The pandemic has brought about the preference for living in healthier communities. This has led property developers to be more conscious of the green elements offered by their developments, highlighting sustainability features.
But for one developer, building green has always been at the forefront of its strategies even before the pandemic.
Filinvest Land Inc. CEO Josephine Gotianun Yap shared that the company has been putting environmental concerns ahead long before it was a byword.
“Our property sustainability program is built on two important themes. First is inclusivity – bringing quality housing to as many segments of our society – as exemplified by the history of our beginnings. Second is our commitment to help protect and enrich the environment,”
Gotianun Yap said during the recent Philippine Property Awards by PropertyGuru Philippines.
Gotianun Yap was recognized as the Real Estate Personality of the Year during the event, making her the first woman to receive the award.
In her speech, Gotianun Yap shared that Filinvest’s green development thrust is one of its long-term strategies in leading the way towards inclusivity.
“The entry of Filinvest into property development over 50 years ago came from my parents, Andrew and Mercedes Gotianun’s desire to bring gated and secured communities to the middle class in the 70s when only the upper echelon of society enjoyed that lifestyle. In the 90s, FLI introduced our slogan ‘We build the Filipino dream’ when we brought affordable housing to the mass market,” Gotianun Yap shared.
Staying true to its goal of inclusivity, Filinvest continues to upgrade its offerings up a notch today, as it creates green and sustainable developments across its residential brands namely the smart-value Futura by Filinvest, the middle-income Aspire by Filinvest, and the high-end Prestige by Filinvest.
The developer carries on with offering a healthy home for Filipinos from different walks of life evidenced by its growing portfolio of over 280 ongoing projects in over 50 key areas nationwide.
A prime example of the company’s push for green and sustainable developments is its 244-hectare Filinvest City in Alabang.
The integrated and mixed-use township is the first and only central business district in the country to receive a 3-star BERDE rating from the Philippine Green Building Council.
BERDE’s core framework takes into account a district’s management, use of land and ecology, energy, water, waste management, transportation, health and well-being, and community engagement – to which BERDE awarded Filinvest City with an ‘exemplary performance’ evaluation.
Filinvest City is also the first and only central business district in the country to receive the LEEDv4 Gold for Neighborhood Plan certification. This makes Filinvest City the largest central business district to gain this recognition in Southeast Asia. The US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED is one of the world’s most credible and recognizable green building certification programs.
Further cementing its push for sustainability is Filinvest REIT or FILRT, the first sustainability-themed REIT to be listed on the local bourse.
Filinvest said majority of FILRT’s office buildings are located in Northgate Cyberzone, an IT-BPO campus-style hub serviced by the largest district cooling plant in the country.
It added that the plant, built through the partnership between Filinvest Land and global sustainable energy company ENGIE, helps reduce power consumption by up to 40 percent and water consumption, greenhouse gas, and carbon emissions by up to 20 percent.
“Our property sustainability program paved the way for Filinvest to become one of the most trusted property developers today,” Gotianun Yap said.
It is no wonder that Filinvest Land is a 10-time BCI Asia Awardee as one of the country’s top 10 developers. It was also recently recognized by Dot Property Awards 2022 as the Best Developer in North Luzon and Mindanao for two years in a row. Adding to its accolades is the Best Developer in Visayas Award. The property developer also received Highly Commended recognitions from The Outlook Property Awards 2022 by Lamudi for the Best Developer for Luzon and Best Developer for Visayas and Mindanao.
“We at Filinvest share one vision – to embrace green living as the better normal. We strive to constantly evolve and innovate to stay attuned to the needs and lifestyles of the markets we serve. At the heart of each endeavor is the burning passion to create sustainable, future-forward developments that enhance lives and open up opportunities for our countrymen,” she added.
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