GREEN GUIDE FOR SOCIALIZED HOUSING – A TOOL TO

ADVANCE EFFORTS IN GREEN JOBS CREATION

POLICY BRIEFi
Christopher Cruz de la Cruzii

June 24, 2012

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The development of a Green Guide for Socialized Housing (Green Guide) in the
Philippines is a part of the advocacy efforts of the Green Jobs Promotion in the Socialized
Housing Sector Project of the International Labour Organization (ILO) under the Green
Jobs in Asia Project. The project intends to address overarching triple bottom-line goals
of sustainability by: (i) stimulating the creation and development of green enterprises; (ii)
promoting green jobs with particular focus on decent work; and (iii) facilitating the
overall transformation of the socialized housing sector towards sustainability. This
project was initiated to stimulate growth of green jobs in the socialized housing sector.

During consultations conducted by the ILO, stakeholders make a strong case for the
greening of communities built by the NHA. Stakeholders are already aware of the
benefits of greener communities. However, a holistic approach to the greening of
socialized housing projects needs to be established. Current practices from project
development, design, tendering, construction, and project delivery reflect the lack of
processes required to support the adoption of sustainability practices in the socialized
housing sector.

This policy brief seeks to provide sensible and viable policy recommendations for both
national and local agencies focused on socialized housing programs.

It is strongly recommended in this document that the Green Guide be used as an

instrument of government in promoting safe and decent green jobs, green building, and
the greening of the supply chain of the socialized housing sector.
 I. INTRODUCTION

“Meeting the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.”

- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

The Philippines currently finds itself in transition to a greener economy. Currently, the
Philippine property sector is actively shifting its practices towards sustainability. It is
very evident that cleaner and greener technology is beginning to move into the
mainstream. Consumers are now more informed on the benefits of green building and are
starting to demand greener spaces to be designed and built. Building professionals are
now routinely using green building frameworks, standards and rating systems to
complement existing project delivery models. As the demand for greener building stock
increase, private and public sector decision makers are compelled to incorporate green
building programs as part of business and policy development strategy.

In this context, the International Labour Organization (ILO) led a series of consultations
with various actors in the socialized housing sector, recognizing that there is a need to
create a Green Guide for Socialized Housing (Green Guide) to stimulate the creation and
development of green enterprises; promote the creation of green jobs with particular
focus on decent work; and facilitate the overall transformation of the socialized housing
sector towards sustainability. In the area of green job creation, particular focus of the
ILO as a priority area of concern for policy development is the introduction of decent and
safe work practices in socialized housing sector. Further, it was recognized that
opportunities abound not only in the creation of green jobs but also in the shift of existing
jobs into green collar work.

The consultation meetings yielded insight on the present needs of workers, housing
beneficiaries, project planners and designers, and public and private key decision makers
in the sector. The consultation meetings led to better understanding of policy challenges
that needs to be addressed to meet the needs of the sector. Outcomes of these discussions
are reflected in this policy brief.

Moreover, this policy brief seeks to support the change to a greener economy, and it is
identified that the creation of green jobs is essential to support this shift. The Green
Guide was conceptualized by the ILO to advance existing sustainability efforts in the
sector and to ensure that safe and decent jobs will be part of the overall agenda as the
sector shifts towards sustainability. As an appropriate tool to support development in the
sector, the use of the Green Guide is needed to complement existing public policy on the
creation of socialized housing projects. The use of the Green Guide, as an appropriate
tool support development in the sector is needed to complement existing public policy on
the creation of socialized housing projects.

II. PURSUING AND PROMOTING GREEN JOBS CREATION

Green jobs are defined as work that contributes to the preservation or restoration of
environmental quality. In the socialized housing sector, green jobs can help in
significantly reducing the amount of (i) natural resource consumption, (ii) reduce
waste and pollution, (iii) protect and restore ecosystems and (iv) help in overall de-
carbonization of the sector1.

Presently there are 190 million unemployed and tens of millions of young job seekers
who cannot find their place in society2. In the Philippines, 7.5% of the total labor
force is unemployed3. In addition, it must be noted that the current global job situation

1
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME ET AL., GREEN JOBS: TOWARDS DECENT WORK IN A
SUSTAINABLE, LOW-CARBON WORLD - POLICY MESSAGES AND MAIN FINDINGS FOR DECISION MAKERS
(2008).
2
Id.
3
International Labour Organization & World Bank, LABOR AND SOCIAL PROTECTION WORLD BANK
DATA (2012), http://data.worldbank.org/topic/labor-and-social-protection (last visited Jun 24, 2012).
 show that an overwhelming 1.3 billion people, and over 40 per cent of the global
workforce and their dependents are “condemned to a life in poverty and insecurity
because their earnings are too low and they are relegated to the informal economy”4.

Green jobs will allow humankind address the dual challenge of “averting dangerous
and potentially unmanageable climate change and protecting the natural environment”
and providing decent work for the promotion of well-being and dignity5. The ILO
supports green job creation by leading the advocacy with governments and other
stakeholders to take concerted action in greening the built environment6.

Currently, green jobs are high in the agenda of the Department of Labor and
Employment and the Climate Change Commission as reflected in the Philippine
National Labor and Employment Plan and the Climate Change Action Plan7.

III. ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Globally, aggressive industrialization and urbanization has led to massive

environmental degradation. For the past thirty years, greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions rose by seventy percent (70%) due to human activities. More than one third
(1/3) of total energy utilization and its associated green house gas emissions are
attributed to the building sector8.

Scientific evidence suggests that climate change is a causal factor in rising sea levels,
severe weather events, food shortages, changing patterns of disease, water shortages
and loss of tropical forests 9. Further, rapid and accelerated growth has intensified
stress on natural resources; and air, land and water pollution has greatly affected the
direction of future growth and prospects of over-all sustainability.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stressed that “climate
change could impede nations’ abilities to achieve sustainable development pathways”
and that “sustainable development can reduce vulnerability” to this event. The
world’s population depends on industry, services and infrastructure for jobs, and to
them climate change is a new challenge to the assurance of sustainable development10.

Asia, particularly its building sector, is faced with the high amount of waste generated
by construction, demolition and renovation activity in the building industry11 and the
existence of regional and national policies, laws and regulations governing
construction and demolition waste is minimal12.

All the above-mentioned negative impacts on the environment are largely felt in the
Philippines. The country is experiencing the full spectrum of negative effects of

4
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME ET AL., supra note 1.
5
Id.
6
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION, MANUAL GUIDANCE ON FORMULATING PROJECTS AND
STUDIES CONCERNING LABOUR ISSUES IN GREENING THE SECTORS OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT (2011).
7
See DOLE, THE PHILIPPINE LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT PLAN 2011-2016: INCLUSIVE GROWTH
THROUGH DECENT AND PRODUCTIVE WORK (2011). See also CLIMATE CHANGE COMMISSION, NATIONAL
CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN 2011-2028 (2011).
8
C. CHENG ET AL., THE KYOTO PROTOCOL, THE CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM, AND THE
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION SECTOR (2008).
9
UNEP, BUILDINGS AND CLIMATE CHANGE - SUMMARY FOR DECISION MAKERS (2009).
10
M. Parry, O. Canziani & J. Palutikof, Technical Summary: A report accepted by Working Group
II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change but not approved in detail., in CLIMATE CHANGE
2007: IMPACTS, ADAPTATION AND VULNERABILITY. CONTRIBUTION OF WORKING GROUP II TO THE FOURTH
ASSESSMENT REPORT OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE 23–78 (M. Parry et al.
eds., 2007).
11
FARIDAH SHAFII, STATUS OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDING IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA - A REPORT PREPARED
FOR SB08, MELBOURNE.
12
Vilas Nitivattananon & Guilberto Borongan, Construction and Demolition Waste Management
Current Practices in Asia, in PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE SOLID
WASTE MANAGEMENT 97–104 (2007).
 climate change, from increased rainfall 13 to dominant climate hazards such as: (i)
cyclones, (ii) landslides, (iii) floods, and (iv) droughts 14 . Philippine reefs are
vulnerable to sedimentation and marine pollution15. Further, the country is among the
most exposed to tropical cyclones due to its densely populated coastal areas 16. The
Philippines and its key cities, despite being a low emitter, are acknowledged to be one
of the most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change.

13
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE, CLIMATE CHANGE 2007: THE PHYSICAL
SCIENCE BASIS. CONTRIBUTION OF WORKING GROUP I TO THE FOURTH ASSESSMENT REPORT OF THE
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (2007).
14
Arief Anshory Yusuf & Herminia Francisco, CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY MAPPING FOR
SOUTHEAST ASIA VULNERABILITY MAPPING FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA (2009), http://www.eepsea.org.
15
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE, CLIMATE CHANGE 2001: IMPACTS,
ADAPTATION, AND VULNERABILITY. CONTRIBUTION OF WORKING GROUP II TO THE THIRD ASSESSMENT
REPORT OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (J. McCarthy et al. eds., 2001),
http://www.grida.no/publications/other/ipcc_tar/.
16
R. Nicholls et al., Coastal systems and low-lying areas, in CLIMATE CHANGE 2007: IMPACTS,
ADAPTATION AND VULNERABILITY. CONTRIBUTION OF WORKING GROUP II TO THE FOURTH ASSESSMENT
REPORT OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE 315–356 (M. Parry et al. eds., 2007).
 IV. SOCIALIZED HOUSING SCENARIO

Building and construction is widely recognized as a contributor to environmental

degradation. Green building provides for a system that reduces the amount of resources
extracted from the natural environment during the design, construction, and operation of
buildings. Actively advocating through the raising of awareness and developing
education programs for climate change and environmental protection through green
building is the government and the private sector particularly the property sector17.

The Philippine Development Plan outlined issues and challenges currently faced in the
housing sector. Recent estimates indicate that one-third (1/3) of urban populations in the
Philippines are slum dwellers. This housing problem is indicative of current housing
situation in the Philippines. In Metro Manila alone, the total backlog has been projected
to reach 496,928 housing units. The Philippine Government needs to create around 5.8
million housing units by 201618.

The government plans to address this by responding with the following: (i) where
feasible, utilize labor intensive methods in the execution of housing projects; (ii) creation
and implementation of appropriate housing/construction standards that incorporates
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) and Climate Change Adaption
(CCA); (iii) increase densities of housing projects; (iv) reduce cost of building houses by
using indigenous materials and (v) develop financing schemes for relocation and
resettlement19.

It is to be highlighted that the current approach to addressing environmental issues in the

socialized housing sector is largely tangential. The intricate web of regulatory
requirements and voluntary instruments currently available needs to be mapped out to
facilitate the development of a sustainable socialized housing sector.

The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) points out that “the role of
government in providing access to housing opportunities and services must be clarified.”
At present, after four decades of “failing to rectify the fundamental issues of providing
shelter, especially for the poor”, it must be highlighted that there is a lack of a coherent
framework for socialized housing20.

17
Several government agencies and institutions, both at the national and local levels, are now
pursuing green building education and promotion programs.
18
NEDA, Chapter 5, Accelerating Infrastructure Development, in PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
2011 - 2016 (2011).
19
Id.
20
Id.
 V. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS: ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY IN THE SOCIALIZE
HOUSING SECTOR

In response to the accelerated damage to the environment, it must be acknowledged

that in the past few years the Philippine Government has promulgated policies that
encourage environmental sustainability21. However, none of these policies incorporate
strategies that will stimulate the creation of green jobs nor facilitate the greening of the
building industry, in particular the socialized housing sector – presently considered by
the government as a priority area of concern22.

The ILO led efforts to develop the Green Guide for Socialized Housing to provide for
a holistic framework that will transition the socialized housing sector towards
sustainability. It was developed by a multi-stakeholder group to ensure a fair,
balanced and robust framework.

The adoption of the Green Guide by government will address the following current
and upcoming issues in the sector:

First, the growing interest in green building in the Philippines will stimulate needs for
new skills and may create new jobs. During consultations with stakeholders, there are
strong indicators that the socialized housing sector will soon demand sustainable
practices in the development of homes and other facilities included in the development
of the housing projects. These practices will drive growth for the following: (i)
utilization of green building technologies for building professionals; (ii) effective
environmental communication for marketing professionals; (3) crafting of effective
green building policy for legislators; (iii) skills upgrade for construction workers; and
(5) green building certification. The adoption of the Green Guide will help facilitate
readiness in the sector for the following aforementioned areas.

Second, it must be noted that the current approach to addressing environmental issues
in the socialized housing sector in the Philippines is largely tangential. The intricate
web of regulatory requirements and voluntary instruments currently available needs to
be mapped out to facilitate the development of a sustainable socialized housing sector.
The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) points out that “the role of
government in providing access to housing opportunities and services must be
clarified.” At present, after four decades of “failing to rectify the fundamental issues
of providing shelter, especially for the poor”, it must be highlighted that there is a lack
of a coherent framework for socialized housing23.

The BERDE Green Building Rating System (BERDE) was used as the framework in the
crafting of the guide. BERDE is a program of the Philippine Green Building Council
(PHILGBC), an organization of about 300 private organizations who are developing and
promoting green building strategies for industry. The development of BERDE is
consensus-driven and BERDE reflects current best practice available in the Philippines.
Further, BERDE incorporates Philippine regulations and standards currently at play in the
building sector. Building design and construction considerations promoted in the Green
Guide specifically address the developmental needs of the Philippines.

The use of BERDE as a building framework will help in navigating through the various
construction and environment policies promulgated by government. The members and
partners of the PHILGBC develop strategies to facilitate greening of the built

21
In an effort to provide for a holistic policy that support environmental protection, the Philippine
Government have passed laws for various areas of concern such as air, water, energy, solid waste, and
climate change among others. See R. A. NO. 8749, CLEAN AIR ACT, (1999). R. A. NO. 9275, CLEAN WATER
ACT, (2004). R. A. NO. 9513, RENEWABLE ENERGY ACT, (2008). R. A. NO. 9003, ECOLOGICAL SOLID
WASTE MANAGEMENT ACT, (2000). and R.A. NO. 9729, CLIMATE CHANGE ACT, (2009).
22
See Climate Change Commission, NATIONAL FRAMEWORK STRATEGY ON CLIMATE CHANGE
(2010)., and CLIMATE CHANGE COMMISSION, supra note 7. , See also NEDA, PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT
PLAN 2011 - 2016 (2011). and DOLE, supra note 7.
23
NEDA, Chapter 5: Accelerating Infrastructure Development, in PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN,
2011-2016 121–180 (2011).
environment by investing time, resources and effort. The use of BERDE as a framework
for the Green Guide reduces research and development time for the government.
Ongoing research outcomes from the BERDE Program may be used to update the Green
Guide.

Third, opportunities exist and to overcome social and economic challenges associated
with climate change, “companies and countries should position themselves now to
effectively access opportunities”24. Adopting green measures in the socialized housing
sector may be viewed as an investment. It will stimulate the creation of green jobs and
enterprises that can positively contribute to the economy. In 2009, 14.6% of people
employed in the Philippines are in industry – including construction25. This workforce
may be seen as a catalyst for the shift to a greener economy if government adopts tools
such as the Green Guide. Further, the Green Guide is a capability-building tool. It may
be used for training workers in the sector. Lack of appropriate training may lead to
displacement of workers. Having a tool ready will help manage this risk.

i
Views, opinions and remarks expressed in this draft policy brief are those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the views of the International Labour Organization and the Philippine Green Building
Council. This draft policy brief is the result of consultation meetings, focus group discussions and
workshops conducted to gather feedback from stakeholders in the socialized housing sector regarding the
development of the green guide. The workshops are part of the Green Jobs Promotion in the Socialized
Housing Sector, a project of the International Labour Organization under the Green Jobs in Asia Project
funded by AusAID.

The author acknowledges the helpful and insightful comments and inputs of Vincent Jugult,
Edmundo Werna, and Eugene Gonzalez of the ILO and the cooperation of project partners particularly the
Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) the National Housing Authority (NHA) and key people
from the BERDE Program of the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC). Special thanks to
Carmen Baugbog for her guidance and support in the development of this policy brief.
ii
Christopher Cruz de la Cruz prepared this draft policy brief for submission to the International
Labour Organization. Author is the President of the PHILGBC. For correspondence please email
ccdelacruz@philgbc.org or secretariat@philgbc.org. Author would like to thank Anna Tungol, Engell
Fagaragan and the rest of the BERDE Program Secretariat for assistance in administering the project.

Please do not cite. This document subject to review and approval for release by the International
Labour Organization.

24
Nicholas Stern, Part III, The Economics of Stabilisation, in STERN REVIEW: THE ECONOMICS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE 168–308 (2007).
25
International Labour Organization and World Bank, supra note 3.