Mandaluyong City Green Building Self-assessment Tool (GBEST) launched

This milestone in environmental initiatives aims to assist professional building designers and property developers in green building clearance requirements to further hasten the process of compliance certification in the City by simply accessing the City website. The tool serves as a pre-assessment platform to aid designers by having them fill-out all measures and the system indicates if they either pass or fail. If eighty percent (80%) of applicable mandatory measures are complied with, the applicant may proceed to the city for filing and processing of application for the Green Building Pre-Compliance Certificate (GBPCC).

This exemplary public service is an innovation under City Ordinance No. 709, S-2018 that mandates the adoption of the second and updated version of the 2014 Green Building Regulations of Mandaluyong City found in the manual issued by the City Planning and Development Department (CPDD). In addition, the soft copy of this manual was made available online in the website.

The launch was held at the Mandaluyong City Center for Excellence last November 25, 2019 led by Mayor Carmelita Abalos in attendance together with CPDD Head Engineer Arman Comandao, Architect Abraham Raposon, Carmencita Cruz, Orlando Fumera, Michelle Nitro, Emp. Erickson Dela Rosa and Robert Lagarto. Representatives of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) graced the occasion.

Mayor Abalos said, “This initiative is testament to our commitment to protect the environment by taking into serious consideration a whole building approach in the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of buildings and the immediate surroundings that mitigate the environmental, economic, and social impacts of these structures; and our online GBEST facility makes compliance much more convenient to developers and stakeholders.”

The GBEST online facility provides specific guidelines on how to achieve green building status for structures within the City based on the following criteria: efficient use of energy, water and other resources; use of renewable energy, such as solar energy; pollution and waste reduction measures, and the enabling of reuse and recycling; good indoor environmental air quality; the use of materials that are non-toxic, ethical and sustainable; overall consideration of the environment in design, construction and operation; consideration of the quality of life of occupants in design, construction and operation; and lastly, design that enables adaptation to a changing environment.

To learn more about GBEST and other City environmental efforts, log in to www.mandaluyong.gov.ph.