Holcim Philippines partners with Build Change for disaster-resilient construction

Holcim Philippines partners with Build Change for disaster-resilient construction

As part of its commitment to help advance progress in the country, leading building solutions provider Holcim Philippines, Inc. is proud to partner with Build Change Philippines, an organization focused on building disaster-resilient homes in developing nations, to strengthen local structures against natural calamities.

Holcim Philippines Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Zoe Sibala and Build Change Philippines Country Director Arnel Capili sealed the partnership on May 11 to work on disaster-resilient housing projects and advocate this approach among stakeholders. The parties agreed to work together to initially support areas impacted by super Typhoon Odette in 2021.

From right are Build Change Philippines Program Officer Marvin Daryl Riego, Country Director Arnel Capili, Holcim Philippines Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Zoe Sibala, and Vice President for Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility Cara Ramirez during the signing activity of the partnership for disaster-resilient construction on May 11.

The partners will collaborate on possible projects to build or retrofit houses, schools, and evacuation centers for disaster resilience and capacity-building through training and advocacy of policies or financing strategies to key stakeholders. Finally, both organizations are committed to developing a scalable affordable housing program in collaboration with other key stakeholders like microfinance institutions to increase access to affordable, disaster-resilient homes, particularly for the more vulnerable segments of society.

Capili highlighted the importance of making structures more resilient in the Philippines given its vulnerability to natural disasters such as earthquakes and storms since the country is within the Pacific Ring of Fire and the typhoon belt. He added that climate change further heightens these threats as it intensifies extreme weather around the world.

“The advocacy of Build Change is to build resilient houses and provide Filipinos a safe space when these disasters come. This partnership will help make that come true. This will be as solid as Holcim cement, durable as Build Change house, and as lasting as the friendship and camaraderie that we will forge with Holcim Philippines,” he said.

Sibala, meanwhile, noted the relevance of the partnership to the Company’s commitment to building inclusive progress in the country.

“Owning a home remains an elusive dream for many Filipinos. Build Change has been paving the way for increased access to affordable, decent, and resilient homes in the country so we are happy to complement this effort. This partnership also demonstrates that we can deliver business value while addressing social issues and the key to this is a credible partner with a strong track record. Through our innovative and sustainable building solutions, and with the right products for the right applications we look to help Build Change in its mission of building more resilient homes and realize our vision of building greener, smarter, and for all,” she said.

Holcim Philippines Vice President and Head of Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility Cara Ramirez, meanwhile, noted that the partnership strengthens the company’s support for communities to be more disaster resilient having done such projects for survivors of Typhoon Pablo in Compostella Valley and neighbors of its Davao Plant living in flood-prone areas.

“This supports our commitment to building progress in the Philippines by contributing to making homes more resilient against extreme weather and natural disasters caused by climate change Doing so allows us to contribute to sustainable development as the lives and property of our countrymen are better protected,” she added.

Build Change has worked in the Philippines since Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. During this period, it has supported both post-disaster reconstructions and works to prevent housing loss against future disasters. Among its accomplishments is the construction of over 2,000 safer buildings for 40,000 people, training of over 4,700 individuals in safe construction practices, creation of 560 jobs, and expansion of its network of partners in local government, the business sector for greater impact.

About Holcim Philippines

Holcim Philippines, Inc. (Philippine Stock Exchange: HLCM) is one of the leading building solution companies in the country. The Company has a deep portfolio of innovative solutions fostered by a full range of products from structuring to finishing applications that can help local builders execute with high performance and efficiency a wide range of projects from massive infrastructure to simple home repairs.

With cement manufacturing facilities in La Union, Bulacan, Batangas, Misamis Oriental, and Davao, as well as aggregates and dry mix business and technical support facilities for building solutions, Holcim Philippines is a reliable partner for builders in the country.

Holcim Philippines is also committed to the highest standards of sustainable operations and manufacturing excellence with its plants certified under ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System), ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System), and OHSAS 45001:2018 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System).

Holcim Philippines is a member of the Holcim Group, the world leader in the building materials industry present in 70 countries with over 70,000 employees.

About Holcim

Holcim builds progress for people and the planet. As a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, Holcim is enabling greener cities, smarter infrastructure, and improving living standards around the world. With sustainability at the core of its strategy, Holcim is becoming a net-zero company, with its people and communities at the heart of its success. The company is driving circular construction as a world leader in recycling to build more with less. Holcim is the company behind some of the world’s most trusted brands in the building sector including ACC, Aggregate Industries, Ambuja Cement, Disensa, Firestone Building Products, Geocycle, Holcim, Lafarge, and Malarkey Roofing Products. Holcim is 70,000 people around the world who are passionate about building progress for people and the planet through four business segments: Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete, Aggregates, and Solutions & Products.

Learn more about Holcim at www.holcim.com, and by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Doña Elena Tower Adds Life to Manila’s Thriving Property Market

Doña Elena Tower Adds Life to Manila’s Thriving Property Market

Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno

Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno

The City of Manila has definitely had a resurgence under the leadership of Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso. When Mayor Isko removed unlawful obstructions and cleared illegal vendors off of Manila’s streets and sidewalks, he effectively changed how the city looked and how it moved. By cleaning up the city and bringing order to chaos, the determined mayor gave the City of Manila a fresh new feel that continues to inspire business confidence and draw consumer interest. And this hasn’t changed despite the COVID pandemic.

According to Lobien Realty Group (LRG), the City of Manila has a total of 99,874.29 square meters (sqm) of gross leasable office space and only 5,650.63 square meters (sqm) are currently vacant. LRG pointed out that this translates to a single-digit vacancy rate of 6%, which is very low and signifies that in Manila, there is a demand for office spaces, and what is supplied in the market is being taken up.

Doña Elena Tower

Doña Elena Tower

One of the most highly anticipated real estate developments in Manila is the Doña Elena Tower, a mixed-use building developed by Happy Coral Way Realty Corporation. This 11-storey building will soon rise in the busy district of Sta. Mesa Manila near the boundary of Mandaluyong City.

The Doña Elena Tower, which has LRG as its sole leasing agent, will provide Manila with 19,051 sqm of gross leasable area.

Built at an accessible location that’s surrounded by a wide variety of businesses and essential institutions, the Doña Elena Tower offers its tenants the chance to work in a community where most of what they may want or need is readily available.

Situated close to the entry and exit ramps of the on-going Skyway Stage 3 project and within the public transport system that connects EDSA through Shaw, LRG says Doña Elena Tower gives the added benefit of having quick access to Mandaluyong’s burgeoning business and residential areas, without having to deal with the hustle and bustle of the already crowded central business districts of Makati, BGC or Ortigas.

LRG believes that the office space market is a good barometer for the state of the economy because when office spaces are in demand and supply is being taken up, it means that businesses are expanding, jobs are being generated and money is being spent. Based on the high demand for office spaces in Manila, LRG expects that finding tenants to occupy Doña Elena Tower will not be difficult. Judging by LRG’s optimism, it can be said that Happy Coral Way Realty Corporation made an excellent decision to build the Doña Elena Tower in the City of Manila.

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