How Adamson University is transitioning to a sustainable institution

Along the busy roads of Ermita, a centuries-old Manila district, one university hailing from the streets of San Marcelino is reshaping charity. What was once a "school for the poor" is now for the planet, too, following its pledge to transition the campus to a sustainable institution.

“Hindi ito basta pledge lang (This is not just some pledge),” said Jessica David, media professor at Adamson University who echoed its stance.

Starting this month, it will support global sustainable standards and challenge its community to be eco-friendly. Here’s what to expect in the next five years.

For the poor and the planet

Adamson unveiled the "Eco-Falcon" initiative on February 10 at ST Quadrangle to align the school with UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030.

SDGs aim to meet present societal needs while ensuring there are enough, if not more resources for future generations. They help address poverty, sustainability, gender inequality, education access, and other global issues.

Sustainable living will be promoted across the campus and on its sustainability website, which Adamson will soon develop.

"Today, charity is not just giving food to the hungry. It's also fulfilling their expectations. Our objectives include environmental stewardship, sustainability research, community engagement, and continuous improvement," said university president Daniel Franklin Pilario, CM.

Executives, faculty members, offices, and recognized student organizations all vowed at the event to adopt sustainable habits.

In its first year, the school plans to replace tarpaulins with LED displays for announcements. It will also ban plastic bottles to encourage students to bring reusable tumblers. 

"There are other ways to announce board passers in a way that is sustainable. We will slowly phase out the use of tarpulins in Adamson," he announced.

Locations of recycling and trash bins and drinking fountains are also to be “assigned strategically.” 

“There will be some initiatives and programs that would communicate the trend of our promotion for zero waste,” he said, hinting at their goal to establish a waste management program.

During this period, solar panels will be installed at Dr. Carlos Tiu Center for Technology Innovation and Research Building to help reduce emissions.

Meanwhile, the second year spotlights working on EDGE Green Building certification, a stamp for mitigating and lessening the impact of buildings on the environment.

Aspiring engineers typically occupy the academic institution. The College of Engineering will spearhead research and development to integrate sustainability into the school’s buildings, and on rainwater harvesting, micro-hydropower systems, and wind energy.

It will also conduct studies and partner with government agencies to help treat Estero de Balete, a waterway running through two buildings of the university it embraced as the “Falcon Bridge.”

“The plan we have laid out today is the general plan for the whole institution. But we will cascade this to the different colleges, departments, and units so they can also contribute to the ‘greening’ of the campus,” he explained. “For instance, we will ask the architecture department to offer courses on green architecture.”

By this time, it aims to have solar panels placed at Ozanam Building. All these contribute to meeting its goal of having a green supply chain.

What’s ahead?

What challenges them the most, Pilario said, is developing community consciousness on sustainability.

"The formation of consciousness starts in the classroom, then the departments. It's deciding that today, you would be conscious of bringing reusable bottles, segregating waste, and living a more sustainable life," he said.

In the remaining three years, the school seeks to make Cardinal Santos Annex EDGE-certified. This helps make green construction the norm on campuses.

To further inspire eco-friendly practices, it will target acquiring silver and gold stars from Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, which honors colleges leading sustainable efforts.

"When we were developing the campus sustainability program, we also focused on the four pillars of the campus sustainability framework to ensure a realistic approach. Aside from academics, research, and operations, we also aim to cover community engagement," he added.

The latter parts of the initiative involve converting pre-selected areas of the school to permeable grounds—which help filter out pollutants, preserving historical landmarks sustainably, and integrating programmable logic controllers for buildings' energy efficiency.

Poor communities bear the brunt of the climate crisis. At a time when sustainability is the "new charity" at Adamson, a sliver of hope shines not just on the poverty-stricken but also the planet—our shared and only home.