MANILA, Philippines - If there’s one advocacy that the Meralco Development Center is proud of, it is environmental stewardship. To this day, the Center remains an exemplary showcase on how going green can be so easy it is not only practiced in the day-to-day operations, it is a way of life for all its managers, staff, and personnel.
Nestled in the rolling hills of Antipolo, the Meralco Development Center is guided by the principle that going green is more than just the lush greens and picturesque views. Going green should start within one’s self which includes being environment-conscious with one’s day-to-day task. Eventually, going green should be cascaded to the people around us, until we bring green practices to our homes and communities.
“Going beyond offering effective training programs and as part of our effort to make learning conducive, we have pushed the envelope by successfully introducing several green initiatives as part of our daily operations and our way of life. We make sure that everyone in our sphere of influence is involved,” said Agnes L. Fidelino, Executive Director. “We assert our role as a catalyst who can influence other companies who use the center’s facilities, to be green in the conduct of their meetings.”
Proof of this is how the Center emphasizes the value of paper. The center’s “Green Meeting packages” highlight the importance of going paper-less. With the fact that almost 90,000 misused sheets of paper equate to a life of one whole tree, the Center ensures that their operations minimizes the use of paper and all other natural resources.
From encouraging paper-less meetings, effective waste reduction is also employed with measures that include reusing and recycling materials such as envelopes, folders and scratch papers. Used marketing tarpaulin is transformed into tote bags for employees and guests. The staff is involved in the annual review and design of improvements to the center’s resource conservation program. The entire facility champions zero-waste that starts from properly-labeled trash bins in all areas. Biodegradable wastes like food scraps, fruit and vegetable peelings, dried leaves and branches, as well as solid paper waste are gathered for composting to be used for trees and a vegetable garden. This goes full-cycle as these organically-grown vegetables are distributed to the gardeners and fed to the birds of the Aviary.
The “Green Meeting” concept is further highlighted with the Center’s energy conservation programs. Its structure is designed to promote energy efficiency. Buildings are designed with strategically-placed skylights to maximize the use of daylight. Function rooms and guest rooms are also equipped with large windows that utilize daylight to ease the need to switch on lights. Perimeter lighting of the center makes use of solar energy. There are also energy key tags that automatically switches off lights and air conditioning units when not in use. Energy efficient LED lights are also peppered throughout the center in its function rooms and even streetlights.
Another ‘green-ovation’ is the Electronic Jeepney (E-Jeep) that transports guests and employees all over the 10-hectare center. This leads to a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption and the improvement of air quality.
The Center projects that in every 3-day seminar or conference, 25 guests will consume 96 bottles of mineral water, 450 pieces of candy wrappers, 675 sachets of sugar, coffee and cream, 1,500 sheets of paper and 225 PET bottles of soap, shampoo and lotion. Because of their earth-friendly practices, it has an impressive 47 percent savings.
The center has received ISO certifications on Environmental Management System. It was also recognized as the Waste Reduction Champion and Grand Master in the 2010 Zero Basura Olympics, and the Don Emilio Abello Energy Efficiency Award for 2010. These recognitions prove that the center’s drive for environmental stewardship is not simply a passing campaign but a continuous effort to teach, mold and most importantly, inspire responsible citizens among its employees and extending it to different companies across the country.