherfolk

There is a pressing need for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) intervention in the area. Solid waste and garbage are practically everywhere and there are only few houses with latrines. Communal latrines were built but are not being used. In a particular part of the community (near the area occupied by the Tagalog people,) plastic litter are constantly washed up by the direction of the sea waves, eventually piling up and covering the sandy soil below it.

Improper and environmentally harmful sanitation practices in the community include containment of human waste in plastic bags and direct disposal to the sea. There is also an isolated spot along the river bank where the people defecate.

Basic utilities like electricity and water are present but not in their ideal condition. There are around ten (10) households who have water connections from the Water District and local electric company. The other members buy water per containers from these households; usually a 30-liter container costs eight (8) pesos. Collected water for general purposes are stored in tanks and drums. For the electricity, there is an average of fifteen (15) submeters per connection. Fortunately, fire incident is not common in the area.

Means of water storage and collection within the community

Because of decreasing fish catch, many of the Badjao people have shifted to new livelihood activities. Majority of them are now involved in making and selling accessories on foot or by the city market. Some members are knowledgeable on repair of electronic gadgets such as mobile phones.

There is a daycare center in the area. This structure is built exactly on the ground and not raised at all, thereby is very susceptible to rising tides and flooding. The closest elementary school requires a travel/walking time of approximately 30 minutes.

A number of faith-based Christian organizations are operating in the community. There are also mosques.

There are basketball courts and huts where people huddle together and socialize. Karaoke stalls and playing of music are also very commonplace. There is no market, but vegetables, fish, cooked meals are sold just below the houses. There are also many well-stocked sari-sari stores.

As this is going to be a continuing effort that will entail more time, resources, and studies, several steps forward have been jointly identified:

• Solar Hope and Sahaya Ministries to consult community members on the selection of leaders and organizing of the members of the Badjao tribe.
• Conduct of census and community profiling to finalize the list of members of the tribe present and possible leader selection process
• NCIP to lead in the selection of the leaders of the community and for the IP group to be recognized by the government.
• HfHP to examine and vet land documents shared by Solar hope (Through the help of the MCL students) and study possible intervention/s in the area.
• Continuous investigation of the land ownership of their current land and identification of alternative feasible site by the Community representative.

After wrapping up the consultation with the Bajao people living in Brgy. Malitam for some time now, and surveying their living conditions, their culture, context, and typical order of the day, there are a slew of realizations and insights that need to be said. What should be the best approach in helping out improve their habitation and living conditions that are vastly different from the typical state of affairs in developed and more civilized localities? Is deciding on what is best for them an imposition and subjugation of their norms and traditions?

Green-tagging through Google

Just this year, I set out with a small act that hopefully would have far-reaching impact and rouse action from those who who still remain adamant to act and initiate change. Being quite an on-and-off Local Guide on Google Maps (adding photo contributions, reviews, ratings, and creating new places and sites), I realized that something can be done to enjoin businesses, enterprises, and stores to pitch in to the climate revolution that we need right now. How so, if you ask? By ‘green-tagging’ them through Google Maps and tipping the scales through our personal reviews and ratings; By calling out the brazen, detrimental practices of businesses, enterprises, and stores that unwittingly harm the environment; By highlighting their shortcomings and our bad consumer experiences, and at the same time proposing doable alternatives on how to correct such; By demanding them to act soon and be committed to mindful business operations; By leaving lavish reviews on their commendable acts and sustainable practices that resonate with the environment; And by flat-out declaring that our patronage of their products and services are contingent on how serious they are in carrying out long-term, honest-to-God environmental efforts through their products and services. Ultimately, these enterprises, businesses, and stores need to be fully cognizant of the problem. Setting out with small but sustained strides is the key. They have to put their money where their mouths are.
What are the potential advantages of this kind of action, then?

✔️We get to pressure our usual traders, retailers, and marketers to take responsibility and act with urgency

✔️We get to create a network of certified business profiles in order for other consumers to make responsible choices

✔️We get to raise more awareness that businesses are not merely transactional as they are (the operative word is transactional).

✔️We get to force Google to come up with a feature that acknowledges the green rating of business profiles registered and found on Google Maps (think of “green certifications” in the real estate and construction industry)

✔️Separate the wheat from the chaff: There are terrible businesses just as there are good businesses. The latter thrives well when they embody a triple-bottom line framework.

Let’s do this, guys! As consumers, our money speaks volumes. Let’s not be afraid to proselytize producers to adopt pro-environment and social initiatives. In a Nielsen survey back in 2014, Filipinos were touted as the most socially-conscious consumers in the world. Let us still make it count! 🙌💯(https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/366096/nielsen-survey-pinoys-are-the-most-socially-conscious-consumers-in-the-world/story/

Below, I have compiled some screenshots of my real-time review in certain establishments visible on Google Maps. I made sure that I can be as constructive as possible and I have proposed alternatives/measures on how they can be of better service next time.

If you wanna know how to be a Local Guide, first you must have a G-mail account and activate your Google Maps settings. More info here 👉👉👉https://maps.google.com/localguides/home

How can we be more like a colony of green ants?

Sometime in October, we officially met with the prime movers of a Bulacan-based social enterprise that is getting increased popularity by shaking the tree of conventional construction: Green Antz Builders, Inc. See: Articles by businessmirror.com.ph, bworldonline.com. Making waves among environment-conscious builders, communities, and clients curbing down their carbon footprint and reliance to a linear economy, the Green Antz Builders claim-to-fame is their patented eco-bricks, a modular pressed concrete hollow block containing shredded plastic particles as an additive. Winning the Innovation Award for the construction innovation category in the recently-concluded 7th Asia Pacific Housing Forum held in Bangkok, Thailand, Green Antz is also being highly considered by corporations and developers to carry out sustainable building projects like the pilot Eco Hub in Arca South, Taguig City, a mixed-used estate by Ayala Land, and a green McDonald’s store in Cogeo, Antipolo City, Rizal.

Green Antz signage hung inside their office in Bulacan

On our appointed date and time with Green Antz, we were positively received by its founder, Engr. Rommel Benig, and one of his business partners. Engr. Rommel Benig is a Mechanical Engineer by profession, and is now devoting his time into full-time product development and social entrepreneurship. Their office is located along the main highway in Plaridel, Bulacan, and they also hold their (one of many) production plant here. During the talk, we were introduced to the background of the company and its active thrust on open collaborations. For their company name, they took inspiration from the assiduous insects known as green ants, who build their elaborate nests from leaves held together by the silk they self-generate, and who thrive together in a very efficient and organized colony.

Delving deeper into their products, a range of usable building materials have been developed by Green Antz, and other non-plastic additives such as ash coal, sea shell, and solar foam, are being explored and reconstituted as eco-bricks. Basically, the eco-brick is a rectangular, solid masonry brick that gets stacked onto another brick of the same specifications, until a full load-bearing masonry wall is achieved. Its manner of construction also calls for the use of reinforcement bars, but eliminates the need for excessive mortaring, thereby leaving a somewhat industrial finish exposing its joints and smooth cast texture. The typical dimensions of an eco-brick is 10″ x 4″ x 5″, and comes in about nine color, texture, and composition variants.

Different materials are tested out as additives into the concrete bricks.

A showcase of finished products where different additives have been introduced into the making of each brick.

A coarse eco-brick mixed with shredded plastic waste

Making quite a buzz in the construction industry, the Green Antz is making inroads in several types of construction projects and being sought after by known corporate brands and developers, and even among community-rooted organizations. In order to scale up their operations and business model, and to generate more demand for projects using the eco-bricks, Green Antz is in the forefront of establishing three types of Eco Hubs. This is the Commercial Hub, the Community Hub, and the Barangay Hub. The Commercial Hub is a 150 square-meter building requiring at least 1000 square meters of land. The Community Hub is a 100-square meter structure to be built on a land with a minimum area of 600 square meters. Lastly, the Barangay Hub is a 60 square-meter Eco Hub with at least 300 square meter of land space. The three Eco Hubs are inclusive of equipment and accessories such as the press machines, concrete mixers and curing racks, costs on technology and licence, and personnel training.

Manual production of the Eco Bricks using the pressing machines to be found in the Eco Hub

Be that as it may, Green Antz is constantly trying to push the envelope by coming up with new inventive and ingenuous building products. In their current product line, they are now carrying the Eco Cast, another wall material with dimensions of 8″ x 16″ with 4″ thickness, and the Pervious Pavers, which are interlocking concrete blocks with coarse texture to allow for surface runoff.

5″-thick Eco-bricks are used as a wall material, while the 4″ Pervious Pavers are used for outdoor spaces

In the middle of our animated discussion, Engr. Benig broached to us the concept of the Extended Producer’s Responsibility or EPR, which is basically holding the big corporations highly accountable to the end-of-life disposal of their products. According to the OECD website, EPR is “a policy approach under which producers are given a significant responsibility – financial and/or physical – for the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products. Assigning such responsibility could in principle provide incentives to prevent wastes at the source, promote product design for the environment and support the achievement of public recycling and materials management goals.” Apparently, the legislative body in the Philippines is catching up with this, and there are now filed bills intended to adopt this kind of policy and mainstream circular economy in a principally plastic-dependent value chain.

Through this visit, I gained new insights on the end of life of plastic products and how new value can be derived from them when they are transformed into innovative and practical building materials. Hopefully we make great strides in addressing our egregious plastic waste rooted on sachet economy, throw-away culture, and pollutive industries, and adopt sensitive consumption and disposal practices before it’s all too late.