Baliuag University leads green innovation in Bulacan

MANILA, Philippines - Baliuag University (BU) is now considered as one of the best educational institutions in Bulacan province for providing quality teaching while continuously modernizing its facilities. Innovative service and equipment are also driving the growth of the university, the latest of which is its new building housing the School of Information Technology Education (SITE).  

The SITE building happens to be the only “green” building in the entire province, giving BU the reputation as one of the leading advocates of eco-friendly technology in Bulacan.

The four-story Green Building, as the SITE structure is now called, was completed in August last year and became operational in the second semester of the previous school year. The design and every fixture used were carefully thought out and chosen to ensure that the construction and the building itself will have the least negative impact on the environment

It features energy-saving LED lightings, inverter air-conditioning system, self-cleaning paint and an underground rainwater reservoir.

The exterior finishes makes use of self-cleaning paint, which helps cut air pollution in the surrounding areas. The interiors make use of odorless antibacterial paint, which helps protect against bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella and even mildew and fungus. Instead of natural brick stones, Cementura simulated brick finish was used because this has lesser impact on the environment. 

The LED monitors of 550 workstations in 11 computer laboratories of the building are as energy-efficient and environmentally friendly as the LED lighting. The entire building was designed to optimize natural lighting and ventilation, thus lessening power consumption and making the building conducive to learning in the event of a power failure. Other green features, including solar panels, will be installed in the future.

Designed by architect Froilan L. Hong, principal of F.L. Hong Architects & Associates and designer of the Manila Film Center at the CCP Complex in Pasay City, the Green Building houses three lecture rooms, an Internet room, a multimedia room, a medical and dental clinic, and an office. Each computer laboratory in the building has a capacity of 50 students.

The building serves all students of BU, including those in elementary and high school. The university currently has a student population of 7,000.

 “All our courses have integrated subjects which have to use computers,” explains Monina B. Santos, vice president for administrative and financial affairs of BU.

Green crusaders:  Baliuag University’s executive vice president Patricia “Pat” Bustos Lagunda, chair and president Dr. Alicia Santiago Bustos, and vice president for administration and finance Monina “Nina” Bustos Santos.

 In 2010, the Santiago and Bustos family, owners of BU, and the BU board decided to have a new building that will house the computer laboratories. Santos recalls that the former computer laboratories were located under the gymnasium and cultural center since those were the only available space at the time. However, the place was not meant for such rooms because of its small size.

 “We really needed to upgrade,” she adds. The board decided to make it a green building. “That’s where the future is going and it is economical. We made a cost study. In the beginning, it’s really a big investment but in the long run it’s going to be advantageous for us.”

Patricia B. Lagunda, BU executive vice president, explains, “The LED supplier did a cost-benefit study. I think the ROI is less than a year in terms of electrical consumption. So the investment is recovered in less than a year.” 

All their efforts have indeed paid off because just recently, Baliuag University was conferred the Fr. Neri Satur Award for Environmetal Heroism under the Reducing Carbon Footprints” Green Building and Energy Conservation (educational category). The award, named in honor of the late environmentalist Fr. Neri Satur, is a program of the Climate Change Commission, UNESCO, the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Earthsavers Movement.

 “Improvements in the university can attract more students,” Lagunda added. The EVP is actually counting on a past experience to prove her point.

 “When we put up the annex and transferred the College of Business Administration and Accountancy (CBAA) and the School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education there, that is when we really experienced an increase in enrollment,” Lagunda says. “We are also fortunate to have Plantersbank as our partner in helping finance the construction of the Green Building. We’ve been banking with them for more than 30 years now and they’ve seen us grow, having financed the construction of the other buildings in the campus.”

Lagunda adds that the Green Building is the university’s way of espousing environmental consciousness, of letting students experience a world-class facility, and of promoting goodwill to the community. She notes that it makes business sense to be green.