Vice President and housing czar Jejomar C. Binay Wednesday accredited 11 proponents of green and innovative technology after passing evaluation by the Accreditation of Indigenous Technologies for Housing (AITECH).
The accreditation of the developers qualifies them for developmental housing loans with the government’s financing institutions, including Pag-IBIG Fund’s end-user financing extended to home buyers.
The technologies may also be utilized in government housing projects subject to bidding processes.
So far, 31 accredited technologies have valid accreditation. Six of these are currently being used in the National Housing Authority’s (NHA) Low-Rise Building projects.
"The continued accreditation of Filipino developers shows that there is no lack of indigenous technology that we can use in constructing sturdy homes with lower cost materials," Binay said.
The housing czar has been urging the use of environment-friendly and cost-effective technologies for urban development.
“To those who shall answer this call, you can be assured that we will support developers who provide or use such solutions; and we will continue to educate communities on how these innovations are critical if we wish to secure a sustainable future," Binay said during a convention of the United Architects of the Philippines in April.
The AITECH is a committee tasked to evaluate and accredit various innovative technologies/systems for housing. It also acts as a review and approving body for applications for accreditation of innovative technologies appropriate for housing.
The AITECH is composed of representatives from the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and the key shelter agencies, the University of the Philippines-Bureau of Research and Standards (UP-BRS), Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP), Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCIEERD-DOST), Department of Public Works and Highways- Bureau of Research and Standards (DPWH-BRS), and Bureau of Product Standards of the Department of Trade and Industry (BPS-DTI).
The newly-accredited technologies include Onduline Roofing, Acasys Eco Homes System, Alufix and Mammut Formworks, Eco-Key Fireproof Panel Board, Plastered Precast Panels, JC Wall Slab System, Smart Masonry Building System, Precast Prestressed "C-Joist", Weida Polystor (Water StorageTank), Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Roofing, and Panelflex Building System.
The NHA plans to construct a building inside the NHA compound showcasing and promoting indigenous materials and green technologies accredited by AITECH. It has approved the allocation of P24 million for the construction of the AITECH Center. The Center is expected to be completed by 2014.