Township takes lead in developing PH’s first sustainable, smart city

Filinvest City is the first and only green-certified central business district with a LEED Gold in Neighborhood Development Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council and 3-star BERDE-Certification by the Philippine Green Building Council.

‘Everything — from the infrastructure to the amenities and creative

‘Everything — from the infrastructure to the amenities and creative activations — are in place to support Filinvest City becoming the first smart city in the country where people and the environment can benefit from each other.’ 

Improvements and innovations at Filinvest City, the first sustainable and smart city in the country, are not about to slow down despite all the developments that have been achieved over the past 30 years.

The township looks forward to the next three decades at the 244-hectare prime property in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

As the first and only green-certified central business district in the country, Filinvest City is awarded with a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold in Neighborhood Development Certification by the US Green Building Council, as well as a BERDE-Certification with a 3-star rating under the Philippine Green Building Council.

Fully integrated and self-contained, the development is divided into districts with a balanced mix of developments such as residences, leisure hubs, top educational institutions, and medical and wellness facilities, all within close proximity for easy walkability and safety.

“We believe these features of Filinvest City are the main reasons its land value continues to appreciate over time. The city continues to evolve and modernize to meet the ever-changing needs of people,” said Don Ubaldo, first vice president for townships of Filinvest Alabang Inc.

Filinvest City started taking significant steps beginning with the city’s security, connectivity and accessibility.

For motorists, Filinvest City offers an ecological parking facility featuring two slots of e-vehicle charging stations for public use.

To involve and inspire the community to recycle, the parking area of this charging station features sustainable pavers which use far less equipment in production, Filinvest City has partnered with Green Antz to upcycle residents’ plastics into building materials that would be used for purposeful display at Filinvest City’s Central Park.

Bike racks are also available around Filinvest City parks

Further strengthening its commitment to sustainability, Filinvest City has installed the District Cooling System in 2017, the largest cooling facility in the Philippines that enables 16 of the city’s buildings to outsource chilled water needed to cool their interiors at Northgate Cyberzone.

Filinvest City has also upgraded its existing sewage treatment plant and introduced a new water treatment plant, enabling it to safely recycle and reuse water for landscaping.

In the city’s commercial developments like Festival Mall, solar panels have been operating since January 2022, a 2.8 MWp solar rooftop solution at Filinvest Land Inc.’s Festival Mall in Alabang. The intelligent system will supply about 28 percent of the mall’s peak demand and save close to 41,000 tons of CO2, an equivalent to removing approximately 9,000 cars off the roads of Metro Manila.

Since security is a key pillar of communities like Filinvest City, for better monitoring, management and recording of city activities, it has installed CCTVs in strategic locations and common areas of the city.

As part of the city’s rapid move as a smart city is the infrastructure for connectivity to grant public access to free WIFI, allowing them to utilize the city’s service and operating systems for free. This includes the FC App, the city’s app that commuters will be able to use to get access to the Get Pass online feature which has a GPS integration to track the PWD-friendly Global Electric Transport (GET) Comet E-Vehicle – a cashless and environment-friendly commuter transport system to help Filinvest Cityzens to get around the city.

For Filinvest City’s parks, many improvements are also set to happen to provide ease and better wellness for people and nature. Solar powered streetlights will soon cover the walkways of Filinvest City Central Park. Smart benches will also be provided where people can use wireless phone chargers.

To celebrate Filinvest City’s meaningful first 30 years and to continue its smart, sustainable initiatives where people can get more actively involved, it has organized the “Run for the Future: Building a ECOmmunity Together”, a fun run perfect for family, friends and even pets last August 26. Participants were able to enjoy great food and performances from Spongecola, The Ridleys, and DJ Wicked Adobo. Proceeds of the event were donated to Pedro E. Diaz High School, in partnership with the Environmental Sanitation Center, Muntinlupa.

“Everything we do is intentional – from the infrastructure to the amenities and creative activations around the city. They are all in place to support our move towards becoming the first smart city in the country where people and the environment can benefit from each other,” said Ubaldo.

Source: https://malaya.com.ph/news_special_feature/township-takes-lead-in-develo...