Women at the Helm - Planters Development Bank

SMESave MotherEarthHow green roofscan improve thecity’s healthWith the increasing problem of pollution, green roof technology comes inwith a promise of help.By Portia SilvaTourists who visit the Philippines oftencomplain about the polluted andcongested cities of the country, whichsometimes overthrow the reality thatthe country can offer so much more. Infact, the Department of Health recentlywarned both visitors and residents ofMetro Manila about the higher risks ofobtaining non-communicable diseasescaused by air pollution. This problemwas further probed when the WorldHealth Organization confirmed thatthe overall air quality in Manila remainsbelow its mandated standard leveldespite government efforts to improvethe situation.In the walls lining up EDSA forexample, patches of plants have beeninstalled to combat air pollution. Mostof the public walls in Makati, Taguigand Ortigas cities have been coveredwith eco-friendly paint that presumablyhelps absorb air pollutants in smallamounts. But these installations stillneed to be replicated both by officialsand individuals to make greeningsuccessful in this day and age.For husband and wife tandemChristoph and Agnes RanzingerCalda the solution is to build a100-square-meter green roof thatoverlooks a portion of their Mendez,Cavite farm. The Razingers, whoare active advocates of a clean andgreen environment, brought homethis concept from Germany wheregreen roofs are apparently a hugeecological trend. Finally decidingto build their own in 2006, theRazingers’s green roof is a largesprawl of beautiful flowers and anexquisite selection of plants thataccomplishes two things: increasegeneration of fresh air and beautifythe couple’s rest house.The green roof effectGreen roof technologies have longbeen popular in modern Europeancities for its economical andenvironmental purposes. Picturea traditional green house with itsblossoming flowers and severaltypes of plants, only this time thewhole patch of greenery is situatedat the top of a building or a house,strategically perched on the rooftopor roof deck.What is it made up of? The severallayers of a green roof provide properdrainage systems with the use of awaterproof membrane. The selection offlowers and plants largely depend onthe roof’s components and its capacityto host which kinds of soil, crops, etc.This type of roof also essentially reducesenergy costs because of its naturalinsulation properties since it can reducethe cooling abilities of an infrastructureby up to 90%.Although the green roof revolutionhas yet to kick in the local market,the Razingers believe that Filipinoswill soon take the necessary steps topatronize the system in the name ofcreating more livable and breathablespaces in the cities. It is all aboutknowing what the system can do foryou and how you can implement thearchitectural structures of a greenroof properly.Join the green revolutionGreen Roof Philippines, a group ofarchitects and environmentalists,says that green roofs come inall sizes, depending on the floorplan of the infrastructure. Anyroof made out of metal, tiles orshingles can be turned into agreen roof as long as the righttypes of plants are selected visà-visthe client’s roof capacity.Extensive types of green roofrequire plants with shallowroots while intensive types canaccommodate almost every plantand grass available as the latter’ssoil is thicker and more consistent.Maintenance of the green roof isalso quite easy as it’s just the sameas looking after an ordinary garden.Green Roof Philippines shares thathaving a prosperous green roof isas easy as remembering these threeimportant components: Wateringfor hydration, Weeding for a wellmanicuredpatch and Trimmingfor cleanliness.SME | 28