Architect Alvin Tejada, chairman of the UAP Committee on Environment & Ecology, called for architecture programs and local governments to move beyond slogans and adopt “measurable sustainability” in buildings, underscoring water and energy savings, embodied carbon and post-disaster operability as core metrics.
Speaking at La Consolacion College Bacolod’s School of Architecture, Fine Arts and Interior Design, Tejada said the profession is shifting toward specializations that include sustainability, alongside design and project management. “When we talk about green building, we don’t just list features. We document performance — percentages of water savings, energy efficiency and embodied carbon,” he said.
Tejada, who mentors at the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde and Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna, presented Philippine case studies he said can guide students: the One Ayala transit-oriented development in Makati; a net-zero office tower in Bonifacio Global City with LEED, BERDE, EDGE and WELL credentials; Sevina Park, a neighborhood-scale green development in Biñan, Laguna; the LEED-certified YY House in Consolacion, Cebu; and the BERDE-recognized Lima Estate industrial district. The UAP’s Commission on Governmental and External Affairs–Environment & Ecology curated the exhibits, which will be shared with students after the National Conference of Architects, he added.
Beyond rating labels, Tejada urged schools to blend high-performance systems with climate-wise basics. “We should go back to passive design and materials analysis, then layer technology only where it adds value,” he said, citing ventilation, daylighting, right-sized fixtures and envelope choices for the tropics. He highlighted resilience benchmarks piloted by the International Finance Corporation that assess how quickly buildings can operate after hazards such as typhoons, flooding and earthquakes.
Faculty and practitioners in the open forum pressed for solutions that fit ordinary homeowners and small developers. Tejada agreed that affordability depends on design first principles and local supply chains. He encouraged research and studio work around indigenous and readily available resources — bamboo, rammed earth and agro-industrial by-products — and advocated adaptive reuse and circular-economy thinking. “If you can source responsibly within your region, you cut transport emissions and strengthen local industries,” he said.
Participants also pointed to policy gaps. Several urged city hall incentives and barangay-level education for rainwater harvesting and efficiency upgrades. One of the committee members, Ar. Angelica Verga from Davao City, said UAP chapters are pursuing civil society accreditation to join project-monitoring bodies and help craft local ordinances, including bamboo-building guidelines and green-building measures.
To prepare graduates for practice, Tejada promoted faculty training with the IFC and student credentialing. “We’ve had students pass the LEED Green Associate exam before graduation. Even if a project doesn’t chase a badge, designers who speak the language of metrics can deliver real performance,” he said.
The “Talk on Green Design” was hosted Oct. 22 at LCC Bacolod’s AVES Conference Room, with welcome remarks from Dean Ar. Vincent Raymund Y. Alovera and a message from Dr. Rodjhun Navarro, vice president for research, innovation and linkages. Ar. Cris Laiño facilitated the program on behalf of the UAP CGEA Committee on Environment & Ecology.
Also present at the event were committee officers Ar. Jesus Chua, vice chairman. The UAP Bacolod Chapter, represented by Jorge Varela, joined the event in support of local green-building advocacy.