5 Eco-friendly Holiday Tips for a Green Christmas Season

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It’s easy to get “wrapped up” in our traditional ways of decking the halls, but some decorating traditions, however sentimental, may not be so environmental.

The holidays can be one of the most expensive times of the year; from cooking the perfect dinner to preparing your home for your family. If you’ve recently started a family, it’s best if you look for new ways to make Christmas memories that your children will look forward to every year.

It’s not necessary to celebrate holidays with an expensive menu or extravagant decors, you can impart a sense of joy and wonder with an eco-friendly twist. This holiday season, giving love, peace, and quality time to the people who are closest to us are the true reasons for this season.

Well, following these simple tips will help you save money, enjoy your resources, and feel good about the impact your holiday celebrations will make on the environment.

1. Photo and Card Holder

card holder
Photo source: http://skye-edmonds.com/

Make a holder for holiday cards by gluing clothespin to a yard stick or thin stretch of balsa wood. Make sure they are evenly spaced, about 3 inches apart, and wait to dry. Then, spray paint the color of your choice, and clip in your cards. For a little extra holiday flair, top the holder with glitter, rhinestones, or tiny bows. If you want to make it even memorable, you can hang the most outstanding photos of you, your friends and your family.

 

2. String a smarter light string

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Photo source: http://www.chineselight.com/

 

 

Instead of buying more standard holiday lights to replace bad strings (or to try and keep outdoing your neighbor’s massive display), opt for energy-efficient light strings. When they’re made using light-emitting diode bulbs, or LEDs, they’re 90 percent more efficient than traditional holiday lights. LEDs also last longer — up to 10,000 hours compared with 5,000 hours for standard incandescent bulbs.

 

3. Homemade Wreaths

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Photo source: http://idahoatheart.wordpress.com/

 

Not all wreaths require cutting branches off of trees, you can actually make something out from your old dresses and rags making this a great example of a more eco-friendly alternative.
4. Eco-friendly Wrapping Paper

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Photo source: http://cassandrahoo.com/

Ditch the rolls of wrapping paper and avoid glossy or metallic gift wrap. Instead, check out fabric gift wrap or these creative gift wrap ideas. Use the greeting cards received last year or any other recycled material to make gift tags. For gift bags that come with tags attached, write “Reuse this bag!” on it instead of the recipient’s name. (Just don’t forget who it goes to.)

 

5. Make Your Own Greeting Cards

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Photo source: https://www.etsy.com/

Use the cards you received last year, a child’s artwork or your own craftiness to create new Green Christmas cards. Use recycled paper for holiday letters. Or send a family photo with your greeting handwritten on the back.

Want more eco-friendly tips from Cagayan de Oro’s first and only eco-friendly property? Click here.

For more information, visit www.primaveraresidences.com or www.facebook.com/condoprimavera. You can also call 088-880-5002. 

8 Ways to Live Green at Home

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Have you thought of buying decors that suit your home’s style? Or know ways to live green at home? Would you prefer owning expensive materials that perfectly fit your taste or owning something less expensive that somehow complement your simple homey feels? Nevertheless, there will always be a way, might be expensive or not, that will help our environment’s welfare.

Being eco-friendly won’t mean losing your sense of style. Smart choices can ensure that you do your part, all the while looking good about your contribution to our planet’s well-being. Here are some ways that can contribute to living green in your own space and be a better friend to the environment.

Buy for the long-term. Save toward a quality sofa, for instance, rather than a series of cheapies that you’ll be throwing out every five years. A well-made sofa can be recovered several times over the course of its decades-long life.

rattan-sofaPhoto source: www.interiortaste.com

 

Buy cotton mesh produce bags and take them to the market instead of using plastic bags for your fruits and veggies. It will help keep them fresh in your crisper drawer, too, and are washable when needed.

mesh_produce_bagsPhoto source: www.alternativeconsumer.com

 

Renovating. You may want to add character to your home with reclaimed and salvaged items. You can choose from re-plated chrome bath fixtures, re-enameled vintage bathtubs, reclaimed barn board flooring and salvaged architectural accents like columns, corbels and mantels.

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Photo source: reclaimed-wood-furniture.net

 

Switch to eco-friendly cleaning products. Look for products that are biodegradable, phosphate-free and not tested on animals.

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Photo source: www.packworld.com

 

Use reusable shopping bags when grocery shopping. Most grocery shops offer eco-bags to also promote eco-friendliness to its customers.

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Photo source: shop.ecology.com

 

Reduce your use of paper towels. Use re-useable, washable cloths whenever possible.

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Photo source: www.airporthotelduesseldorf.de

 

Plant a tree on your property. Or more, if you have space. Trees provide wildlife habitat and help cool the planet.

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Photo source: www.aero-stream.com

 

Put a rain barrel by your downspout to collect rainwater to use in your garden later.

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 Photo source: buildipedia.com

 

Want more eco-friendly tips from Cagayan de Oro’s first and only eco-friendly property? Click here.

For more information, visit www.primaveraresidences.com or www.facebook.com/condoprimavera. You can also call 088-880-5002. 

6 Eco-friendly Tips for the Christmas Season

The term “eco-friendly” and “going green” have been used over and over for different products, TV shows and practices. Over use of the term could lead to the danger of having its meaning lost. By understanding the true sense of the word and what it means to be eco-friendly, you can implement these practices that will lead to healthier living and a healthier lifestyle.

Primavera Residences, the first multi-awarded eco-friendly property in Mindanao, has been actively sharing basic eco-friendly tips that, for sure, will help us lead a sustainable lifestyle. And since it’s the season for giving gifts, we have compiled below a number of the best eco-friendly tips in which gift wrappers to use, eco-friendly presents to give, to ensure a guilt-free conscience in terms of eco-friendly issues. You might want to consider these tips in giving back to what nature has given us.

Eco-friendly tip #57: Plant a tree with a child

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“Take a walk in the woods, or plant trees which store CO2. Teaching our children to love and care for the planet is the most important thing we can do to ensure the future of human kind.”

Trees are essential to life and are the ground troops in making up an environmental frontline. Consider this the most eco-friendly gift you want to impart your kids as they grow.  Since we couldn’t get away with the apparent typhoons our country is experiencing, it is best to teach our kids how to better the future. Our existing forests and the trees we plant work in tandem to make a better world.

Eco-friendly tip #51: Share your mug

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“If your office provides disposable cups for beverages, eliminate for them by bringing in extra glasses and mugs from home. Post a note in the lunch/break room requesting that your co-workers do the same. Keep the mugs in the lunch room for anyone to use.”

Having your own coffee mug is way better than using the paper or Styrofoam cups. Toting your own could already help the environment by not adding to the styro and plastic piles we have in our landfills. For birthdays and for holidays, share the joy by giving reusable mugs as holiday gifts to your colleagues.

Eco-friendly tip #39: Buy local

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“Consider the amount of pollution created to get your food from the farm to your table. Whenever possible, buy from local farmers or farmers’ market, supporting your local economy and reducing the amount of greenhouse gas created when products are flown or trucked in.”

Since it’s time to buy groceries in bulk, might as well spend it with our local markets. Aside from its affordability, you might have given them the Christmas gift they have always wanted.

Eco-friendly tip #69: Wrap creatively

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“You can reuse gift bags, bows and event paper, but you can also make something unique by using old maps, cloth, magazines or even newspapers. Flip a paper grocery bag inside out and give your child stamps of markers to create their own wrapping paper that’s eco-friendly and extra special to the recipient.”

This is the best time to be conscious about wrapping our gifts. Since most of our gift wrappers end up in landfills, why not make use of your old papers to at least lessen the garbage piles we give our mother nature.

Eco-friendly tip #67 and 48: Consider buying a laptop and recycle old cellphones

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Young generation nowadays found enjoyment in technology and gadgets. In this Christmas season, why not give your old cellphones to your staff or house helpers. They surely will appreciate it.

Planning to give a gift to your children? Why not give them laptops instead of a desktop computers, aside from its convenience, laptops saves 90% energy than desktop computers.

 

Want more eco-friendly tips from Cagayan de Oro’s first and only eco-friendly property? Click here.

For more information, visit www.primaveraresidences.com or www.facebook.com/condoprimavera. You can also call 088-880-5002. 

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle: Easy Tips and Ideas

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We are all responsible about the change in climate nowadays. The moment when we produce waste every hour of every day make us wonder that out of billions of people in this world, how do we communicate for better solutions? But the bigger question is, are we making a difference in renewing our ways to make the world a better place to live in?

Based on the study made by numbeo.com (last updated in October, 2014), the pollution in the Philippines has reached a high percentage of 72.30% on its Pollution Index, a simple and generalized way to describe the quality of pollution data.

Also, according to the data given, air and water pollution has reached a high rating with 63.41% and 71.65% respectively.

Living in a drastically polluted environment would reflect to how we, as Filipinos, are stagnant in changing our lifestyle.

In our own little ways, we can be catalysts in creating a better world. Here’s how:

Reduce, reuse, recycle (3Rs)

Recycling is the system of collecting, sorting and reprocessing old materials into usable raw materials. Reduce, reuse and recycle are three ways to take action against household wastes.

You can reduce the amount of trash you throw out when you become mindful of the reusable things (papers, bags and containers) inside your home and might as well buy reusable products. In this way, you can recycle anything that is eco-friendly, and compost food scraps and yard trimmings.

So What Can You Reduce, Reuse and Recycle?

  • Paper (magazines, newspaper, phone books, cardboard)

Since it’s almost  the season of giving gifts, why not give eco-friendly gifts by creating papier-mâché items and even wrap it with magazines or newspapers?

 

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Newspaper-wrapped present from Google Images.

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Paper-machéd pink bear from Google Images.

 

  • Glass (bottles, jars) & Plastic (milk jugs, soda bottles, detergent containers)

Glass is one of the few materials that can be recycled infinitely without losing strength, purity or quality. Upcycling is a term used to describe taking useless products and creating new products of better quality and/or higher value. There are many ways how to upcycle unused bottles and jars. You can view Design Rulz for examples on how to creatively reuse unused plastic/glass bottles and jars.

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Plastic soda bottles used as an alternative to pots for plants from Google Images.

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Other examples in upcycling plastic bottles from Google Images.

 

  • Aluminum (beverage containers).

Aluminum cans are among the materials most often collected for recycling and one of the easiest to process. Aluminum also has high value in the recycling industry for its sustainability. Recycled aluminum also gets new life as a component in a variety of products that you use every day, from cookware to computers and automobiles. For beverage containers, if you recycle them, this is what they become.

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Aluminum candle holder from Google Images.

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Aluminum cans as centerpieces from Google Images.

Remember to rinse cans and bottles before recycling them!

 

Planning to travel to Cagayan de Oro? Check in into the only eco-friendly serviced residences in Mindanao for your short-term and long-term accommodation requirements.

Primavera Residences, the first and only multi-awarded eco-friendly property in Cagayan de Oro, is an advocate of sustainable living. For more green tips, click here.

 

Water Conservation 101: 10 Simple Ways to Conserve Water

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Due to the increasingly intense heat brought about by climate change, most of us Filipinos tend to consume tons of water supply to overcome the unpleasant heat and humidity. This might help in the short term but excessive use of water can also contribute to environmental degradation.

We enjoy a year of abundant rain and full reservoirs, and it is easy to think that our water supply is endless, yet we couldn’t afford to be complacent in whatever might come next.

The United Nations (UN) expects 3.4 billion people to be living in countries defined as water-scarce by 2025. When water is scarce, people are forced to consume contaminated water. But prevention is always better than cure, so we might as well do our very best in helping avoid this scenario. Remember, every little act counts.

The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) offers these water conservation tips:

  1. Turn the faucet off firmly to prevent leakage. Installing low volume/high pressure (LV/HP) nozzles or flow constrictors reduces water usage by up to 50%.
  2. Use water dipper and pail instead of the shower while taking a bath.
  3. Instead of running water, use a glass of water when brushing your teeth.
  4. Buy new, water efficient toilet bowls that consume only 2.6-4 liters of water for every flush. Old models use up to 14 liters of water per flush.
  5. Discard leftover food before washing the dishes. As much as possible, use a basin to save water as well as the dishwashing soap.
  6. Wash all your clothes at once. Don’t allow the water in your wash basin to overflow.
  7. Reuse water from your laundry to flush your toilet or to clean your car.
  8. Instead of a water hose, use only a water pail and a towel to clean your car.
  9. Water your plants only before sunrise or after sunset to prevent water loss due to vaporization.
  10. Switch off the water valve in buildings and homes that are not operational at night. Turn off the gate valve in the evening and turn it on again the following morning.

With the environmental changes that we are experiencing now, our energy-saving acts should hopefully become habits of conservation.

For any concerns about your water supply and related matters, call Cagayan de Oro Water District Hotlines at (08822) 72-8359, (088) 856-4509. If you’re near in their Macasandig and Bugo offices, you can contact them thru (088) 857-2469 and (088) 855-3994.

Love Energy Saving Tips for Kagay-anons? Click here for more eco-friendly tips from Primavera Residences, the multi-awarded eco-friendly property in uptown Cagayan de Oro.

 

EEK-O-FRIENDLY Ideas: 10 Fun Ways to Go Green this Halloween!

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Just like other holidays, the Halloween season can rake in a hefty amount of carbon footprint and make a huge impact on the environment. Trick-or-treat candies, costumes, decorations, party favors – producing these goods require large amounts of energy, not to mention that all of these end up in landfills worldwide. With the holiday becoming seemingly less spiritual and more and more commercial with each passing year, the Halloween industry is now approximately worth 6 billion US dollars annually, according to experts.

The good news is, you can still celebrate Halloween without spending a lot of cash and wasting resources. With a good dose of imagination, enthusiasm, and a sincere desire to have a GREEN Halloween, you can have an “eek-o-friendly” good time while still being kind to the planet. Here are some tips for you to consider when planning your Halloween event this year.

1. Simplicity is the way to go

You might want to re-think your over-the-top plans for your Halloween event. Remember, less is always more. If you can opt for a simpler decor for your home and a lesser scale party, not only will you help save the planet, you will also be able to impart to your children the value of moderation.

2. Go for digital invitations

Instead of printing your party invites, go digital and send your invitations online. There are several apps and websites (see e-vite.com) that will help you create a personalized invitation for free. But if you’re really into actual invitations and would rather go old school, you can create your own handmade cards from recycled paper products.

3. Activities and games

You know what’s a great way to have a fun-filled green Halloween? Focus on the intangible — games and activities instead of tangible stuff. Remember, laughter and good memories need not cost a thing, and it doesn’t leave a carbon footprint either.

4. Make homemade costumes

What better way to showcase your creativity and style than to make your own Halloween costume? Chances are, there are outfit gems tucked in your closet, waiting for a second breathe of life. It’s about time you rummage into your closet and re-purpose your old clothes. This is easier on the pocket, too!

5. Make your own treats

Skip the individually-wrapped candies and chocolates and choose to make your own treats instead. Surely, you can whip up something even better than the plastic-wrapped, highly-commercialized, conservatives-laden treats you can buy in stores.

6. DIY decorations

Mason jars, plastic gallons, bottles, old books — stir your creative juices a little bit and you can turn these items into fancy Halloween decor. The options are endless!

recycled halloween decor_book

photo source

 

7. Natural decor works, too!

Another option is to use natural materials for your decorations. Twigs, plants, pumpkins, or even fruits — tweak it a little and you’ll have your very own artsy-craftsy decorations!

8. Say no to plastic trick-or-treat buckets

Those orange smiley buckets might be a Halloween tradition for kids, but the plastic material is another contributor to environmental degradation. This year, choose organic baskets, non-plastic locally-made buckets or recyclable materials. Explain to your kids, too why this is so much better for Mother Earth!

9. Skip disposable party items

During your Halloween parties, make sure to use regular plates, utensils, and glasses. These reusable items are so much more eco-friendly than plastic cups and paper plates.

10. Store your décors and costumes 

Do not dispose decorations and Halloween materials. Make sure to keep them in storage to be used in next year’s Halloween, and in the coming Halloweens to come.

So, are you ready for an EEK-O-FRIENDLY Halloween? This coming October 25, drop by at Primavera Residences for a carnival-style, pre-halloween bash. Win prizes, get discounts and freebies, and join the fun games.

For more information, visit www.primaveraresidences.com or www.facebook.com/condoprimavera. You can also call 088-880-5002. 

 

Simple Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Everyday

April 22 is Earth Day, and this year’s theme is “ “Earth Day Everyday, Everywhere, for Everyone”. How exactly can we do that in our own little ways?

See our tips below.

 

We can never be too grateful for whatever nature has to offer us – from the food that we eat to what we wear to the things that we use and the buildings we are in. The earth is so bountiful it can give us anything we need for survival. So, we celebrate Earth Day every April 22 to recognize the bounties of nature and to always remind ourselves that we must play a big part in keeping our earth a healthy place to live in.

Have you been doing your share in nurturing your environment? I bet you have, and I’d also like to share a few simple eco-friendly tips you might like to try.

1. Recycle Office Supplies

Papers, notebooks, and boxes in your office are very useful recyclable materials. Call yourself a hoarder, but keeping scratches of papers, empty boxes and used notebooks can go a long way in saving trees from being cut down. Save blank back portions of scratch papers for printing documents or you can cut them to post-it or notepad sizes for scribbling. Empty boxes can be used for stocking paper files. Smaller cartons can be used for gift packing.

In Japan, many offices already follow the paperless policy where documents are disseminated over the internet or saved in flash drives. Well, if we can’t attain a paperless workplace for now, maybe we’ll have to go with recycling first.

 

2. Grow Your Own Garden

Try gardening as a hobby and you will probably appreciate the dirt works after seeing your plants grow or grasses grow green and thick on your front lawn. Try planting small trees on the corner lot or at your backyard. Trees provide good supply of oxygen and shade during hot weather. Grow some flower-bearing plants on your front lawn. If you have a bigger lot space, try growing fruit trees. Just learn tips in nurturing them from the internet.

 

3. Segregate Waste Properly

Here is a very simple yet ironically difficult tip to follow – separating waste accordingly. We have been used to throwing all kinds of trash in a single trash bin, but we don’t realize that by doing so, we make it difficult to help in recycling these garbage. Segregating them properly according to biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste makes it easier to identify which to recycle and reuse.

If you want to try more eco-friendly tips and share them with family or friends, visit and follow the official Primavera Residences Facebook page. The page  regularly posts tips that are very doable and easy to follow. You can try them in your own homes. Your own little ways in saving the earth can go a long way in keeping Mother Earth a better place to live in.

Here are some tips from the Primavera Residences Facebook page.

Primavera Eco tips

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Being the premier eco-friendly high-rise condominium in CDO, Primavera Residences has its full support in caring for our environment by joining the Earth Day Eco Fair at SM City Cagayan de Oro Atrium last April 22, 2014. The exhibit showcased the green and sustainable features of Primavera Residences.

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Interested to know more about the first and only eco-friendly property in Cagayan de Oro and its green architectural design? Click here.

Green Photography Tips

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Green Photography Tips from Mr. Ranke Lim of Oro Photographic Society

 

Going green is the new thing. From the use of recyclable materials in homes and in offices to renewable energy sources and even with photography, green is not only in, but it is slowly becoming a standard.

Photography is a popular hobby with many enthusiasts of all ages, but the term green photography may be non-standard to your ears. It may refer to taking images of nature, but it is not just about that.

What is green photography then?

The application of green photography refers to the responsible use of environmentally sustainable resources and showing environmental awareness in your photographs. Professional photographers and amateurs alike practice the value of being eco-friendly by being conscious and sensitive to the changes going on in their environment such as climate or weather change, increased global warming and pollution of different sorts, incorporating these factors in what they do.

The goal of green photography is to create positive impact to the environment by illustrating it in the images they take. This can be a challenge to many photographers out there as going green is still not commonly practiced by a lot us these days, or it is something that still overwhelms us.

How can you be a green photographer?

Here are a few simple tips:

1. Nature Always Makes a Perfect Subject

 

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According to Mr. Ranke Lim, president of Oro Photography Club in Cagayan De Oro, in order to create stunning images of nature, the picture should tell a story. From macro to landscape, a photographer must employ the value of patience to be able to capture a perfect shoot at the right moment. Patience is what you need, even if takes waking up as early as 3am to capture the perfect sunrise or staying up all night so you won’t miss the star trail.

With green photography, the story in your picture must convey the message of taking care of the environment in ways you know how.

2. Application of Technical Know-How

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As mentioned at the start of this article, green photography is not just about taking pictures of nature and eco-friendly subjects. More importantly, you must be equipped with basic photography knowledge and the use of your camera. Learn the importance of ISO, aperture, shutter speed and the use of filters to take your photos to the next level and to clearly portray your story.

3. Composition Makes or Breaks a Photo

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Mr. Lim stressed that composition is one of the major essentials that makes or breaks a photo. You have to be able to let viewers appreciate nature by bringing them inside the image and invoke environmental awareness. As much as possible, a two-dimensional picture should create a three-dimensional effect. The foreground, middle ground and background with leading lines or S-curves should be able to guide the viewer to the story of your picture.

As a green photographer, your main contribution to becoming eco-friendly is to capture images with a message telling a photo viewer to make use of the three major R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. With this, you are sure to make a difference in promoting a greener environment!

 

Mr. Ranke Lim is also one of the judges in the ongoing Earth Day Photography Contest by Primavera Residences. Make sure to incorporate these tips in your entries!

Calling all amateur photographers in CDO! Join the Primavera Earth Day Photography Contest!

 

Get to know the premiere eco-friendly condo in Mindanao! Click here for more of going green tips.

5 Ways Filipinos can Adapt to Climate Change

How Filipinos can Adapt to Climate Change

How can Filipinos adapt to climate change?

The recent typhoons and floods that devastated the country should be enough proof that indeed the known and familiar weather patterns are gone. What we have now is a change in weather disturbances made more intense. And they are more destructive if we do not develop climate resiliency and allow these natural occurrences to take us unaware every time.

We cannot just rely on our policy-makers. We are part of this society. We need to put in our little efforts too in adapting to climate change.

1. Check our lifestyles. Even if we say it is not our fault that we are experiencing this climate change, we cannot deny that each of us has a carbon footprint. We can definitely help lessen carbon levels by holding our own emissions in check. And in here it might be good to say, do so even if others did not, do not and will not.

2. Check the sturdiness of your houses. If you had been complacent even if your houses had been patched up over the years with light weight materials, you might want to check if these are still durable against the more intense weather conditions.

3. Plant more trees and plants around our houses. It will certainly help cool down your house, which will help in lessening your use of fans and air conditioners. For houses without a backyard, potted plants are still a good option. It not only helps the environment but also adds to aesthetics.

4. For those who are involved in the agricultural industry, monitor your processes and outputs. There might be a new pattern emerging or there might be problems that are best addressed at the onset to prevent further damage. Try to venture into indigenous crop varieties that might not produce high yields such as their commercial counterparts but are durable and would be less prone to damages caused by intense weather.

5. Finally, monitor weather reports as often as you browse your Facebook news feed. It is not a habit of Filipinos to check the weather situation when they leave their houses. As a consequence, many get stranded outside when a storm sets in. Many are caught unaware.

Although these simple ways will not reverse the reality of climate change, these are good steps we can take to prepare ourselves and be more ready to face nature’s new challenges.

Cagayan de Oro has its own typhoon-resistant building. Find out more by clicking this link.

 

Putting a Cap to Your Energy Bills by Living in a Smart Building

Green Inner Courtyard

Look for green architecture in Uptown Cagayan de Oro. Primavera Residences, the only eco-friendly and smart building in Mindanao, is an elegant landmark in the city’s landscape and progress.

Padding bills, setting limits for consumption – these are all the rave in the marketing of companies right now. Because of these limits, we become very conscious of our every move, checking now and then if we have hit the limit or if we still have room for more activities. What if there are ways to cut bills without necessarily limiting our movements?

I am not talking about mindless consumption. We all need to be conscious and smart in the reality of finite resources. But there can be more freedom to go about some of our activities or meeting our needs without having to think of the costs related to these. Energy consumption, for example, is really a headache.

During the energy crisis in Mindanao before, I was amazed to learn that the cost of my activities actually go up somewhere towards midday and once more somewhere at night. It is not such a huge mystery actually. Normally towards midday is the hottest part of the day. People who are normally afraid to crank up their electric bills give in to their sweating and turn on the fan or the air conditioner.  It is also around this time that some people would be cooking their lunch, adding to the heat inside the homes. How can this be helped then?

The design of the structure where you are doing all of these activities is a big factor. In the sustainable real estate development in the Philippines, already there is a move for green architecture. Green architecture does not necessarily mean using only recyclable materials as what some people think. Green architecture merely means the design of the building is in harmony with nature and the environment.

The Primavera Residences, the first eco-friendly building in Mindanao, for example have smart green buildings. Pioneering eco-friendly architecture in the Philippines, it designed its buildings based on nature. These are some of the features their buildings have:

  1. There is a hollow column in the middle of the building to allow air to circulate easily. Hot air naturally rises up so the movement of the air can contribute to the breeze inside the buildings.
  2. The buildings also have an underground airpath in addition to the column.
  3. Extended ledges are added to the façade so that when the sun hits these sides of the building, shadows can be formed to shade and cool the rooms located on that side.

Other innovative designs can be considered. It is just a matter of studying our environment – and instead of manipulating with it, we work with it and maximize its nature.

Where can you find a smart building with a green inner courtyard in the Philippines? Click link.