People cannot be the main object of tourism – that was my first thought. If there’s anything that comes to mind when talking about tourism, people would be the last in my list. In fact, in my recent travels abroad, there were only 3 things in my list – accommodation, transportation and places to visit. To go with these 3 items, I should have 2 things – money to spend and a map of direction. If and when schedules allow, “friends and relatives” are also in my list and I consider them as “companions” rather than mere “people” – as the main object of tourism in those countries. In short, what I am saying is that tourists are no longer directly dependent on “people” (note: I am not saying “relatives and friends”) to make pleasure trips truly memorable.

On second thought, people could make or break tourism. It becomes a very important ingredient – not the main object – in making tourism something to enjoy, something that makes the taste buds salivate and crave for more.

The Philippines can offer a menu of places and activities which will surely make tourists come to the country. Name it and we have it – from Pagudpud in the north to Island Garden City of Samal in the south. From historical landmarks to natural landscape formation, from museums, old churches and cultural heritage areas to sophisticated high rise modern buildings, from ukay-ukay to branded or signature items, from Italian to oriental cuisines, from musicals to stage plays to theater shows, and from whatever-you-call-it to whatever-others-may-call-it. We have almost everything to satisfy the different tastes of the most exploring and adventurous tourists on earth. In fact, it would take at least a couple of weeks to explore and exploit the unique and exotic beauty of the Philippines.

For a long time now, we have all these, yet the tourism industry of the country has not really flourish as it should be. While there were increases in tourist arrivals over the years (thanks to “Wow Philippines!”), the industry’s share to the total gross domestic product of the country remains low (no thanks to “Pilipinas kay Ganda”!) compared to what it could potentially contribute.

To further develop the tourism sector, it is not enough that we have the exciting activities and festivities, the beautiful and majestic sceneries, and the ever-loving and hospitable Filipino people. Likewise, it necessitates not just international promotion and marketing. For me, it requires us to see our tourism industry with “FUN” so that at the end of the day, we could see that there certainly is more fun in the Philippines. The acronym FUN (according to my own dictionary) stands for:

F – for facilities and amenities. Clean, safe, convenient and comfortable facilities and amenities are essential to the industry. These include provisions for board and lodging, parking, convenience stores, health and wellness centers and emergency services accessibly located where tourists are expected to go.

U – for utilities and support services. Tourists that come to the country either on business or mere pleasure are mobile – they want to go places, and they would like their contact back home unrestrained. A must in the development of the industry are reliable, safe, convenient, comfortable, accessible and affordable transport and communication networks, and a reliable and safe power supply.

N – for nearby tourist attractions. Whether on business or pleasure trip, tourists always want to see something unique, awesome and extraordinary when they travel to a different place. They would like to have a good taste and a firsthand experience of what they hear about the country and everything that the country can offer them.

The challenge for the DOT now is to be able to lead, mobilize and engage the right people, not just the generic “us” in enjoining everybody to cooperate, to make everything possible. When I say the right people, I am referring to the private sector – the business people – who can help provide at the right place and at the right time the F, the U and the N to make the country a true destination where there is certainly more fun. Fun without the FUN is no fun.

If we look inward to our country and assess what actually happened in year 2011, we could probably wish that the feng shui predictions for this year would really come true. We did not have a very bad performance in terms of economic growth last year but it nonetheless needs some significant improvements. Hence, we can give our country and our economy another chance to do better this time. This however seems to be a repeat of our wish last year and all the years that had passed.

According to the most recent Pulse Asia survey, 38% of all respondents believed that our economy deteriorated in the last 12 months between October 2010 and November 2011, and 18% said it improved while 40% said it has remained unchanged. To put it simply and to quote the survey result, it says: “the percentage of Filipinos saying the economy is better now declined by 12 percentage points while the percentage of those who observe a deterioration in the Philippine economy increased by 22 percentage points.”

The result of the survey further says: “Among those who say the Philippine economy is in a worse state now than a year ago, 66% were strongly affected by this perceived economic deterioration, 31% were somehow affected and only 3% did not feel the impact of the worsening economic situation in the country.”

I will stop there because the figures alone could already tell the whole and real story.

On the other hand, if we look at what the economists and leading development institutions have to say about our prospects for year 2012, we can find the following: (a) according to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch in its “Global Economic Weekly” released last week, the Philippine economy is expected to grow faster this year; (b) according to the First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC) and the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) in their joint 2012 Economic Outlook Briefing also held last week, “the country’s GDP is projected at 5%-6% anchored on an anticipated increase in government spending, robust dollar remittances from OFWs and higher consumption spending”; and (c) according to UA&P economist Victor A. Abola, “…the domestic sector will do well and the lagging sectors last year will bring the economy into the fast lane,” referring to the agriculture, mining, construction and manufacturing sectors.

In terms of investments, gaming, infrastructure and consumer sectors are expected to also remain favorable for investors.

Further, many economists believe that government spending is expected to contribute in sustaining economic growth this year owing to its big-ticket items under the public-private partnership (PPP) program and the DPWH’s other infrastructure projects slated for construction this year. Hopefully, this scenario will create more jobs and employment opportunities which in turn are expected to boost personal consumption and consumer spending to higher levels this year.

Likewise, it is foreseen that international trade performance will also improve with export earnings growing by 5%-7% coming from a “negative performance” last year, while import earnings will likely grow by 10%. Inflation this year, on the other hand, is seen to ease within the 3.5%-to-3.7% range.

On the whole, the forecasts on the economic performance of the country for this year offer some rays of hope to all of us. What seems to be the only negative prospect for the year is the exchange rate which is projected at P43-P45 per dollar – as the US economy is expected to continue to outperform the euro zone. With the economic rebound of the US, it is anticipated that the peso will depreciate against the dollar. As of this writing, the peso-dollar exchange rate is now P44 per US dollar, compared to P43.8 per US dollar just a month ago, or P42 per US dollar some 5 months ago. While this may seem negative, it has positive effects to OFW remittances and international trade.

As the year further unfolds, most of these positive projections and prospects will not happen without leadership, hard work, persistence and policy stability. Many believe that starting the year right would also mean a year of good disposition and prospects. And starting the year right means doing what we need to do – facing squarely the problems of the nation and moving it towards economic progress that is felt by all. If we just let things unfold, the positive forecasts and projections will remain fictional and illusionary, just like the Dragon – the only fictional animal in the Chinese Zodiac.

An entrepreneur, as most people know, is somebody who has chosen to take the path of being his or her own boss and engaged in a micro, small or medium enterprise as one’s main means of livelihood. What distinguishes an entrepreneur from a lifestyle entrepreneur is that the latter’s main motivation is the lifestyle that comes with being independent from the employment grind, and not the level of income or financial rewards that may or may not come with owning a business.

Nowadays, there are so many outside stimuli that have influenced people on what it means to have a life. This means going beyond the stressful office-housework schedule and having enough time to stop and smell the roses. Travel, leisure activities, watching the children grow, working from home, pursuing a hobby that brings contentment and peace – these have now become part and parcel of a routine that is defined as ideal. They have also been among the main motivations why more and more people choose to be lifestyle entrepreneurs.

In selecting a business, most lifestyle entrepreneurs select a field that reflects their competencies and interests. While most of them are mid-career professionals who may have a small amount set aside for the future, these fields usually require minimal start-up capital and fueled by the entrepreneur’s drive and passion.

I have a friend in his mid-thirties who was an upper middle manager in one of the biggest advertising firms in the country. He was making more than enough to subsidize life in a middle class neighborhood in Manila, and travelled constantly within and outside the Philippines for work. It was exciting when he was in his twenties, he told me, but after the birth of his daughter, my friend told me that the satisfaction he felt with every successful pitch suddenly paled in comparison to the happiness he felt when he was home.

With the support of his stay-at-home wife, my friend turned his back on his lucrative but backbreaking advertising career and started a small bakeshop and advertising consultation business. The money, he admits, is a far cry from his old income. In order to increase their savings, he sold his two-bedroom condominium in Ortigas and transferred to a house in Rizal. “At the start, I made just enough for my family’s needs”, he shares, “and it took some adjustments on all of us. But that little thing is nothing compared to the fact that when I woke up, I would smile because I know I didn’t have to sit through another meeting or travel and be gone for two weeks. My daughter’s asthma cleared up because of the fresher air in Rizal. The work I have to do now is the same as before, but the big difference is that I work from home. My family is happy, and I am happy. And that is more important to me than a six-figure salary. I am living the life I want now, and I’m glad that I did not wait for my retirement to enjoy my life and my family.”

To some, being a lifestyle entrepreneur might be a luxury that can only be indulged in by successful mid-lifers. But I beg to disagree. If you have gone beyond mere survival (that is, successfully struggled beyond earning just enough for basic food, shelter and clothing) and find yourself always asking if you could start pursuing a higher purpose in life that gives you true satisfaction, look inward and ask yourself if you can make being a lifestyle entrepreneur work for you – the same way taking the plunge has worked beautifully for me.

Feel free to send your comments to nic_agustin@yahoo.com.

I was dumbfounded. Here I was – polite, law-abiding, driving a registered vehicle with a valid driver’s license, a taxpayer and fully paid of a year’s worth of road taxes – and I was being unjustly punished because a slow, illegal, unregistered trisiboat cut me off. Shock turned to comprehension, then anger – which probably registered on my face, and offered motivation for the MMDA to let me go.

Such occurrences may be rare in Manila, but the scenario is different in Davao. Here, my daily drives will always include a close encounter with a trisiboat, a trisikad, a tricycle, a payong and all forms of excruciatingly slow motorized and non-motorized conveyances that transport people, animals, vegetables, scrap metal, cartons and boxes, eggs, gasul tanks, beds and sofas AND the kitchen sink – and trailing behind them, a long line of vehicles driven by flabbergasted motorists who cannot believe that their commute is being dictated by a tin can travelling on three wheels that law enforcers are inutile to do anything about.

The trisiboat problem is like a large tumor that indicates a cancer lurking beneath. It is an indicator of poor governance, of a local government that chooses to watch as the cancer spreads – without doing anything. It is not merely a traffic problem – it is an indicator of a system that allows people with the audacity and impunity to not follow rules to have the upper hand, while all other Davaoenos suffer through worsening conditions on the streets of the city they used to love passionately, but slowly beginning to detest.

I used to rant that these pseudo-vehicles should be totally banned from Davao. But conversations with some local officials have somehow changed my stand – they tell me banning them will deprive Davao’s poor of a means of livelihood. Given this humane argument then, how to solve the trisiboat problem? The answer is to regulate them, but regulate them rationally.

First, require registration. All conveyances must be registered, and unregistered trikes must be embargoed and released only when its rightful owner finishes the registration process. The city government can determine a fair rate for registration – one that inculcates a sense of responsibility and accountability for ALL who make a living in Davao.

Second, regulation. I believe such modes of transport have no place in national and major roads and the downtown area. How many times have I seen a payong being followed by a cargo truck in Diversion? Quite disturbing! Trisiboats, trisikads, tricycles and payongs should be limited to areas where no other forms of public transportation are available, to allow for the efficient flow of traffic. These conveyances are redundant when jeepneys ply their route. Most ideally, they should only be an option within and to and from residential areas where public transport is absent. Thus, registered trikes should have defined routes and even times of operation. That way, it complements the existing transport offerings and maximizes usefulness while minimizing its nuisance-ness.

Third, standardization. This means strict guidelines on how they should look (e.g. color-coding for those plying a specific, official route, including assigning body numbers for easy monitoring), how many passengers they can carry (at least, an effort for passenger safety) and maybe even a uniform for its drivers (to give them some dignity while they pursue a living, not just a pathetic excuse for livelihood).

I am looking forward to the day when trisiboats have found their rightful place – a place that respects my rights as a motorist, and in Davao – a city that will not allow them to multiply like a plague of termites that eats away at the slight semblance of order we have in our streets. Only then will I be able to say that life, indeed, is here.

Feel free to send your comments to nic_agustin@yahoo.com.

It is undeniable that we are becoming increasingly dependent on technology to live and make a living. But it is pioneers like Steve Jobs, who gave us beautifully designed tools for modern existence and successfully changed our lives with their vision. If you are glued to your iPhone, iPod, iPad and laptop, Steve Jobs indeed change your world. “I” ceased merely to be a letter symbolizing the egotistic side of human nature – it became instead a prefix for something excellently designed, innovative and desirable in a way that makes you say iWant and iNeed. And want and need the results of Steve Jobs’ imagination, we did.

While there are many of us who would like to leave the world with such an impact, few demonstrate actual temerity to see such noble intentions through. But making ripples in this world, no matter how minuscule in comparison to legendary behemoths such as Apple, still need to be celebrated. And it is in this light that I would like to share how Steve Jobs brought my son to Vancouver Fashion Week.

Steve Jobs said: “Do what you love to do. Find your true passion. Make a difference. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” My son heeded the siren call of fashion design while practicing his trade in the airline industry and a diplomatic mission. He recognized that skills and an education were critical prerequisites to succeeding in this highly competitive and creative field, so he worked hard to get the fundamentals down pat.

But therein lies a caveat – passion alone is not enough to get results. Many may profess to be passionate about something – say photography or the culinary arts – but only 20% or less would be willing to put in the constant, unwavering sacrifice of becoming simply competent.

Steve Jobs said: “Do your best at every job. Don’t sleep! Success generates more success so be hungry for it.” It is this hunger that will allow you to attend, participate and work hard in every single class you signed up for, despite long, daily commutes from Manila to Taguig to attend to your uncompromising and exacting full-time job.

“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works”, said Jobs. And so, upon finishing his design course, my son realized that creativity and excellence were two principles that needed to be practiced and obsessively ensured in every aspect of his professional life – and that they were not mutually exclusive. Creativity leads to innovation, while excellence ensures the delivery of products resulting from your innovation.

But there was something else that Steve Jobs said: “Be different, think different”, and so the fledgling designer decided to concentrate on menswear, not only to avoid jumping into the oversaturated pool of women’s clothes but because the former was his true passion. With his field defined, my son decided to hold on to another Jobs mantra: “People judge you by your performance, so focus on the outcome. Be a yardstick of quality.” And a stickler for quality, the designer became.

The proof is in the pudding, they say, and soon enough, Philippine Fashion opened its doors to the designer to showcase the results of his hard work on the runway, retail shops, intimate shows for fashion insiders and all forms of media – print, television and the web. The mileage was not a result of some weird popularity contest but from practicing another sage advice from the founder of Apple: “Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected. Advertise. And deliver.”

Last October 1, Nico Agustin successfully presented his collection during the maiden Vancouver Men’s Fashion Week, being one of only two foreigners invited to show in the event. He got a standing ovation. And pieces were hailed by fashion media as part of the emerging menswear trends in North America.

The success of our fellowmen is a blessing to others with its capacity to inspire – and so I end this article with another insight to push you, dear reader, in the same direction as that nerd who changed the world: “Start small, think big. Don’t worry about too many things at once. Take a handful of simple things to begin with, and then progress to more complex ones. Think about not just tomorrow, but the future. Put a ding in the universe.”

You can. In the same way that my son has put a ding in mine.

Feel free to send your comments to nic_agustin@yahoo.com

The most amazing thing is that these are mere products of young minds. Time has greatly changed. Before, practical arts or vocational subjects were focused on the use of indigenous raw materials to create and recreate things. It was plainly reproducing existing objects into something more beautiful but functionally the same. Science before was more on observation and learning about the existing world – what it. Today, there is now the integration of science, technology and practical arts. It allows young minds to challenge the existing order by recreating and improving it.

Young minds can easily generate new ideas simply because they think about what-ifs and other possibilities. They can go beyond existing norms, set rules and standards. Their only guides are logic and science. Consequently, they produce something different. Wonderful! Consider for example the car fueled by solar energy produced by college student of a university in Manila. To some, this may not seem very new as the principles that guided the production of the solar energy-powered vehicle have long been in existence. The guts and daring spirit of these students to combine different technologies and principles that enabled them to produce it made all the difference.

It’s not merely the production of new things. It’s about the application of knowledge to produce relevant, useful and globally competitive new products. To me, that’s the real essence of invention.

We claim that Filipinos are great inventors. We claim that certain products were invented by well-known and not-so-well-known Filipinos. Some of these claims were contested; some were simply ignored. The fluorescent lamp is a classic example.

In another television show, some old Filipino scientists and inventors were aired as they call the attention of the government to provide them with funding support so that they could continue to harness their inventions or creations. The inventions that stuck me most were: the super kalan (cooking stove) fueled by the traditional charcoal but more effective in producing the needed heat; a dust pan with wheels so that you can simply drag it as you clean the house; and a disposable plastic cover for toilet bowl rim to protect you from unnecessary infection when using public toilets.

Are these the type of “new” creations that require funding support from the government? There’s really nothing new with the super kalan which I have heard about some 20 years ago. It just evolved into something physically more attractive, and perhaps, more functionally effective, but it applied the same basic principles in each stage of its evolution. No addition or introduction of new knowledge. No integration or combination with new technology. Call it a Filipino brand of cooking stove; it doesn’t make sense.

What about the dust pan with wheels? Why not invent a remote controlled vacuum cleaner by combining the principles of robotics and the usual operation of a vacuum cleaner. Yes, this is already in existence. The challenge is to make it a Filipino brand with the materials it is made of and the source of power to operate it. The idea is to advance what we have originally invented into something that projects intelligence, knowledge and technology – something that we can be proud of in the international market. We then have to think global – becoming at par with the quality of products of the rest of the world.

I am not trying to be little old inventions. It is just that I don’t feel comfortable by having these products as eternal novelties of Filipino ingenuity. I believe that we can do more; we can do better.

If the government needs to invest, let it be for the further development of the young minds. Invest in schools as they advance their curricula in research and development, and in science and technology.

Metro Manila serves as model for growing cities – a model of best practices worth replicating to some other cities, and a model of worst and lamentable situations to avoid. On the whole, however, it remains as the country’s dominant showcase of advancement and the main center of opportunities and possibilities.

The growth of Metro Cebu followed the pattern of growth of Metro Manila albeit in a faster and more dynamic manner. What is good with Cebu City and Metro Cebu is that they applied most of the lessons learned from the experiences of Metro Manila and other key cities worldwide. Thus, they were able to avoid some traps and pitfalls of urbanization. Metro Cebu has also allowed the market forces to operate but the local governments exist to correct market failures and inefficiencies. In a sense, their own strengths are reinforced while new and correct measures and directions are constantly provided. It is not a perfect place yet but Metro Cebu, particularly Cebu City, has clearly put itself in the map just how it is right now. Cebu is Cebu period.

Davao, on the other hand, remains as the third primate city in the country. Whether a far or a close third to Cebu, it doesn’t really matter. It has its own brand of progress and development – distinct and unique to its socio-cultural and political settings. Yet, as the presumed leader of development in Mindanao, it has to play its role well. It has to project itself not how political leaders would claim Davao City to be but how key development players and stakeholders, such as the business and the civil society, would actually see it.

Development is usually and traditionally measured by esoteric indicators and statistics. However, real development is something that can be felt and seen. It is not something that can be announced, proclaimed or claimed; it simply becomes apparent and self-evident. At the end of the day, development is something that one cannot hide; it manifests itself in many forms – pleasant to the senses.

In bringing about development, the roles of the business sector and the civil society are critical. They also serve as the ultimate indicator of satisfied constituents, investors, service providers and service beneficiaries. They are very sensitive to the signals of opportunities and relevance. Their radar can likewise detect risks and danger to investments and other economic ventures. The message is that the government must provide that safe ground for these development players to operate and bring about sustainable growth and development.

Gone were the days when growth can be relegated to the natural wave of trade and commerce. As can be seen, many cities have taken strong position and have taken great strides to prove that they can also be dominant or be the leaders of their own. Their common denominator is the shared vision between the concerned local governments and the private sector (business and civil society). They have that mutual respect to allow one to correct the failures of the other. That is efficiency working to the advantage of both and, consequently, benefitting the whole society.

Soon enough, primacy in progress and development will no longer be determined by how cities where in the past. Very soon, primacy will just become part of the history unless there is that expressed and apparent determination to take necessary bold actions that go beyond mere palliative and disjointed solutions to basic social and economic problems. Do something more. Attract more investments. Build and strengthen infrastructure support facilities so that business can thrive. Construct more building and facilities to meet prospective business demands and requirements. Industrialize. Carve your economic niche. Create your own brand.

The bottomline: clearly, it is a game that private sector can excellently play! The challenge is how to make them play in your home court.

Ask any Filipino today, and ten out of ten would respond that corruption is alive, well and thriving despite widely-publicized efforts to implement the slogan “kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap”. The continued preponderance of poverty affecting 40 million of our countrymen is a painful testament that indeed, corruption continues to run in the veins of our poor nation. Marami pa ring mahirap, dahil marami pa ring kurakot.

In 1999, the World Bank submitted a list of recommendations to combat corruption in the Philippines. One of these recommendations has had a resurging resonance to me in light of efforts to hold the previous president’s administration accountable for the bad choices it has made. This recommendation is, and I quote verbatim from the WB report, “the cure for the culture of impunity is to fry the big fish.” At this time, I could not think of a bigger fish to fry than the former president. If the noontime program Showtime has a portion that has people shouting “sample, sample!”, so does this administration’s anti-corruption efforts that center on the sick congresswoman say the same – it is sampling at the highest level.

However, these same efforts fail to bring home the point that corruption takes on various forms at different levels and is not the sole domain of national government leaders. The lowliest clerk in the private sector can and have fallen prey to the evil siren song of making a quick buck at the expense of order and decency.

Bribery, extortion, nepotism, patronage, graft and embezzlement are all forms of corruption that we have helplessly accepted as being part of our entire system of doing and getting things done. In a SWS survey in 2007, three out of five company managers were asked for a bribe by government officials to get things done – that is extortion. In another WB-IFC enterprise survey in 2003, 45% of surveyed companies in the Philippines admitted to paying bribes. However, bribery is a tango that is willingly danced by both briber and bribe; thus, both parties are and should be equally accountable.

There is actually a need for all of us to re-imagine our own perception of corruption. Because while the bribee may have benefitted directly and immediately from a corrupt transaction, the briber was also able to circumscribe the process that seeks to put things in order. He benefits greatly from the transaction as well – a benefit that should not have been but so easily given.

Transactions like these do not only compromise the integrity of the system, but also has detrimental economic, environmental and social effects. Corruption increases the cost of doing business and discourages the entry of investments. It also results to the weak enforcement of laws that protect the environment because implementers willingly bend the rules to accommodate their new best friends. Corruption compromises the already scant resources needed to improve social conditions. A high corruption index also means that humanitarian aid will not be so willingly provided even when we need it the most – sometimes, even these forms of assistance are subject to corruption.

An informed public is key to changing the perception that corruption entails low risks and great rewards. In abolishing the myth of the free lunch, every person – whether with government or the private sector – should live in an environment where being corrupt means risking one’s dignity for measly change. That free lunch – merely knowing that corruption exists and you are part of the enabling environment that allows it to thrive – can even cause illness and death. Angie Reyes, Atty. Benjie Pinpin of DBP, cervical spine, multiple heart problems!

Running after corruptors is laudable, but it is akin to running a race with no finish line. It is reactionary rather than proactive, and for any effort to curb corruption to be successful, it must be transformed into a series of efforts that build up on each other to ensure sustainability of efforts and the ultimate eradication of the evil.

Deregulation and policy reforms are a necessary first step – including strengthening the sanctions for corruption – so that those that are pre-judged are not (unjustly) crucified by public opinion but tried and punished within the bounds of law. Public participation in the drive against corruption is also a key ingredient, together with civil service reform that encourages meritocracy instead of mediocrity. The private sector and the media must also police its ranks against their own corrupt practices in order to strengthen their ascendancy in conducting checks and balances for government processes. Lastly, government must try its hardest to regain public trust for institutions that have – but should not have been – tainted with corruption. The Ombudsman, the Sandigan and other judicial bodies should step away from the politics that has subverted them to the same ranks as other corrupt agencies.

Feel free to send your comments to nic_agustin@yahoo.com.

But there has been no other architectural movement that has resonated with my own personal values more than sustainable building.

Sustainable building or green construction champions energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in the siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and even demolition of structures where human beings live, work and play. What began in the US as a response to the 1970 fossil fuel crisis has now become the new global buzzword – and it has successfully transcended boundaries.

It doesn’t matter whether one is from a developed or developing nation, if one is an aspiring trendsetter with the intention of living in a showcase of the “next big thing in homes” or an ordinary homeowner with just a few hundred thousand for renovation or construction – building and living green has crept into the consciousness of almost every person who has thought of the state of his abode in this past year. This is testament to its strong market appeal, reinforced by noble intentions and spurred by an urge to contribute something in light of climate change or a personal concern for the environment.

But what exactly does it mean to build green?

We can break it down into three basic elements: materials, the structure itself and the way the structure is used.

The materials used to build green must satisfy the following criteria: they must be renewable, sustainable, recycled or recyclable and locally available. This ensures that the resources put into the structure do not compromise ecological balance, and the transport and actual use of the materials do not leave a significant carbon footprint in the process of construction.

The structure itself must be designed in such a way that maximizes and blends into what nature has to offer. Windows should allow for the natural circulation of air. Roofs should be slanted to facilitate rainwater harvesting, and may even play host to gardens that allow grass, plants or even food to grow. Cleverly placed eaves and other similar elements help direct sunlight in what would otherwise be dark corners that require lighting and therefore additional electricity, but with the rays not providing a straight hit that results to prolonged air-conditioning.

But what good is a green structure if the practices of its users remain unsustainable? Even the selection of simple fixtures can determine if a homeowner did his green homework. For example, LED lights, dual flush toilets and inverter aircons have steadily increased in popularity because of their green sensibilities. Some new commercial buildings have even installed escalators equipped with sensors that enable them to automatically turn off in the absence of passengers, or lights that do the same. At the end of the day, it is the little routines and choices that home or building owners make every day that spell the difference between a white elephant and a green one.

However, the popularity of sustainable construction and the lack of standards to define what makes a structure a green building means that every Tom, Dick and Harry who cares to present himself as an advocate of the movement can do so freely. If the nation wants to move forward sustainably and protect the green movement as it manifests itself into the places where we live, work and play, then government and advocates should begin to identify these standards – lest they be compromised. Compromised standards will uproot the seeds sowed by the best thing that ever happened to architecture – and that will make me see red.

Feel free to send your comments to nic_agustin@yahoo.com.

While there was little doubt that he did not use public funds, the collective reaction when the President acquired a vehicle that costs nine times that of a decent socialized housing unit was an expression of disgust at the distastefulness of the act. The fact that nearly 40 million Filipinos still live on less than two dollars a day does little to assuage the hurt, even if P-Noy did not steal to buy his Porsche.

Two dollars is worlds away from 4.5 million pesos. But these two worlds exist side by side in the Philippines, and summarizes the lurid state of our nation.

We can think of our country as having two faces of extreme.

The first face is a vibrant, promising cosmopolitan face driven by technology, remittances and the private sector (telecommunication, BPOs, modern architecture, a real estate surge in private communities, giant temples of commerce called malls), boasting of upwardly mobile lifestyles by purveyors of taste who are in sync with New York, Milan, Tokyo and London and who travel abroad on business class for shopping trips every month.

The second face is the one worn by our urban and rural poor: those who do not have enough to eat once a day let alone send their children to school, who live with rats, roaches and five other families in a five by five meter space, who do not have access to potable water or health, maternal and child care, who continue to live in hovels or disaster-prone areas because they do not have a choice, and who earn a living by selling stuff on the streets, driving a trisikad or doing menial jobs for a paltry daily rate.

The first face is worn by less than one percent of the entire Philippine population, and boils down to a dozen or so families who hold and define the national economy in their enterprises and corporations. The second face is the face of an average Filipino who dreams of a life of simple dignity, but wakes up to a harsh, everyday battle for survival.

The latest statistics show that the per capita GDP in the Philippines is 90,000 pesos – we are 152nd out of 215 countries measured. More disturbingly, the country is 36th out of 136 countries in terms of inequality, with a gini index of more than 45. This means that while the first face gets prettier, the second continues to degenerate. And most painfully, there are more Filipinos living on subsistence levels than in Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Inequality is ugly. It is an ugly reality that defines the state of our nation today, and it is the most critical reality that needs to be addressed in order for everyone involved – especially the President of the nation – to make inroads on improving the standard of living and the quality of life of all Filipinos. According to the latest Human Development Report (HDR), the Philippines is ranked 100th out of 172 countries measured in terms of the overall well-being of the population (called the human dev elopement index or HDI). The HDI measure includes life expectancy, literacy, quality of education and standard of living. Other Asian countries such as Malaysia and Thailand are far ahead of us.

That Porsche was a vulgar symbol of inequality in the Philippines. I’m glad P-Noy finally got rid of it.

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