Holcim calls for better building in Philippines in Swiss Innovation Exhibit, PHILCONSTRUCT Manila

Leading building solutions provider Holcim Philippines, Inc. continued its call for the Philippines to accelerate adoption of innovative building materials and practices that are better for the environment and provide superior construction performance to support the country’s sustainable progress.

From left, Swiss Ambassador Alain Gaschen, Novartis Country President Joel Chong, Holcim Philippines President and CEO Horia Adrian, Roche General Manager Diana Edralin, and Sika Philippines General Manager Christophe Lejeune during the Swiss Innovation Exhibit

Holcim Philippines highlighted in two recent events the importance of shifting faster to these options and its readiness to provide such solutions to preserve natural resources as the country builds essential structures for development.

During the Swiss Innovation Exhibit on Oct. 27, Holcim Philippines President and CEO Horia Adrian discussed the need to change building practices to ease the pressure on the environment as continued economic growth leads to greater construction activity.

He noted that building the needed structures for development following current standards will continue to consume large amounts of natural resources, so it is critical to embrace a circular economy in construction, wherein used materials such as demolition waste are reused as inputs for new structures.

Adrian said that Holcim Philippines is prepared to help the government and private sector partners build better and more with less with its expanding line up of blended cements and other construction solutions with lower environmental footprint.

“We recognize that the construction sector has a tremendous environmental impact. As one of the biggest building materials industry players, we have a responsibility to lead the way in providing solutions that help our partners continue contributing to development in a sustainable manner. You can count on us to accelerate our efforts to help build greener, smarter, and for all and work with partners in further advancing progress in the Philippines,” he said.

Adrian added the importance of using the right cement for the right application, in order to minimize the waste of natural resources.

“The future of construction will have to shift from the traditional approach of take-make-waste to the new paradigm of reduce-reuse-recycle and embracing the circular economy to reduce the use of natural resources. Build more with less resources! Build new with old materials! Build better with smarter materials and design,” he said.

Adrian noted that Holcim Philippines already provides the market with specialized blended cement options such as Holcim Solido for roads, Holcim Excel for general applications and Holcim Wallright Prime for masonry. He emphasized that Holcim has made available in the Philippines ECOPlanet, its most environment-friendly cement with at least 30% lower carbon footprint than traditional portland cement.

Aside from getting the support of local builders in shifting towards blended cements, he also recommended the government to take the lead in using green products in infrastructure projects and drive policies that enable the faster adoption of the latest construction innovations such as recycled aggregates.

Holcim Philippines reiterated these messages during its participation from Nov. 3 to 6 in PHILCONSTRUCT Manila, the country’s largest building industry trade show. The company set up a booth with the theme “Building Progress” to showcase its expanded range of advanced and eco-friendly construction solutions that can help partners build better.

Holcim Philippines Senior Vice President for Infrastructure and Industrial Sales Ram Maganti: “We are happy to continue the discussions on how we can build better at PHILCONSTRUCT. Engaging our stakeholders across different platforms is important in raising awareness and appreciation on how our innovative and sustainable building solutions help advance progress. We are committed to stepping up our efforts to win over partners in joining us in this journey.”

The company’s experts on building solutions and sustainability also led forums to discuss with delegates its initiatives to upgrade operations for a gentler environmental impact and develop new products that deliver superior construction performance.