A Certifiably Sustainable Way of Life
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Here are two photos of our farm: A bahay kubo and a secret nook in our garden for children of all ages to play in nature (Photo by Chiara Cox).
Clearly, Mom was enthusiastic about her newest project. She had been busy collecting cooking oil from family and friends’ kitchens to fuel her new vehicle.
“It has no air conditioning though,” she cautioned.
“Sure, why not!”
I was game. We all became involved in her various innovative projects one way or another.
By the end of our one-and-a-half-hour ride from Makati to Tagaytay, I had to agree that her new car was very impressive, even if I felt like I had been deep fried in a vat of reused coconut and peanut oil. Not all Mom’s crazy sustainable ideas are as messy or stinky as this one though. In fact, most of them are useful, inventive and life-changing for many around her.
Here is my dad explaining vermicomposting to children at a party. One little girl was brave enough to handle a worm.
Growing up, I remember the pads of paper at our house were not like the ones I saw at my friends’ houses. They were not new, shiny, bright store-bought paper. They were reused from Dad’s office. My mother’s secretary would cut them uniformly into smaller rectangles and bind them together with a clip. We simply used the other side for various note-taking. After using a sheet, we threw it into designated paper bins throughout the house. Along with other collected paper products, they were later shredded to be used for packaging items for shipping or to be added to the compost.
Dad and Mom fishing in our pond. On the right of Dad is the bog area with kangkong, gabi, irises, and other water-loving plants. Captured rainwater keeps the pond fresh and the ‘dirty’ water fertilizes the bog area (Photo by Chiara Cox).
Soon, my mother graduated to bigger ideas. When Mt. Pinatubo erupted, she discovered that she could salvage wood from old buildings that were torn down in the devastation. She used a combination of this wood and indigenous rocks to build our farmhouse. An inventor at heart with a keen eye for artistic and functional design, she worked tirelessly with architects and builders to keep the house cool all twelve months of the year without air conditioning. She devised a way so that shower, sink and washing machine wastewater could be used to water our garden. Today, this greywater nourishes various local flora and fauna, fruit trees and a vegetable and herb garden on our property.
Captured rainwater keeps our fishpond replenished: when the pond needs to be cleaned out, the ‘dirty’ water is simply diverted to our bog area to fertilize our kangkong (watercress), gabi (taro), irises and other water-loving plants. Water tanks filled from a deep well are stored overhead so gravity, not electricity, is used to lead additional water to the house. Most garbage from the house and property is taken to her vermicompost “factory.” The 1,000-square foot area consists of six different sections dedicated to different stages of compost. This produces the “black gold” that keeps our gardens lush and ever-producing. During Christmas, sacks of this compost are given to special friends. Later on, solar panels were added to the farm so the house could run partly on free and clean energy.
On the left, a simple way to ensure excess water runoff from the gutter is captured. On the right, our solar panels (Photo by Chiara Cox).
We like to say that Dad got the sustainability bug from Mom. Several years after she built our farmhouse, he took her ideas into a grander arena with protocols, regulations, standards and measurable results when he established the first and only real estate development company in the Philippines with a portfolio entirely consisting of certified sustainable properties.
This is the Garden of Simples™ on the 31st floor at Arthaland Century Pacific Tower where herbs, vegetables and medicinal plants have been planted carefully and chosen purposefully for their nutritional properties to holistically benefit tenants.
What my mother did for our farm, Arthaland’s dedicated team does for its developments. When choosing property, Arthaland avoids areas vulnerable to climate-related risks. Systems are in place so that building materials are recycled, reused, biobased, sustainable and/or sourced locally. Buildings are designed to keep the indoor conditions comfortable without requiring extra energy. The collected rainwater from all developments is used for irrigation, toilet flushing and outdoor water use. Its newest community is master-planned and dedicates 60 percent of its area to open and green spaces, ensuring the growth and propagation of threatened species to promote better biodiversity. Villas and condominiums are designed to bring in natural light and fresh air.
Mom continues to be at the heart of Arthaland projects by helping them envision (among other things) gardens that provide residents and tenants with healthy and nutritious food below market price. In 2022 alone, their developments reduced water consumption by 45 percent (exceeding the target of 20 percent) and decreased energy use by 54 percent (exceeding the target of 40 percent).
Windows leading to the balcony bring in natural light and fresh air in this studio unit.
Today, Arthaland has garnered recognition and numerous awards from local and global organizations for its commitment to sustainability, wellness, quality and superior design. It is also the first real estate developer in Asia, and the first signatory from the Philippines, to pledge to decarbonize 100 percent of its portfolio by 2030. Two years into its pledge, it has already decarbonized 59 percent of its portfolio. I am astounded at the progress because being a sustainable company means pursuing profitability while keeping social and environmental responsibilities in mind, paying more for sustainable materials and processes, and working to educate everyone involved. But, in the end, Dad says it is worth his time and effort if he can use the planet’s resources responsibly and leave a better environment for “his children and his children’s children.”
Arthaland is working closely with the Cebu local government in retrofitting for sustainability public schools affected by Typhoon Odette.
Like I said in the beginning, we all become involved in Mom’s projects somehow or other. Dad just takes her ideas to a whole different level. It has been a wonderful experience to see the powerful synergy between them ripple out into the world. It makes me so proud to know that Mom, Dad and his team believe in building sustainable legacies because, in a way, it is my legacy too.
Celebrating the world’s first Edge Zero Carbon Building in the Philippines, from left to right: Mr. Hans B. Sicat, Mr. Ricardo T. Po, Mrs. Lani Cayetano, Mrs. Marielle Po, Mr. Leonardo Arthur T. Po, Ms. Jane Xu, Mrs. Marie Constance González (Mom), Mr. Jaime C. González (Dad), Mr. Ernest K. Cuyegkeng.
Arthaland is the only real estate developer in the Philippines with a portfolio that is 100 percent certified as sustainable. Its various residential and commercial properties can be found in BGC and ARCA South in Taguig City, Biñan in Laguna, Legazpi Village in Makati and Cebu City in Cebu.
Chiara Cox combines her love of music, performing, art and travel by producing classical music videos from her home studio. She also loves to write. You can find her at www.ChiaraCox.com.
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