As a developer, Rufino believes that it is vital to understand the negative impact of the construction and real-estate industry on the environment. “It is critical to take responsibility. We collectively contribute to up to 40 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions. A strong commitment to be sustainable supported by third-party certifications for all projects developed and under development is the best roadmap for developers to minimise their environmental impact,” he suggests.

To do this, efforts in conserving energy and water are fundamental. In addition, efficient waste management, disposal and diversion are also key to safeguarding the planet. “Every action counts. When it comes to preserving and regenerating our world, it will take a tremendous amount of collective action. Sometimes the younger generation feels like their actions don’t make a difference, but they do. There has been no other point in human history where the youth has had the tools, platforms and opportunities to turn every action into impact that can scale. The key is taking those steps and actions today,” Rufino adds.

Even little efforts like recycling, avoiding the use of plastic, conserving water and energy, sorting out our garbage properly, switching to more renewable energy options and taking the time to learn more about the impact of our actions to the environment, we are already contributing in our own small ways. “It is also important to consider that not everybody will be able to immediately transition to a sustainable lifestyle. And so, we begin with small steps,” the trailblazer comments.

The clock is ticking and with the planet’s current situation, we must take action now. “Given the looming climate catastrophe, there is a dire need for each of us to embrace sustainability across all aspects of our actions. We need to stand together, learn together, move together—and in the end, hope to reap the infinite benefits of sustainability for both people and the planet,” Rufino concludes.

With the goal of bringing the traditional bahay kubo into the 21st century, these two dynamos thought of using innovative ways to maximise the potential of the native bamboo home. “If you go back in time and look at what a bahay kubo looked like 100 years ago, you’ll see the same bahay kubo we see today. At Cubo, we’re using 21st-century tools and technologies to take what’s good about our native bamboo home into the present. We not only need to show the world how we can use engineered bamboo to build homes and structures [which we’re doing now], but also build an entire engineered bamboo ecosystem—from plantation to factory,” says Earl Forlales, CEO of Cubo Modular.

The award-winning Filipino company brings forth sustainable, affordable and dignified modular homes that use 90 to 95 per cent engineered bamboo. The remaining 5 to 10 per cent are standard construction materials, which are unavoidable, like stainless steel screws and bolts, galvanised iron roofing and so on. “Simply by using engineered bamboo as our main construction material, we’re already harvesting 600 kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for every ton of bamboo we use,” he adds.

Read also: 5 Interesting Facts About The Bahay Kubo, A Filipino Traditional Home

How sturdy and resilient are these modular homes then? From their experience, the very first Cubo units they installed were coincidentally tested by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake, to which all passed with flying colours. 

The construction process of a Cubo home is not one without challenges. At the height of the pandemic, one would expect delays in their operations. But because they were able to use their sustainable and scalable modular system, along with a resilient skilled team, they were able to transport, build and turnover their units from Manila to provinces like Antique in weeks. 

While sustainable practices are not new and a drastic dive into this movement may not be realistic, it is still doable if we collectively act on it in a timely manner. “Sustainability is doing things in a manner that doesn’t compromise the right of future generations to live comfortably in this world,” says Forlales.

In the next five years, Cubo aims to become a company that cultivates, more than manufactures, native bamboo to help restore our natural lands. “There is hope in finding solutions that can help rebuild the future we were promised. Start small and don’t be afraid to make a change!” says Cubo’s COO Zahra Zanjani. Sustainability is, after all, about small steps with a big vision.

See also: Sustainable Living 2021: 9 Eco-Friendly Lifestyle Brands We Love

“Sustainability is about meeting the needs for today, without compromising the ability for generations to thrive in the future, and at Bambike, it’s all about our triple-bottom-line: people, planet, progress,” says the man behind this socio-ecological enterprise that handmakes innovative bamboo bicycles with fair-trade labour and sustainable building practices. 

McClelland expounds on these three pillars. The “people” means investing in communities and focusing on capacity building for livelihood development; “planet” is about green manufacturing of eco-friendly products; and “progress” calls for inclusive growth and profitability with a purpose. In Bambike, for instance, the Bambuilders, or the ones who build the bamboo bikes, are craftsmen from Gawad Kalinga, an organisation that aims to help people get out of poverty through education, scholarships and livelihood programmes. The Bambuilders represent the “people” aspect.

The products that they create are made of bamboo, which, according to McClelland is “arguably the greenest building material on the planet because of the environmental services it provides and its many applications”. Because bamboo is a kind of grass, it grows very fast and the clump does not die when mature poles are harvested selectively. “When managed properly, a bamboo supply chain is rapidly renewable and sustainable. Being available here, relatively easy to access with basic hand tools and part of a small-scale cottage industry in local communities, bamboo is amazing,” he adds. The bamboo is known to be strong and flexible and, when combined with Bambike’s in-house developed curved laminates, make for an innovative bicycle that exudes natural beauty and resilience. The creation of every Bambike is the “planet” aspect as everything, from materials to the production process, is eco-friendly.

See also: 11 Brands That Offer Sustainable Food Packaging, Utensils, And Accessories

Lastly, Bambike is continuously in pursuit of “progress” by ensuring to practising fair-trade labour and by finding other ways to put the bike to good use. An example is the Bambike Ecotours, which started in Intramuros, Manila in 2014. “Exploring places on two wheels has always been an activity that brings me great joy. There is something about the speed and scale of biking that enables you to interact with and appreciate the environment you’re in. Pedal, pedal, pedal. Get the wheels turning, glide, feel the wind in your face and put on a big smile for the whole ride,” the adventurous entrepreneur enthuses.

Bambike Ecotours also use the bamboo bicycles as a service for guided tours of the historic walled city. “Our guides serve as your Bambassadors, making sure that you are well taken care of throughout your entire experience with us at Bambike Ecotours,” he adds. The Bambike Ecotours became instrumental in educating people about Philippine history, sustainability and Bambike’s social enterprise. To date and as part of Bambike’s corporate social responsibility (CSR), the company embarked on a project called Green Spark, which highlights the establishment of a bike park and a Bambike Ecotours operation in partnership with a local government unit of Guimaras. Recently, McClelland also launched Bambike Ecotours Ligtasin Cove in Lian, Batangas, which aims to address issues involving coral reef conservation. “We see a lot of potential in using Bambike Ecotours as a sustainable livelihood tool for job creation and environmental conservation,” he explains.

Over the pandemic, McClelland’s team has seen growth in bike sales worldwide and with this, they are working to launch a balance bike for kids called Bambino. This product is made of engineered bamboo curves bolted together in locally fabricated metal brackets. According to McClelland, it is “an award-winning design that enables to produce a consistent product at a higher volume and lower price point”. Bambino just recently achieved ISO certification. “Sustainability is sexy. It will be integral to all businesses moving forward, across all industry sectors. Go outside, ride a bike, smile,” McClelland wraps up.

Read also: 5 Bike Trails In Metro Manila & Nuvali You Have To Explore ASAP

“Choose service over fear” is a piece of advice this young entrepreneur takes to heart, realising that as humans, “we are always fearful of change, new beginnings, bold opportunities, going out of our comfort zone and simply not knowing”. Unbeknownst to Sevilla, this advice on embracing change would be helpful in her current business ventures: EcoNest, a distributor of eco-friendly packaging such as bagasse food containers, bamboo pulp straws and cassava bags; and SACHI, the pioneer manufacturer of cassava bioplastics in the Philippines.

Moved by her frustration to find packaging that is truly environment-friendly, Sevilla established EcoNest in 2018. She hoped to provide a reliable solution to the inaccessibility of advanced eco-friendly packaging items in the Philippines. “I could not get myself to just accept that using paper packaging still lined with plastic can already be considered as sustainable and green,” she explains. This triggered her to research the most viable alternatives that are accessible.

Serendipitously, her now business partner and fiancé Joshua Caampued, who was based in Tokyo at that time, showed Sevilla several eco-friendly packaging options used, of which a video of a cassava bag melted in hot water and was completely gulped down by the presenter caught her attention. “There was of course a disclaimer that it is not intended for consumption. It blew my mind and from that day on I vowed that I would make sure that my fellow Filipinos will never experience my frustration about getting their hands on truly eco-friendly packaging,” she continues. From then, the first batch of cassava bio bags was sent to the Philippines and EcoNest was born.

Read also: 6 Women Shaping the Startup Space in the Philippines

Consequently, Sevilla co-founded SACHI together with her good friend Prince Ang, who shares the same vision of creating packaging from renewable resources. Two years in the making, the company is now confident and equipped to produce cassava bags in the Philippines. 

Sevilla shares, that their three brand pillars are: 1) preventing further damage to our environment by the effective distribution of plant-based packaging alternatives; 2) changing the mindset of the market by educating the community regarding the actual impact, root causes and end of life considerations when using packaging items; and 3) sustaining these efforts by encouraging stakeholders to take further action in alleviating the consequences of plastic and chemical wastes under their Sustainability Alliance.

“Let us now move forward by dropping old ideas that are not serving us and starting anew along the path to a more conscientious living,” she encourages.

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