Earth Hour 2011: March 26, 8:30-9:30 p.m.

JOIN!!! If not your whole house's lights, your room's bulb will do. Then, pray for the whole world.

At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour.

With Earth Hour almost upon us, our thoughts are with the people of Japan during this incredibly challenging and sad time for their country.

日本の皆さん、勇気を持って頑張って下さい

Public Administration Students Conduct Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Workshops in Real, Quezon Province

In the midst of the regional and national disasters (Japan earthquake and flashfloods in Visayas and Mindanao) that gripped the country and the whole world, students of Public Administration 191 (Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation – a course of Prof. Ebinezer Florano) of the National College of Public Administration and Governance of the University of the Philippines (UP-NCPAG) cast their fears aside and went to the Municipality of Real, Quezon Province to conduct community-based climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation workshops on 16-18 March 2011. The workshops enabled them to have hands-on experience in managing them, and at the same time, assist the municipal government jumpstart the formulation of their own local climate change action plan mandated for all local government units (LGUs) under the Climate Change Act of 2009.

Real is a 3rd class coastal municipality at the northeast side of Luzon island bounded by Lamon Bay (east), Rizal and Laguna Provinces (west), Municipalities of Nakar and Infanta (north), and the Municipality of Mauban (south). It has a total land area of 563.8 square kilometer and is composed of 17 barangays with 33,073 residents as of 2007 (Wikipedia 2011).

Real has had it shares of natural disasters. In December 2004, 500 people were either proclaimed dead or missing after the municipality was ravaged by Typhoons Violeta, Winnie, and Yoyong (Wikipedia 2011). Other hazards that constantly sow fear among the residents include flowing debris, slope failures and landslides.

The class conducted vulnerability assessment using the “Vulnerability Assessment Toolkit” developed by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Coastal Services Center which consists of seven steps: (1) hazard identification, (2) hazard analysis, (3) critical facilities analysis, (4) social analysis, (5) environmental analysis, (6) economic analysis, and (7) adaptation opportunity analysis.

During the hazard identification and prioritization stages, the participants agreed that the municipal government should focus on preparing for the following hazards which they ranked in terms of frequency, area of impact, and magnitude: (1) typhoons/storm surge, (2) flashfloods, (3) landslide, and (5) tsunami. The class was happy to learn that two of the hazards that they pre-identified (sea-level rise (SLR), floods, and earthquakes) were among the prioritized hazards by the participants who listened intently on the on the students’ reports, based mostly on scientific reports and maps gathered from NAMRIA, PHIVOLCS, PAG-ASA, and DENR-GMB.

During the climate change adaptation workshops, in response to the pre-identified hazards, the participants enumerated and ranked the following adaptation measures:

• Sea-Level Rise: (1) mangrove planting, (2) RICE (research, information, communication, education), (3) seawall construction, (4) relocation of affected residents and establishments, and (5) non-privatization of coastal areas.

• Earthquakes: (1) RICE, (2) zoning ordinance, (3) construction of resilient accommodations, (4.5) relocate affected residents, and (4.5) population control.

• Floods: (1) RICE, (2) watershed management, (3) relocation and provide buffer zone, (4) tree planting, and (5) construction of seawalls and dikes.

The workshops were attended by municipal government staff from the following offices: agriculture, planning and development, social work, tourism, engineering, municipal administrator, etc. Mayor Joel Amando Diestro and Municipal Administrator Manuel Meraña approved the holding of the workshops. Students who conducted the workshops were: Diane Zapata, Ayesha Mambuay, Ace Cardenas, Noelle Rivera, Kaizzer Tanada, Leizle Arlando, Ishmail Bahjin, Mabelle Romero, Camilo Bugayong, Mitchka Nicanor, Nikki Grafil, Gian Pantaleon, Beatriz Caday, Angelica Herico, Raphael Itchon, and Raeon Laspinas.

PAGASA: More floods, landslides loom over east Visayas, Mindanao

After leaving at least nine people dead and affecting more than 15,000 residents, flash floods and landslides continue to threaten parts of Visayas and Mindanao, state weather forecasters said Friday.

Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecaster Gener Quitlong said the northeast monsoon is prevailing over Luzon while a wind convergence is affecting Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

"Ang payo natin sa mga kababayan natin diyan maging alerto tayo. Naroon ang convergence zone kaya nakakabuo ang kaulapan (Our advice to our people living in those areas is to be alert. There is a wind convergence over Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and clouds bringing rains are likely to form there)," Quitlong said in an interview on dzBB radio.

On Thursday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the death toll from floods and landslides that hit parts of the Visayas and Mindanao in past days went up to nine.

Some 3,130 families or 15,398 people from Bohol, Western Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte in the Visayas; and Misamis Oriental and South Cotabato in Mindanao were affected.

Of these, 2,878 families or 14,138 people were evacuated.

Yet, PAGASA said the affected areas may still continue to experience rains.

"Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy with widespread rains over the Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas and Northeastern Mindanao which may trigger flashfloods and landslides. Northern and Central Luzon will be be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated light rains," PAGASA said in its 5 a.m. bulletin. — LBG, GMA News

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/215574/nation/pagasa-more-floods-landslides-loom-over-east-visayas-mindanao

A teacher's plea: Recent earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan (March 11, 2011)

Dear Students,

The recent calamities that struck Japan remind us that now, more than ever, we should start to adapt our practices, procedures, and structures to the ever-increasing frequency, magnitude, and impact of natural and man-made disasters. Actually, there were other disasters and extreme weather events that occurred in the previous months on the other side of the Earth but they were hardly noticed by the media or we simply ignored them. And if we are to believe climate change projections and scenarios, many more are still to come (but we should be careful also in quickly attributing everything to climate change; let the scientists do that for us). In the future, in your little ways, I hope you could help prepare our country deal with these calamities.

Executive Order 26 enjoins students, govt workers to plant 10 trees a year

(Miss Philippine-Earth 2006 Catherine Untalan planting Tuba-Tuba (jatropha curcas) in the backyard of UP-NCPAG)

Starting this year, students and government employees will be required to plant a minimum of ten seedlings per year as part of the Aquino administration’s initiative to grow 1.5 billion trees in six years.

The planting of 1.5 billion trees in about 1.5 million hectares of land was stated in Executive Order 26, declaring the implementation of the National Greening Program (NGP) as a government priority, which President Benigno Aquino III signed last month.

The other priority programs of the government are poverty reduction, resource conservation and protection, productivity enhancement, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The NGP is the consolidation of the government’s various greening efforts such as Upland Development Program and Luntiang Pilipinas, as well as similar initiatives of civil society organizations and other private groups.

Under EO 26, all government institutions, especially Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, Deparment of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education are tasked to produce good-quality seedlings annually for the NGP.

The technical assistance shall be provided by DA, DENR, and DAR under the Convergence Initiative.

To ensure the successful implementation of the NGP, "all students, identified by the DepEd and CHED and all government employees shall be individually required to plant a minimum of ten (10) seedlings per year in areas determined by the Convergence Initiative."

The National Convergence Initiative is an approach for implementing development projects that entail close coordination among the DA, DAR and DENR, as suggested and supported by the World Bank.

"Private sectors and civil society groups shall likewise be encouraged to participate in the NGP," the EO states.

The trees will be planted in the forestlands, mangrove and protected areas, ancestral domains, civil and military reservations, urban areas under the greening plan of the local government units, inactive and abandoned mine sites, and other suitable lands.

With appropriate assistance from the government and the private sector, the community organizations will be given the primary responsibility of maintaining and protecting the established plantations, EO 26 states.

It also says that all proceeds from agroforestry plantations, duly accounted by the DENR, will accrue to the NGP beneficiary communities to address food security and poverty reduction.

The NGP beneficiary communities will be considered priority in the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program.

Appropriate incentives will also be developed to encourage reforestation, particularly in the protected area.

The executive order states that DA, DAR and DENR will develop a centralized database and provide regular monitoring and timely report on the progress of the NGP.

The private sector, civil society groups and academe will also be involved in the monitoring and evaluation of the NGP.—JV, GMA News

Source: GMA News at http://www.gmanews.tv/story/214509/eo-26-enjoins-students-govt-workers-to-plant-10-trees-a-year

Resolve II: Charter Change, Napapanahon Na Nga Ba?

During the last years of the previous administration, clamor for Charter Change or Cha-Cha was high. The UP Samahan Tungo sa Progresibong Administrasyon (UP-STPA) sponsored a public forum to provide a much needed place for public discussion and to settle the issue on Cha-Cha. It was titled, “Resolve: Is Cha-Cha the way to Philippine Development?” Two years since the last forum, there is once again clamor for Charter Change and this time, we have a new administration. Thus, the UP-STPA decided to do a sequel on it entitled, "Resolve II: Charter Change, Napapanahon Na Nga Ba?” on 10 March 2011 (Thursday) at the Assembly Hall of the U.P. National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG) from 1:00pm – 5:00 pm. Admission is free.

Speakers from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government were invited to shed light on the topic. There will be reactions from the civil society. Details will be provided as soon as the invited speakers have confirmed their attendance. For inquiries, please contact Marlowe Popes at 0915-869-1671 or Chev Salvador at 0927-844-3919.

UP-STPA is a UP Diliman-registered organization founded in 1988. It is a two-time Gawad Chancellor awardee for Best Student Organization in 1996 and 1997.

INTRODUCTION TO, AND CRITIQUE ON THE 2009 GREEN BUILDING ORDINANCE OF QUEZON CITY

by Ebinezer R. Florano

Introduction

The Quezon City government, through its Department of Building Official (DBO), has embarked on an information campaign about its Green Building Ordinance (GBO) of 2009 and its (“soft”) Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) on 23 February 2011 at U.P.-Ayala Technohub which was attended by various stakeholder (i.e., contractors, developers, public sectors, government agencies, utility companies, professionals, designers, consultants, building owners, and realtors).

GBO 2009 is actually the city’s Ordinance No. SP-1917, series of 2009 entitled, “An Ordinance Requiring the Design, Construction Retrofitting of Buildings, Other Structures and Movable Properties to Meet Minimum Standards of a Green Infrastructure, Providing Incentives Thereof and for Other Purposes.” It was approved by then Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. on 2 April 2009. It will be effective starting in April 2011.

The ordinance was promulgated to “establish and maintain building standard that requires the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance, including the retrofitting of building projects that strictly adhere to energy efficiency, cost effectiveness, and mitigate impacts on environmental degradation,” among others.

According to the ordinance, a “green building” refers to “an integrated whole-building approach to the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of buildings and their surrounding land space that help mitigate the environmental, economic, and social impacts of buildings. Emphasis is on site conservation and sustainable planning, water conservation and efficiency, energy efficiency and renewable energy; conservation of materials and resources and indoor environmental quality and human health.”

The ordinance covers buildings/structures classified by the National Building Code, namely: hotels, office buildings, malls, dry markets, wet markets, and slaughterhouses (commercial); schools, office buildings, and hospitals (institutional); and factors, and warehouses (industrial).

Building owners have the option to have their buildings certified “green.” They must submit technical requirements to be able to obtain two certificates, namely: a Preliminary Certificate (PC), and a Final Certificate (FC).

To get a PC, building owners must submit proofs of the following mandatory requirements: construction activity control pollution prevention system, energy efficiency plan, water use reduction system involving water efficient fixtures, waste management plan, designated smoking area layout, and sewage treatment plan.

To obtain tax credit, building owners have the option to submit the following proofs for the elective technical requirements: flood mitigation study or reference, mixed-use neighborhood center, community connectivity, provision of bicycles and attendant storage cabinets on parking lots, proximity to transport hubs, provision of adequate parking capacity, landscape in open spaces, light-colored paving or open grid, green roof, storm water management, building envelope design, less use of energy for air-conditioning system, good natural ventilation, reduction of electric consumption, use of renewable energy system as alternate power source, water consumption reduction, etc.

After assessing the completeness and compliance with the technical requirements, the proposed building will be rated by the Green Building Inspection Unit of the DBO on the following areas: land/sites sustainability, energy efficiency, water efficiency, materials and resources, and indoor environment quality. A new building project or building renovation can earn up to 100 points. The points have equal tax credit which will be issued by the City Treasurer and City Assessor in the PC.

Those which will obtain 90-above points (super gold) will earn 25% tax credit; 70-89 points (gold) will earn 20% tax credit; 50-69 points (silver) will earn 15% tax credit; and below 50 (certified green building) will not earn any tax credit. This is the Quezon City Green Building Evaluation and Rating Table system.

The formula for the Green Building Tax Credit is: GBTC = RPT x Factor.

Where:

GBTC = maximum amount of Green Building Tax Credit

RPT = Real Property Tax (on improvement/structure)

Factor = the specific tax credit rate provided for in the Quezon City Green Building Evaluation and Rating Table.

The tax credit is good for three years.

Once the building has been completely erected, or the retrofitting/renovation has been accomplished, the DBO will issue the FC.

Critique

The Quezon City government must be commended for its initiative to “green” buildings that will be erected on its territory. This is perhaps the first of its kind in the Philippines which is worth emulating. It might even catch the attention of the Climate Change Commission which listed “green cities and municipalities” as one of its key result areas for the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP).

However, during the open forum, the author was able to find out the following gaps or loopholes in the Green Building Ordinance:

• It is not mandatory. Building owners are not required to secure Green Building certification. They can opt to get the regular building permits (original and renewal). Why not make it part and parcel of the building permit issuance system?

• Being optional, there is no punitive measure for those building owners who will not get Green Building Certificates. The ordinance is a mere “carrot”; there is no stick. Is the 25% tax credit enough to seduce building owners to get their Green Building Certificates?

• The ordinance does not cover residential structures, which according to the proponents, is due to cost consideration. Considering the fact that Quezon City has 2.7 million residents (as of 2007), it should consider widening the coverage of the ordinance so as to make these residential buildings “green.”

• The ordinance, according to the proponents, covers government offices. Unfortunately, it is not clear how the tax credit will be useful to these offices because they do not pay RPT anyway. The ordinance should have made it mandatory for all government offices to be green.

• The IRR does not mention the “use of environment-friendly materials” as a criterion for giving tax credit which is unfortunate because Section 20.4 of SP 1917 mentions it. This should be mentioned in the IRR because “green/sustainable infrastructure” calls for eco-efficiency, that is, less consumption of natural resources (e.g., energy, water, land and raw materials) and less pollution during the construction and usage of infrastructure.

There were other questions and suggestions during the forum like requiring building owners to conduct Environmental Impact Assessment especially in disaster-prone areas or in areas whose biological diversity or natural settings can be affected.

Recommendations

It was a wise move on the part of the Quezon City government to have consulted the various stakeholders on the “soft” IRR of its Green Building Ordinance of 2009. However, it needs to be strengthened. First, it should be mandatory for all structures, including residential structures, if not now, perhaps in the future. Second, there should be punitive measures aside from the tax credit. Third, in its final version, the IRR should include Section 20.4 of SP 1917 requiring building owners to use environment-friendly materials in the construction of their structures.