ZURICH-based Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction (HFSC) noted the increase in trend in implementing sustainable building projects in the Philippines and various developing countries in Southeast Asia due to heightened awareness on climate change.

Eddie Schwarz, HFSC general manager, said the trend in the sustainable-building sector is two-tracked: one, it is imposed by governments on private sectors, which is now being done in developed countries; and second, it can be afforded.

"The trend now is sustainability over everything because we all realized that we could no longer continue on the same phase [of consumption] for energy and natural resources," said Schwarz in an interview during his visit in Manila over the weekend.

Schwarz said the Philippines is one of the active countries in Southeast Asia in promoting sustainable construction along with China and Thailand.

He stressed that these countries with booming construction sectors are now beginning to make sustainable buildings that are critical in securing long-term, environmental, economic and social viability.

He cited a study by the World Greenbuilding Council that showed 40 percent of world's raw materials are consumed by the construction sector, 30-percent to 40-percent energy consumption; 25 percent in wood harvest, 33 percent C02 emission and 17 percent freshwater consumption.

Holcim Foundation promotes sustainable construction as a form of mitigating climate change through a global competition for sustainable building projects with $2 Million as grand prize. Schwarz said the entries for the competition this year are still open until February 29, 2008.

A Philippine entry promoting "concrete substrates for accelerated coral restoration" as an innovative response to marine ecosystem in the Misamis Oriental coastline won a silver medal during the 2005 Holcim Asia-Pacific regional competition.

The project team developed an inexpensive and easy-to-build, low-cost, spider-shaped concrete skeleton, framework that, when submerged stimulates regeneration of vanishing coral growth in endangered coastal areas. The concrete structure also increases the quantity and diversity of fish species, thus benefiting coastal fishing communities.

Another entry by Filipino students Artessa Saldivar-Sali and Aaron Lecciones titled "Ivatan Agricultural Campus in Itbayat [Batanes]" received the encouragement award for its effort to directly involve the stakeholders.

Entries in the Holcim awards competition are evaluated based on the five-point definition of sustainable construction. These include environmental, social and economic performance. The entries must also apply architectural proficiency and quantum change or transferable approach.