LEED GOLD. D&L's Central Hub is the six-story structure on the left side of the photo. This building, certified as LEED Gold, houses the central command center of D&L's new manufacturing plant in Batangas. (Courtesy of D&L)
MANILA – More Philippine companies are going “green” with the design of their buildings providing environmental, social, and governance benefits to the firm.
Adding to the growing number of buildings with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification in the country is D&L Central Hub with its new manufacturing plant in Batangas.
In a statement over the weekend, D&L said Barone International was granted Central Hub LEEDv4 Gold Certification, the second highest rating under LEED certification.
Barone International is the first sustainability consulting firm in the country.
Currently, there are 42 LEED Platinum and Gold-certified buildings in the Philippines.
“Right at the very beginning, it was our intention to have sustainability at the core of our new plant in Batangas… And true to our advocacy, we wanted to keep to a minimum level the carbon footprint of the operations itself by designing an efficient and sustainable facility,” D&L president and chief executive officer Alvin Lao said.
The six-story building serves as the central command center for the Batangas plant, which started commercial operation in July 2023.
Its sustainable architectural design, which maximizes natural right while reflecting solar heat, makes the building 20 percent more efficient than non-green buildings.
The building has water recycling system that generates 67 percent of water savings annually.
D&L’s Central Hub also features renewable fuel sources, centralized chilled water system, smart water metering, and uses low- to non-emitting materials like minimizing exposure to volatile organic compounds.
The company will also equip the building with modern technology to measure air emissions quality, wastewater effluent, and noise emissions to ensure compliance to the standards.
“Our new plant in Batangas is a next generation facility that embodies our advocacy to create a truly sustainable future. With this plant, we are proud and excited to offer to the world sustainable, natural, and organic products that are manufactured by a Filipino-owned, world-class facility,” Lao added.
According to the Green Building Information Gateway, there are 423 LEED certifications and registrations in the Philippines.
Excluding homes and neighborhood development, there are 207 LEED activities, equivalent to nearly 75 million square feet of space going green. (PNA)
