AsPac housing forum on Sept 7-9

MANILA, Philippines - The latest housing industry practices in addressing the shelter concerns of the urban poor will be discussed by internationally acclaimed speakers and leading experts at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Housing Forum on Sept. 7 to 9, 2009 at the Dusit Thani Manila Hotel in Makati City.

Co-organized by Habitat for Humanity International with Principal Sponsor the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the second edition of this premier regional conference is centered on the theme “Maximizing Urban Poverty Housing Solutions for Greater Results.”

The three-day forum will discuss the best practices, solutions and resource needs for the growing number of people living in substandard housing environments. Among the speakers who will delve on this concept is Jaime A. Cura, national president of the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations (CREBA), Philippines, through his presentation on “The Challenge and Opportunity for Large Developers in Meeting the Housing Needs of the Poor.”

George Modrovic of ELFI Wall System will discuss how the ELFI technology for walls and roofs can reduce construction time up to 65%, while yielding energy usage reductions between 40 and 60% — all with recyclable materials and green technology that is rapidly replacing traditional wood, cement, and CMU block construction.

Meanwhile, Daniel Mostrales of Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology will talk about reinforced masonry for medium-rise buildings, while Alberto Jugo, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Philippines will speak on how high-end technology can work for the poor.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri will formally open the conference on the first day as Keynote Speaker, while Vice President Noli de Castro, who is also the Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), will officially close the event as Guest of Honor on the final day of the conference.

Sponsors include Citi, AyalaLand, Vestergaard Frandsen and DHL Global Forwarding. Event partners are the Philippines Department of Tourism, and the Philippine City of Taguig. Other supporters include Acer, BusinessWorld, Epson, ACN Newswire, Asia Management Systems and IndianNGOs.com.

Housing developers, microfinance institutions, local governments and academics are encouraged to attend the 2nd Asia-Pacific Housing forum. For more information and online registration, please log on to http://www.aphousingforum.org or contact the Secretariat at [email protected] or at (632) 897-3356/ 897-3069 loc. 107.