Review and Enhancement of the School Construction Guidelines /

Educational Facilities Handbook of the Philippines

December 14 – 15, 2009
Sitio Mayagay, Sampaloc,
Tanay, Rizal

Submission to the Department of Education

Comments by:
NESTOR ARABEJO
International Relations Chairperson, Philippine Green Building Council (PhilGBC)
President, Ecotektonika, Inc.
For Correspondence: nestor@ecotektonika.com

CHAPTER 1: Educational Facilities for Basic Education

Thermal Comfort
Natural ventilation should be preferred. Active solutions such as electric fans or air-conditioning should
only be a back-up solution. Specify minimum and maximum indoor temperature range and specify
minimum and maximum humidity range for thermal comfort.
a. Indicate maximum allowed degrees deviation of building from the east-west direction
b. Define length of overhang in relation to bottom of window sill when the sun is at its lowest
angle to the south on June 21 and when the sun is at its lowest angle to the north on December
21. This will vary depending on the site’s Latitude bearing.
c. Specify maximum width space of buildings. Define minimum distance requirement between
buildings.
d. Specify minimum and maximum percent ratio of fenestration to wall area. Specify minimum
distance of trees from the building.

Visual Comfort
Natural daylighting should be preferred. Artificial daylighting is only a back-up for cloudy or overcast sky
conditions.
d. Visual comfort by natural daylight may be achieved by:
c: Specify minimum and maximum height ratio to floor area depth.

CHAPTER 2: School Sites

Note: Review school mapping on Chapter 1

Location/Environment.
Natural Habitat. Protect and restore existing ecosystem in the school site. Do not build on sites where it
is an established habitat for endangered species.

Accessibility.
Public Transportation. Specify maximum distance of drop-off point from the school site. It is easier for
planning and design to establish a maximum distance (kilometers) from residence to school in addition
to maximum time.

Topography.
Plan and locate buildings on higher elevations of the site. Minimize site regrading.

Soil Condition.
Re-use excavated top soil on site.

Size.
Heat Island. Minimize impervious surfaces (i.e. concrete paving, asphalt surfaces, etc.). Establish
desired ratio of impervious surfaces to green areas on the site. Establish minimum area of landscaping
for trees and shrubs. Use native or indigenous landscaping that is drought tolerant.

School Site Development

b. Sun Path. Study sun path variances between June 21 and December 21, specially during 12 noon.
Lower latitude sites get more sun on the north side on June 21.
c. Local Wind Patterns. If available get specific monthly rose wind diagram or monthly wind patterns for
a particular site or region form PAGASA or any local agency. Study existing structures and natural
elements (i.e. hills, body of water, vegetation, etc.) around the site that might affect the site’s wind
patterns
d. Sun screens, Vertical Louvers and Green Walls (vertical gardens). Design temporary (till planted trees
mature) or permanent sun shade elements to prevent solar heat gain.
f. Acoustic Barriers. Plant tree and shrub barriers between building and street if feasible.

School Site Zoning

a.5 Rain Gardens or Bio-Wales. Incorporate in design to allow rainwater runoff catchment.

School Site Beautification

School Gate. The service gate shall swing OUTSIDE the direction of the school property for fire and
emergency safety.
Planting Plan. Use only indigenous or native plants that are drought tolerant in both rural and urban
sites .

Evacuation Areas.
This area should have direct access outside to an existing road for emergency exit .

CHAPTER 3: School Buildings

Placement and Layout

Solar/Sun Path. Study sun path variances between June 21 and December 21, specially during 12 noon.
Lower latitude sites get more sun on the north side on June 21.
Prevailing Winds / Breezes. If available get specific monthly rose wind diagram or monthly wind
patterns for a particular site or region from PAGASA or any local agency. Study existing structures and
natural elements (i.e. hills, body of water, vegetation, etc.) around the site that might affect the site’s
wind patterns.
Fig. 3. Recommended School Building Orientation. Specify maximum allowed degrees deviation of
building from the east-west direction (NWW-SEE). This recommendation may not be true if the actual
local wind patterns does not follow the presumed southeast/northeast monsoon winds.

CHAPTER 4: School Furniture, Equipment and other Facilities

See Chapter 6, Environment, Green School Building Project Checklist

CHAPTER 5: Educational Facilities Management

Needs to Include Operations and Maintenance

CHAPTER 6: Monitoring and Evaluation of Educational Facilities

Environment:
GREEN SCHOOL BUILDINGS
Green school is defined as a school building or facility that creates a healthy environment that is
conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money.

Why Green Schools?

A large percentage of Filipinos goes to school every day. Too many of these students and teachers
attend schools that are inefficient and miss important opportunities to reduce operational costs, foster
learning and protect student health. Public and private schools alike in the U.S. are realizing that going
green is a no-brainer. If a green school in the U.S. saved $100,000 per year in operational costs, that's
roughly enough to hire two new teachers, buy 200 new computers or purchase 5,000 new textbooks. By
promoting the greening of all schools in the Philippines - new or existing - we can make a tremendous
impact on student health, test scores, teacher retention, school operational costs and the environment.

Benefits of Green Schools

a. Healthy Places to Learn
Far too often our nation’s schools are only built to code and we send our children to spend many hours
a day in facilities that just barely meet health and safety standards. This must change. Every child
deserves to go to a school with healthy air to breathe and conditions that encourage learning. Green
schools are healthy for kids and conducive to their education. Green schools encourage:

• daylight and views.

• high indoor air quality.
• excellent acoustics.
• thermal comfort.

Numerous studies in the U.S have demonstrated direct benefits to student health and performance.

• daylight improves performance.

• good indoor air quality improves health.
• acoustics increases learning potential.
 • comfortable indoor temperatures increase occupant satisfaction.

b. Healthy Places to Teach

Green schools aren’t just good for kids. Excellent indoor air quality means improved health for everyone!
Our nation’s teachers deserve healthy spaces for teaching our children. Good acoustics in classrooms
ensure that teachers can be heard without straining their voices. U.S. studies show that all building
occupants benefit from daylight and access to views, and research indicates that teachers are happier
when they have the ability to control their environments. And healthy, happy teachers save our schools
money. Green schools commonly report reductions in teacher absenteeism and teacher turnover. Over
the lifetime of a school, that amounts to huge savings.

c. Save Money

Greening your Existing School. Greening your existing school not only saves you money, but can
potentially pay for itself. One of the requirements for achieving the physical attributes of a green
building deals with building renewal – meaning building repairs, upgrades, and systems
replacements. Such projects generally result in lower utility costs. Any project that can generate
savings possesses a unique opportunity to include and pay for a broad range of sustainability initiatives
as part of the project. Moreover, the reduction in utility costs (from renewal efforts) may be able to pay
for the entire greening project.

Greening your New School. Green schools do not cost more to build than a conventional school. Green
schools cost significantly less money to operate and use less water and energy, freeing up resources to
focus on improving student education. A typical green school in the U.S. saves $100,000 per year in
direct costs. If all new school construction and school renovations in the Philippines went green starting
today, energy savings alone would total billions of pesos over the next 10 years.

d. Hands-on Learning
“Children are not vessels to be filled, but lamps to be lit.”
– Swami Chinmayananda

“Ang gawa sa pagkabata, dala hanggang sa pagkamatanda.”

--Filipino Proverb

Students learn best when they are engaged and inspired. Imagine the learning potential when the
school building itself becomes an interactive teaching tool, educating the next generation of sustainable
leaders through hands-on learning.

Picture it
• High school students learning about renewable energy from the solar panels on their roof.
• Middle school students studying ecosystems in their constructed wetland.
• Kindergarteners growing the organic vegetables they eat for lunch.

This is the green school experience. The school building is no longer a vessel filled with students,
teachers and books, but itself an opportunity for experiential learning and discovery.

e. Environmentally Friendly
Green schools do more good by doing less bad; they save more energy and use less water than
traditional school buildings.

Additionally, green schools lessen environmental impacts through responsible approaches to site,
reduced demand on municipal infrastructure and recycling during and after construction. Like other
green buildings, green schools decrease our reliance on fossil fuels, thus decreasing carbon dioxide
emissions and other forms of harmful pollution.

Green schools can help turn back the clock on climate change, improving the environmental outlook for
the children who will one day be faced with the challenge of finding resolutions to this problem.
On average green schools:
• Use 30-50% less energy.
• Use 30% less water.

Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE)

Buildings fundamentally impact people’s lives and the health of the planet. In the Philippines, buildings
approximately use one-third of our total energy, two-thirds of our electricity, one-eighth of our water,
and transform land that provides valuable ecological resources.

BERDE Green Building Rating System, to be launched January 2010, will help professionals across the
country to improve the quality of our buildings and their impact on the environment.

As the green building sector grows exponentially, more and more building professionals, owners, and
operators will be seeing the benefits of green building and BERDE certification. Green design not only
makes a positive impact on public health and the environment, it also reduces operating costs, enhances
building and organizational marketability, potentially increases occupant productivity, and helps create a
sustainable community. BERDE fits into this market by providing rating system that is voluntary,
consensus-based, market-driven, based on accepted energy and environmental principles, and they
strike a balance between established practices and emerging concepts.

The BERDE rating system aims to promote and serve as a guide towards the implementation of green
building practices in the Philippines. By creating a framework, which incorporates procedures, methods
and standards specifically adapted to the Philippine setting, the BERDE rating system will serve as an
important tool to be utilized in line with development of the local sustainable built-environment
industry, which will in turn aid in the advancement of the social, environmental and economic welfare of
Philippine Society

The BERDE rating system is being developed by the Philippine Green Building Council (PhilGBC)
committees, in adherence with PhilGBC policies and procedures guiding the development and
maintenance of the rating system. BERDE is only possible due to the generous volunteer efforts of many
individuals. Schools is one of the market sectors that will benefit from the use of BERDE.

Why BERDE Certify?

While the BERDE Rating System can be useful just as a tool for building professionals, there are many
reasons why BERDE project certification can be an asset:
 • Be recognized for your commitment to environmental issues in your community, your
organization (including stockholders), and your industry;
• Receive third party validation of achievement;
• Qualify for a growing array of national & local government initiatives;
• Receive marketing exposure through PhilGBC Web site, Building Green conference, case studies,
and media announcements.

School Building Greening Project Checklist

This Checklist recognizes the unique nature of the design and construction of elementary thru secondary
level schools. It addresses issues such as classroom acoustics, master planning, mold prevention, and
environmental site assessment. By addressing the uniqueness of school spaces and children’s health
issues, this checklist provides a unique, comprehensive tool for schools that wish to build green, with
measurable results. This checklist will soon be part of BERDE that will be a recognized third-party
standard for high performance schools that are healthy for students, comfortable for teachers, and cost-
effective.

This checklist is most applicable to new construction and major renovation projects in elementary and
secondary educational spaces. A more detailed reference guide will be released as soon as the BERDE
rating system is officially released on November 2010.

1 Sustainable Sites
1.01 Construction Activity Pollution Prevention
Reduce pollution from construction activities by controlling soil erosion, waterway
sedimentation and airborne dust generation
1.02 Environmental Site Assessment
Ensure that the site is assessed for environmental contamination and if contaminated, that
the environmental contamination has been remediated to protect children’s health.
1.03 Site Selection
Avoid development of inappropriate sites and reduce the environmental impact from the
location of a building on a site.
1.04 Development Density & Community Connectivity
Channel development to urban areas with existing infrastructure, protect greenfields and
preserve habitat and natural resources.
1.05 Brownfield Redevelopment
Rehabilitate damaged sites where development is complicated by environmental
contamination, reducing pressure on undeveloped land
1.06 Alternative Transportation
Reduce pollution and/or land development impacts from individual automobile use.
1.06.01 Public Transportation Access
1.06.02 Bicycle Use
1.06.03 Low Emitting and Fuel Efficient Vehicles
1.06.04 Parking Capacity
1.07 Site Development
Conserve existing natural areas and restore damaged areas to provide habitat and
promote biodiversity.
 1.08 Stormwater Design
Limit disruption of natural hydrology by reducing impervious cover, increasing on-site
infiltration, and managing stormwater runoff.
1.08.01 Quantity Control
1.08.02 Quality Control
1.09 Heat Island Effect
Reduce heat islands (thermal gradient differences between developed and undeveloped
areas) to minimize impact on microclimate and human and wildlife habitat.
1.09.01 Non-Roof
1.09.02 Roof
1.10 Light Pollution Reduction
Minimize light trespass from the building and site, reduce sky-glow to increase night sky
access, improve nighttime visibility through glare reduction and reduce development
impact on nocturnal environments.
1.11 Site Master Plan
Ensure the environmental site issues included in the initial development of the site and
project are continued throughout future development due to changes in programs or
demography.
1.12 Joint Use of Facilities
Make the school a more integrated part of the community by enabling the building and its
playing fields to be used for non-school events and functions.

2 Water Efficiency
2.01 Water Efficient Landscaping
Limit or eliminate the use of potable water or other natural surface or subsurface water
resources available on or near the project site for landscape irrigation.
2.02 Innovative Wastewater Technologies
Reduce generation of wastewater and potable water demand, while increasing the local
aquifer recharge.
2.03 Water Use Reduction
Maximize water efficiency within buildings to reduce the burden on municipal water
supply and wastewater systems.
2.04 Process Water Use Reduction
Maximize water efficiency within buildings to reduce the burden on municipal water
supply and wastewater systems.

3 Energy and Atmosphere

3.01 Fundamental Commissioning of the Building Energy Systems
Verify that the building’s energy-related systems are installed, calibrated and perform
according to the Owner’s Project Requirements, Basis of Design and Construction
Documents.
3.02 Minimum Energy Performance
Establish the minimum level of energy efficiency for the proposed building and systems.
3.03 Fundamental Refrigerant Management
Reduce ozone depletion.
3.04 Optimize Energy Performance
 Achieve increasing levels of energy performance above the baseline in the prerequisite
standard to reduce environmental and economic impacts associated with excessive energy
use.
3.05 On-Site Renewable Energy
Encourage and recognize increasing levels of on-site renewable energy self-supply in order
to reduce environmental and economic impacts associated with fossil fuel energy use.
3.06 Enhanced Commissioning
Begin the commissioning process early during the design process and execute additional
activities after systems performance verification is completed.
3.07 Enhanced Refrigerant Management
Reduce ozone depletion and support early compliance with the Montreal Protocol while
minimizing direct contributions to global warming.
3.08 Measurement & Verification
Provide for the ongoing accountability of building energy consumption over time.
3.09 Green Power
Encourage the development and use of grid-source, renewable energy technologies on a
net zero pollution basis.

4 Materials & Resources

4.01 Storage & Collection of Recyclables
Facilitate the reduction of waste generated by building occupants that is hauled to and
disposed of in landfills.
4.01.01 Requirements: Provide an easily accessible area that serves the entire building
and is dedicated to the collection and storage of non-hazardous materials for recycling,
including (at a minimum) paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics and metals. An area
should also be dedicated to collection and storage of plant-based landscaping debris
(trimmings), unless the site has no landscaping.
4.01.02 Potential Strategies: Coordinate the size and functionality of the recycling areas
with the anticipated collection services for glass, plastic, office paper, newspaper,
cardboard and organic wastes to maximize the effectiveness of the dedicated areas.
Consider employing cardboard balers, aluminum can crushers, recycling chutes and
collection bins at individual workstations to further enhance the recycling program.

4.02 Building Reuse

Extend the life cycle of existing building stock, conserve resources, retain cultural resources,
reduce waste and reduce environmental impacts of new buildings as they relate to
materials manufacturing and transport.
4.03 Construction Waste Management
Divert construction, demolition and land-clearing debris from disposal in landfills and
incinerators. Redirect recyclable recovered resources back to the manufacturing process.
Redirect reusable materials to appropriate sites.
4.04 Materials Reuse
Reuse building materials and products in order to reduce demand for virgin materials and
to reduce waste, thereby reducing impacts associated with the extraction and processing
of virgin resources.
4.05 Recycled Content
Increase demand for building products that incorporate recycled content materials,
thereby reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materials.
 4.06 Regional Materials
Increase demand for building materials and products that are extracted and manufactured
within the region, thereby supporting the use of indigenous resources and reducing the
environmental impacts resulting from transportation.
4.06.01 Requirements: Use building materials or products that have been extracted,
harvested or recovered as well as manufactured within 500 kilometers of the project site
for a minimum of 10% (based on cost) of the total materials value. If only a fraction of a
product or material is extracted/harvested/recovered and manufactured locally, then only
that percentage (by weight) shall contribute to the regional value. Mechanical, electrical
and plumbing components and specialty items such as elevators and equipment shall not
be included in this calculation. Only include materials permanently installed in the project.
Furniture may be included.
4.06.02 Potential Strategies: Establish a project goal for locally sourced materials and
identify materials and material suppliers that can achieve this goal. During construction,
ensure that the specified local materials are installed and quantify the total percentage of
local materials installed. Consider a range of environmental, economic and performance
attributes when selecting products and materials.

4.07 Rapidly Renewable Materials

Reduce the use and depletion of finite raw materials and long-cycle renewable materials
by replacing them with rapidly renewable materials.
4.08 Certified Wood
Encourage environmentally responsible forest management.

5 Indoor Environmental Quality

5.01 Minimum IAQ Performance
Establish minimum indoor air quality (IAQ) performance to enhance indoor air quality in
buildings, thus contributing to the comfort and well-being of the occupants.
5.02 Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
Eliminate exposure of building occupants, indoor surfaces and ventilation air distribution
systems to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS).
5.03 Minimum Acoustical Performance
Provide classrooms that are quiet and in which teachers can speak to the class without
straining their voices and students can effectively communicate with each other and the
teacher.
5.04 Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring
Provide capacity for ventilation system monitoring to help sustain occupant comfort and
well-being.
5.05 Increased Ventilation
Provide additional outdoor air ventilation to improve indoor air quality for improved
occupant comfort, wellbeing and productivity.
5.06 Construction IAQ Management Plan
Reduce indoor air quality problems resulting from the construction/renovation process in
order to help sustain the comfort and well-being of construction workers and building
occupants.
5.06.01 During Construction
5.06.02 Before Occupancy
 5.07 Low-Emitting Materials
Reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating and/or harmful
to the comfort and well-being of installers and occupants.
5.08 Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control
Minimize exposure of building occupants to potentially hazardous particulates and
chemical pollutants.
5.09 Controllability
5.09.01 Lighting System Design & Controllability
Provide a high level of lighting system control by individual occupants or by specific groups
in multi-occupant spaces (i.e., classrooms or conference areas) to promote the productivity,
comfort and well-being of building occupants.
5.09.02 Thermal Comfort Controllability
Provide a high level of thermal comfort system control by individual occupants or by
specific groups in multi-occupant spaces (i.e., classrooms or conference areas) to promote
the productivity, comfort and well-being of building occupants.
5.10 Thermal Comfort
5.10.01 Thermal Comfort Design
Provide a comfortable thermal environment that supports the productivity and well-being
of building occupants.
5.10.02 Thermal Comfort Verification
Provide for the assessment of building thermal comfort over time.
5.11 Daylight & Views
Provide for the building occupants a connection between indoor spaces and the outdoors
through the introduction of daylight and views into the regularly occupied areas of the
building.
5.12 Enhanced Acoustical Performance
Provide classrooms that facilitate better teacher-to-student and student-to-student
communications.
5.13 Mold Prevention
Reduce the potential presence of mold in schools through preventive design and
construction measures.

6 Innovation & Design Process

6.01 Regional Cultural Sustainability
DepEd should work closely with individuals and communities to identify, protect, and
enhance their important traditions, their ways of life, their cherished spaces, and their vital
relationships to each other, their region, the country and the world. In this era of
increasing homogeneity and globalization, local history, traditions, and ways of life are
among our most endangered resources and precious assets. By strengthening and building
on the foundations of these resources—whether artistic, linguistic, musical, economic, or
environmental—we can begin to counter the powerful forces that endanger communities
in the Philippines.

6.02 Disaster Risk Reduction

6.03 Low Impact Cleaning and Maintenance: Equipment Policy
Reduce exposure of building occupants and maintenance personnel to potentially
hazardous chemical, biological and particle contaminants.
6.04 Regional Environmental Adaptation
 To enhance the flexibility of this guideline and provide a more effective method of
addressing the need for regional adaptation, the introduction of Regional Credits to
increase the value of its design strategies that address environmental areas of concern in a
project’s region. DepEd Regional Offices will play a crucial role in this effort, based on their
knowledge of issues of concern in their locales. These Regional Credits will be identified by
the DepEd Regional Offices for each “environmental zone”.

6.05 The School as a Teaching Tool

Integrate the sustainable features of a school facility with the school’s educational mission.
Requirements: Design curriculum based on the high performance features of the building,
and commit to implementing the curriculum within 10 months after school building
occupancy. The curriculum should not just describe the features themselves, but explore
the relationship between human ecology, natural ecology and the building. Curriculum
must meet local or national curriculum standards, be approved by school administrators
and provide 10 or more hours of classroom instruction per year, per full-time student.
Potential Strategies: It is highly recommended that project teams coordinate closely with
school administration and faculty where possible, to encourage ongoing relationships
between high-performance features of the school and the students. For curriculum
development, engage the school in a program that integrates the school building with the
curriculum in the school.