Climate adaptation thru green jobs, vertical greening

Its exposure to natural hazards, dependence on climate-sensitive natural resource and vast coastlines all contribute to making the Philippines highly vulnerable to climate change. The World Risk Report ranked the country in 2019 ninth most vulnerable to climate change risk among 180 countries. 

While it is one of the fastest growing economies in the ASEAN region, rapid urbanization and an increasing population are major factors causing environmental instability in the country. Human activities and climate change intensify overall environmental conditions resulting to various problems that impact on the Philippine economy. Recovery efforts from the ravages wrought on the economy by the Covid-19 pandemic has particularly brought into focus the building back of a greener, more sustainable climate-neutral, resource-efficient and shock-resilient circular economy. 

For instance, the country has long had plans to push green skills in manufacturing and construction but workers have yet to be adequately trained, with government yet to fully enforce the eight-year-old Republic Act (RA) 10771 or the Philippine Green Jobs Act (GJA). Lack of green experts and technology are stalling the implementation of said law, with government yet to set standards for green jobs creation. 

Green jobs

Green jobs, otherwise known as green-collar, sustainability, environmental or eco-jobs involve work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development and service activities, among others, that contribute to preserving or restoring environmental quality. These include jobs that protect biodiversity and ecosystems, and reduce energy, materials and water use through high-efficiency methods, economic de-carbonization and efforts in minimizing or altogether eliminating waste and pollution.

The GJA — the first and so far, the only legislation of its kind in Asia — was enacted into law in April 2016 to precisely promote sustainable growth and create jobs towards a greener economy while building resilience against the deleterious impacts of climate change. A concrete embodiment of the purpose of that law is the ultra-modern Green Technology Center (GTC) in Taguig which was built to spearhead the drive for generating jobs that would help combat climate change and protect the environment. 

The GTC was supposed to be where green, less-polluting techniques were to be taught to workers in jobs ranging from construction to car mechanics under the National Institute for Technical Education and Skills Development. It was intended to play a key role in the implementation of RA 10771, likewise purposed to promote micro, small and medium enterprises that would create jobs through tax deduction and tax-free importation of capital equipment.

Lack of appeal

Eight years after its enactment, standards and technologies to train and certify workers for jobs producing green goods and services have yet to be clearly defined.  

The GTC and the GJA are supposed to be part of the country’s “whole-of-government” approach to a transition aimed at accelerating a sustainable, low-carbon and climate-resilient economy which also raises the living standards of workers and their communities. 

However, Danielle Marie Torralba, technical assistant with the Climate Change Commission which is one of the main implementing agencies of the GJA, laments that “climate change awareness isn’t popular or mainstreamed in (Philippine) society,” even as the country “is not yet fully ready for a transition because it still doesn’t have the technology to improve green practices.”

Despite that, she pointed out that the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) which manages the GTC, has, on its own initiative, “greened” 30 percent of some 300 job training courses, including construction, solar photovoltaics, welding, automotive and transport.

For instance, Tesda’s new curriculum on automotive teaches how to recycle or dispose of old engine oil responsibly even as welders are taught how to lessen use of gases such as carbon dioxide and argon. 

Green training for jobs, including housekeeping, tour-guiding and computer programming have also been introduced. 

Such initiatives by Tesda, said Edgardo Cabilit, a technical education and skills development specialist with the GTC, is indicative of the country’s desire for green jobs creation. 

However, he said “limited resources and the non-appeal to Filipinos of green skills training” are impediments to this objective. He cited, for instance, Tesda’s failure to attract a single applicant when it introduced a training course on solid waste management.

Incentivizing greening

While the national government’s GJA have yet to fully take off, a bright spot in the whole Philippine greening effort is one local government unit’s (LGU) initiative to go green through the use of incentives.

This is in reference to Makati City, the country’s premier business center with over 600,000 residents and a daytime population of over 4.5 million people. Mayor Abigail Binay has formulated a Green Building Code intended to fast track green building practices to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprint. 

Rewards and incentives are offered to owners and developers complying with Building Code regulations, such as a reduced property tax rate for property owners installing renewable energy systems, water-saving appliances among other energy saving measures. 

Addressing participants of the 14th Brunei International Lecture Series on Southeast Asia where she was keynote speaker in July, 2023, Binay shared how she has been encouraging solutions for a greener Makati. 

For instance, she said her office has partnered with the private sector in prioritizing the creation of elevated walkways and underground crossings to pedestrianize the city. 

“Makati, with its numerous green areas, is a city where walking is convenient,” she said, noting that her LGU is “home to over 44,000 trees and 40 parks that provide respite for its inhabitants and employees working in buildings in the city.”

Added Binay, “My administration is encouraging the adoption of green technology and vertical greening in both private and public buildings. Green walls, vertical gardening, rooftop gardening are being implemented in public schools and barangays as well as the Makati City Hall.”

Moreover, the city government’s risk-sensitive Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Zoning Ordinance provides development incentives including additional Floor Area Ratio and flexibility in land use. 

Likewise, its Zoning Ordinance offers incentives to buildings that are green-certified by a third-party entity such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green-building rating system, BERDE (Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence) certification and EDGE, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation’s green building certification.

These incentives, Binay said, are granted through the Innovative Techniques or Design Approach and Bonus Incentives Approach, with at least 11 private developments as recipients so far. 

“We have made strides towards becoming a truly green city and our overall aim also includes the creation of a cityscape with recognizable locations that are resilient to extreme weather disturbances,” underscored the mayor.

“I’m proud of the policies and regulations our city has implemented, with our partnership with the private sector, and our initiatives for creating a legacy of sustainability that will benefit generations to come,” Binay said. 

Her pride in what she has done for her city is justified. In 2021, Makati became the first city in the world to officially join the Cities Race to Resilience initiated by the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in Glasgow, Scotland.

A year later, the city became the second resilience hub of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Making Cities Resilient 2030 campaign in the Asia-Pacific region.