Phil. architects defend 'green' claims from skeptics

The issues of "green," "greenwashing" and "sustainable building initiatives" are turning out to be contentious, with their own fair share of skeptics and proponents. They are also issues that must be addressed and resolved, especially now that the property sector faces a future inevitably shaped by climate change and a growing human population.

Last week, the Inquirer Property story "What to look for when developers claim to be green" was published and uploaded online. Almost immediately, readers reacted to the green-building ratings systems described in the article. Some of them wrote that these rating systems were "all marketing strategies" and that the Philippines was just following the hype that originated in the United States. One even predicted that a green accreditation rating system in the Philippines would not prosper, it being another potential source of corruption.