Pioneer building

Nations are gauged by their cities, and cities by the buildings that shape their progressive skylines. These structures in modern times are the contributions of progressive and pioneering firms that drive the economy and act as foundations for future growth.

One such company is Pioneer Insurance and I was invited recently to attend the inauguration of its building in Cagayan de Oro City, one of the rising stars of urban development in Mindanao. I was very interested to go, first because the new Pioneer House is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified Platinum, and second, because I had not been to CDO and heard so much about it.

This new building of the Pioneer Group of insurance companies is built in the middle of the bustling and historic city. LEED is an international certification system that gauges how green a building is. It measures a building’s performance in energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emission reduction, indoor environmental quality and other metrics too technical for this article. Suffice it to say that it is the acknowledged standard all modern buildings strive to attain.

Not very many structures in the Philippines make the grade. There are four levels: certified, silver, gold and platinum. Most buildings that are LEED-rated in the country achieve basic certification. There are a few silver and gold and only two with the platinum grade: the Zuellig Building in Makati City and the Wells Fargo Center Philippines Building in Taguig City. In fact, most LEED-certified structures are in Metro Manila and a few are in Metro Cebu.

It is an achievement and a distinction for a building in Mindanao to be LEED-certified. What is more amazing is that the new Pioneer House in CDO has achieved platinum certification, scoring perfect in many of the aspect requirements.

I spoke with Pioneer Life president Lorenzo Chan, who introduced me to Sally Ong-Pac, Pioneer EVP, project head engineer Charlie Collado, Pioneer Project team leader architect Alfredo Caritativo, designer and managing director of Arkitektii and engineer Eduardo Arojado, designer and construction manager, president of ECAA Construction Management.

The team gave me a thorough explanation of the new building’s merits as well as a complete tour of the seven-story structure. Ong-Pac, the property administration head, explained to me that the Pioneer House CDO, which also has office spaces for lease, was planned initially with a modest goal of gold certification but that the momentum of the team and the backing of the main office led them to reach the platinum-level certification.

Chan pointed out to me that the CDO Pioneer House continues a tradition of the pioneering construction of modern buildings in central business districts. Pioneer buildings have become landmarks in Manila, Makati and Cebu. A painting of their building at the Escolta, with its landmark sign, graces the CDO Pioneer House lobby. I used to work across their Makati landmark on Paseo de Roxas near Greenbelt. Pioneer’s buildings are not tall or large, but each is well designed and sits on locations that are well chosen and provide perfect and convenient access for customers.

Pac highlighted that the Pioneer House CDO uses efficient LED lights, has an efficient air-conditioning system that does not use harmful refrigerants, and has its own water-treatment plant for collected rainwater that is used for flushing toilets and cleaning. It also uses dry-wall partitions that reduce dampness and mold formations, double-glazed windows to improve thermal comfort and bring in 75 percent natural light.

Touring the building I noticed the provisions of bike racks and parking at the basement level with amenities that include showers and toilets for bikers. Few building do this.  On top of the building is a green roof and garden and the building is, of course, smoke-free inside and out. This is all commendable and I was informed that these initiatives would not stop with CDO. The company intends to use this as a template for future LEED-certified projects in the country.

The inauguration was attended by key officials of CDO, led by Mayor Oscar Moreno. I flew in with many guests from Manila and we were also given tours of the city. I took time to visit the city’s architectural and green heritage, including Gaston Park and St. Agustine Cathedral, Plaza Divisoria, Vincent de Lara Park and the MacArthur Memorial by the waterfront.

There is a certain vibe in the air of CDO that smells of progress. The city has recovered from the devastating floods of a few years ago and is building stronger. Major developers from the Visayas and Manila are in the midst of large development projects.

Infrastructure works are all over the place. The city’s colleges and universities are brimming with students, and there are a growing number of options for cultural, entertainment and gastronomic delights.

Progress comes to cities that embrace inclusive economic growth and inspire leadership. Progress, too, comes to those companies like Pioneer who take the lead in introducing innovations, both in the services and products they offer, as well as in the structures they build. By all measures, Pioneer and CDO are certified world-class in future potential and actual achievement.

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Feedback is welcome. Please email the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com.