Batangas Commercial Complex: Chapter 1

Batangas Commercial Complex: The Redevelopment of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center into an Environment-responsive Income-generating Complex through Ecocentrism Camacho, Cheskertt I. | Laigo, Billy T. | Maniquiz, John Carlo M.

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

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Batangas Commercial Complex: The Redevelopment of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center into an Environment-responsive Income-generating Complex through Ecocentrism Camacho, Cheskertt I. | Laigo, Billy T. | Maniquiz, John Carlo M.

Batangas belongs to the list of provinces that is projected to help in the port decongestion of Metro Manila and is considered as a strategic entry point in Luzon being in a coastal area surrounded by neighboring islands, it offers convenient ways of transportation like land and sea travels. The presence of the second largest international seaport located in the province, the Batangas International Port (BIP), added more to its advantages as it provides international and local transportation. The cargo port is fully operational and can handle local and international shipments. While the passenger port on the other hand, can only cater domestic transportation about 3 million passengers annually. Still, it quickly became the gateway for tourists visiting the famous places and destinations near Batangas, like Puerto Galera, Sabang Beach, and the White Beach.

Batangas is also projected to be a federal state if the Local Government Code of 1991 is fully implemented as it enables a local government to work with other private entities to construct the needed facilities and infrastructures to aid the implementation of its development plans. In line with this, the local government of Batangas continues to improve transport systems like the BIP through the Batangas Port Development Project.

A major part of this project is the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center (BPLC), and was built in order to compensate for the displaced residents of Sta. Clara, Batangas prior to the construction of Batangas Port Development Project, and to sustain the economic growth of Batangas because it was expected to produce more job opportunities for the local and Figure 1.1: Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center

other neighboring communities through retailing. The livelihood center was Source: John Carlo Maniquiz planned not just to be a commercial facility, but a place where the locals can practice their crafts and promote their culture.

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Batangas Commercial Complex: The Redevelopment of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center into an Environment-responsive Income-generating Complex through Ecocentrism Camacho, Cheskertt I. | Laigo, Billy T. | Maniquiz, John Carlo M.

Due to the transition of government powers after the last 2006 Elections, the BPLC has not been prioritized by the administration, leaving the facility to be abandoned after its construction. The project did not commence operation and became unutilized for almost 10 years now. Within the years of being unutilized, the purpose of the BPLC has been limited to being a hub for the port passengers of the Batangas Port Terminal 3 – leaving the BPLC to serve as a “walkway” for passengers to pass by. With this situation leaves the merchants of the facility to have less revenues on their pasalubong business. The Provincial Government’s debt continues to grow because of the amortization payments and loan interest.

Since BPLC is situated near the coastal area of Batangas, its appearance and physical structure had deteriorated already.

This chapter introduces the present condition of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center (BPLC) within the development of the Batangas International Port (BIP) as well as the problems that hinder its development. This chapter also sets the goals of the study and the approach that is to be used to redevelop the BPLC, considering the people, the context of its immediate environment, and the limited and fixed development plan budget of 200 million pesos.

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Batangas Commercial Complex: The Redevelopment of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center into an Environment-responsive Income-generating Complex through Ecocentrism Camacho, Cheskertt I. | Laigo, Billy T. | Maniquiz, John Carlo M.

A. The Problem and its Setting a. Background of the Study The development of Batangas Port affects the residents of Santa Clara, Batangas due to the land acquisitions, this makes the Provincial Government of Batangas to experience an economic deficiency that lead them to developed the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center (BPLC) which envisioned to be the springboard for promotion and investment and aiming it to be the center of economic activities which will produce job opportunities for Figure 1.2: Exterior facade of BPLC the residents of Batangas, and will also offer livelihood Source: John Carlo Maniquiz programs for the informal settlers in Barangay Santa Clara.

The BPLC is a three-storey commercial building with roof deck built in a 2-hectare property leased

by Provincial Government of Batangas until the year of 2028, with a total floor area of 19,028 square meters, built under a budget of 237.6 million pesos which was loaned from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) with the principal amount of â‚ą300 million and were agreed to be settled by the provincial government within fifteen (15) years. Batangas City, being a fast-growing urban area and a top-tier tourist destination, the BPLC has a strategic location - being adjacent to the Batangas Port Terminal 2 and 3, that can cater vast opportunities to the community of Sta. Clara, travelling passengers, and the workers within the BIP. CHAPTER I | 4

Batangas Commercial Complex: The Redevelopment of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center into an Environment-responsive Income-generating Complex through Ecocentrism Camacho, Cheskertt I. | Laigo, Billy T. | Maniquiz, John Carlo M.

The BPLC was finished in 2007 but did not commenced its operation in almost ten (10) years since it was constructed. When Gov. Armando Carpio Sanchez was elected in the year 2004 as the new Governor of Batangas, the BPLC has not been prioritized by his administration due to political issues in their opposing visions. This transfer of political power makes the BPLC unutilized and inactive, resulting to be widely criticized and coined as a “White Elephant” building. The Batangas government produce a report regarding to the evident reasons regarding to inability to attain the objectives of local government in establishing the BPLC. The Commission of Audit (COA) stated that poor planning is one of the evident reasons that the feasibility study for the BPLC was unsystematically planned. The onerous condition, weak marketing and promotion led to the turn down of potential investor, and they also do not take the BPLC seriously due to the lacked of necessary amenities and spaces needed to make the building worthy of investment. Due to this situation, the provincial government let the residents to use the ground floor of the building as a “Pasalubong store” even without mandating rental fees, just to have its purpose for the meantime.

The unmaintained BPLC is continuously downgrading and deteriorating, making it visually unpleasant for the visitors and users in the area. In addition, its coastal setting was not highly considered that lead to the further deterioration of the physical features of BPLC. Leaving the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center as a “White Elephant” while in the state of deterioration and downgrading, will continue to be unutilized and unmaintained while serving its payback.

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The Provincial Government suffers from financial crisis since all of their projections and insights for the BPLC did not materialized as it planned. According the report of COA, the BPLC has incurred â‚ą260.5 million in losses since 2004, representing the principal and the interest expenses paid to Land Bank of the Philippines. The provincial government are still in debt due to inability of BPLC to produce income, were the parking Figure 1.3: Physical deterioration fees are the only source of funds from the BPLC and it is not of BPLC Source: John Carlo Maniquiz

enough to cover the remaining balance from the LBP. After Gov. Hermilando Mandanas was re-elected in the 2016 election, the provincial government aims to redevelop the BPLC to become an income-generating commercial hub under the â‚ą200-million development plan budget, aiming to compensate to the financial problem caused by the unutilization of BPLC and to established interaction between its immediate environment and community to further develop its socio-economic status.

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b. Problem Statement The Government of Batangas, with its vision to improve its economy, pursues the redevelopment of Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center (BPLC). However, BPLC’s onerous post-construction conditions being unutilized for over 10 years, continuously increasing debt, and unending physical deterioration due to its coastal setting, are needed to be prioritized upon its redevelopment. Moreover, the existing relationship between the immediate environment and the community does not respond to the purpose of BPLC in order to sustain socio-economic development and instigate positive ecological impacts, and vice versa, to the province of Batangas.

Main Problem How can the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center maximize its socio-economic development while mutually coexisting with its immediate environment, given with constraints on its location - being in an urban coastal area, limited land area for the redevelopment, functions of neighboring facilities; and the community’s shortfall to utilize the facility, through human and site responsive innovations while considering its negative economic impact, budget limitations, and the existing environmental context?

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Subproblems 1. The original purpose of BPLC solely focuses on livelihood, thus, it became unresponsive to the current needs of its immediate environment and diverse users such as the passengers, merchants, workers and the locals of Sta. Clara.

How can the redevelopment deal with the negative social impact as stockholders are turning down investments and cannot sustain business; residents and passengers having no interaction with the facility, caused by the “white elephant� BPLC?

2. The redevelopment was provided with a fixed and insufficient budget by the Provincial Government of Batangas, amounting to 200 million pesos How can the revitalization of BPLC maximize socio-economic development to the BIP Development given with limited budget and existing debt to be paid while achieving building efficiency and effectivity?

3. BPLC is situated in an urban coastal area, located at the Batangas Bay posing risks on physical degradation of the building.

How can the redevelopment of BPLC respond to the ecological environment while dealing with the risk of physical deterioration and material degradation due to its coastal setting?

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c. Thesis Goal The study aims to formulate strategies in redeveloping the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center into an environment-adaptive and user-responsive income-generating facility to provide socio-economic viability to its immediate users and the community; and create positive ecologically sustainable impact to the Batangas Port Development Project and to the Province of Batangas.

d. Objectives of the Study 1. To determine the social behavior of people within the immediate environment of BPLC to establish the reasons why it failed to be utilized according to its purpose.

Strategies: •

Conduct ocular observation to assess the present social conditions of the BPLC, how the users from different type (local residents, tourists, merchants) behaves when utilizing the facility;

•

Conduct surveys on the residents of Sta. Clara, Batangas on how they utilize the facility, and how the community is involved in the BPLC;

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Conduct interviews on merchants operating on the BPLC on how effective their business runs;

•

Conduct observation and interviews on workers of the Batangas Port on their conditions and experiences in utilizing the BPLC;

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•

Conduct an interview with the Provincial Planning and Development of Batangas concerning the possible reasons for BPLC’s failure to be utilized

•

Conduct an interview with the BPLC’s Management regarding the existing physical and economic conditions of the facility.

2. Determine the effective use for the BPLC, its suitable techniques and strategies on the reconstruction and operational phase of the BPLC. Strategies: •

Gather information through books, journals, and dissertations regarding effective and efficient building designs

•

Interview architects of the focusing on the construction industry about effective and efficient building designs.

•

Conduct case studies about efficient and effective building designs with respect to its user and environment.

•

Determine the immediate need of the Province, the Municipality, the Barangay, the Batangas Port Development Plan, and Batangas Port Terminal 3 by conducting interviews and comprehensive assessment.

3. Identify the risks imposed by the ecological setting of the BPLC, and its risks imposed to its immediate environment.

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Strategies: •

Conduct case studies on developments on coastal areas.

•

Gather information through books, journals, and dissertations regarding the risks of developments on coastal areas.

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Watch documentaries about risks on developments on coastal areas and effectivity of climate and coastal-responsive buildings on such risks.

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Observation and assessment on the physical and ecological characteristics of the site.

•

Identify the possible environmental risks that could affect the BPLC through the Provincial Risk Reduction

e. Scope of the Study The study will be based on determining the existing conflicts present in Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center (BPLC) and its immediate users and environment that resulted to the structure’s improper utilization and inactive state, it will also focus on formulating strategies that will reimage the BPLC, being a “White Elephant” building into an environment-responsive and socially-attracting income-producing facility and would lead the establishment to generate a source of income that will entice the locals, tourists, and investors.

In line with the goal of the study, the research will cover the existing developments present in the immediate surrounding of the BPLC – the community of Sta. Clara, Batangas, the Batangas Port Terminal 2 and 3, the institutional facilities present nearby the development. The study will also involve the factors on CHAPTER I | 11

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why the potential investor were unsatisfied with the BPLC after its construction. The conditions of the beneficiaries and the potential end-users, before and after the BPLC is constructed will also be covered by the researcher as well.

The study will cover the necessary retrofitting of other structures that is adjacent to the building that can create an incidental interaction and activities to the BPLC due to its location within the Batangas port.

Natural and physical environment of the BPLC will also be analyzed due to its location on a coastal setting that is affecting the structure’s physical features, the proponent will also focus on the principles of vernacular architecture which is in-lined to the deterioration and degradation of the BPLC.

The study will tackle principles of ecocentrism and responsive environment design that will aid the researchers in determining the effective income-generating facility that can compensate the evident problem given by the BPLC. In relation, the study will also consider the fundamentals of green design and costefficient design methodologies viable to response to the problem under a given government budget ceiling.

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f. Limitations of the Study The study may be limited by problems and constraints that will hinder the researchers from observing, conducting interviews and gathering the needed information concerning the redevelopment of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center. The researchers will conduct alternative solutions to gather data that will be essential to assess the needed information of the study.

Budget and Time Constraint Due to the limitation of time and budget, the researcher may experience hindrance to cover all the different government agencies needed in the formulation of data. In line with this constraint, secondhand sourcing such as articles, books and internet to gather necessary data will be used by the researchers.

Construction Material and Methods This constraint may limit the researcher in acquiring the necessary information regarding the construction materials and methods used in designing and constructing the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center due to government’s inaccessible engineering and architectural database. To compensate the needed information, the proponents will conduct in-depth analysis and case studies concerning about building construction methods and material that is similar to the situation of the BPLC.

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Non-participative respondents This may limit the researchers to gain information and conduct in-depth interviews and analysis to some local residents, passengers, and vendors who belongs to the cooperative groups of Brgy. Sta. Clara - hindering them to give their personal observation and information.

Potential Investors This constraint may limit the proponents to gain access on some potential investors due its private status and difficulty to conduct interviews and appointments, to cover this limitation, the researcher will rely on secondhand data from investors’ webpages and articles.

Safety and Security The constraint may hinder the researchers to conduct in-depth observation and analysis on the physical status of the BPLC due to some areas that may impose threats to the proponents due to the current situation of the building, to compensate for the constraint, the researchers will conduct interview to other sources such as local residents of Sta. Clara, Batangas and government officials to assess the needed information for the study.

g. Significance of the Study To fully utilize a structure in context to its purpose is what makes a structure successful and significant to the community. In the case of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center, to achieve a low-

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cost and user-responsive redevelopment would help the Batangas Government obtain economic sustainability that should have been achieved prior to its inauguration.

•

Economic development of the Batangas The study would help the Provincial Government in promoting the Batangas

Provincial Livelihood Center as it marks the specific needs of prospect investors and the community to achieve satisfaction and economic stability of the building.

•

Coastal Environment of Batangas Ecocentric approach focuses on the deeper understanding of environmental aspects

that will significantly affect the design and development of BPLC, the study would help the environment as it will investigate strategies and techniques to what kind of redevelopment will be used for the facility that will contribute to lesser construction waste and carbon footprint emission; considering the characteristics of the environment and the existing features is an essential part of the study.

•

Batangas Port Administration, Workers, Passengers and Operations The study targets to develop a harmonious relationship between the redevelopment of

Batangas Port Livelihood Center and the Batangas Port, as it is basically accessible to each other – strategies to be created upon the research will contribute to a more efficient business operations especially during peak seasons of travel and unexpected natural-caused disasters.

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•

Local Merchants of the Sta. Clara, Batangas and Private Investors of BPLC The study would generate considerations and guidelines for a more conducive space

for investors and users as BPLC will be a place where the residents of Santa Clara, Batangas can put up their stores and practice their crafts based on their liking and way of living, it shall help in promoting their culture and in providing a more stable source of income.

•

Public Structures and newly-built buildings The study targets public buildings that were highly funded by the government yet

remained unused after its construction – determining the probable causes of being unused, strategies determined by the study can be used as considerations for future feasibility studies of future government projects.

h. Assumptions The Proposed Redevelopment of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center in accordance to the 2012 Commission on Audit Report was established with proper Feasibility Studies for its need to be revived since the previous study conducted by the government failed to promote the infrastructure.

It is assumed that the Government of Batangas will allow any structural improvements to the facility, regardless of what has been recorded to the contract prior to its construction. This would let the researchers to examine the existing building and determine the proper type of redevelopment that is suitable to the CHAPTER I | 16

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facility.

It is assumed as well that there is a harmonious relationship between the Government of Batangas, the prospect developers of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center (BPLC) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) that it would allow comprehensive development to provide economic progress and sustainability within the Batangas Port Development Project (BPDP).

It has been a common knowledge that the concept of sustainability has been embraced by many architects and designers in order to promote a greener and healthier environment to achieve a socialresponsive community as based from existing facilities designed in accordance to green design.

The proponents of the study also assume that the following data would be relevant to the research: Social •

As the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) is known for the research and forecast of economic data on a macro level, the statistics that they will release will serve as basis for the proper development of BPLC.

•

The annual cargo arrival and passenger traffic statistics from Batangas International Port will be necessary in accessing the interaction of people and vehicles in the site.

•

Since BPLC is a part of Batangas Port, its redevelopment will promote interaction within the whole site, resulting to a larger number of daily users. It will be a take-off point for the

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Department of Transportation to continuously improve the existing port systems in the Philippines.

Ecological •

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will likely to support the project since it highly considers the environmental aspects of the site and its relation to the building itself.

•

Environment-responsive design and construction will minimize the effect of coastal deterioration to the building structure and materials.

Economic •

Addressing the needs of the people and providing a facility that will increase the rate of products and goods exchange will lead to socio-economic development.

•

The data that will come from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will contain the necessary types of livelihood that the people of Batangas have, and will be used to identify the job areas where the study should focus on.

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i. Definition of Terms •

Approach It is a practice in regards with architecture as a design in which the form is determined by being given a set of design conditions. It is also considered as the solution-based to solving problems.

•

Batangas International Port (BIP) It is locally known as the Batangas Pier which is a seaport located at the Barangay Santa Clara, Batangas, primarily serving the region of CALABARZON in the Philippines.

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Batangas Port Development Plan (BPDP) A set of proposed development plan for the Batangas port arrange by the Philippine Port Authority (PPA) to manage and operate a rationalized national port system in support of trade and national development.

•

Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center (BPLC) It is a three-storey government structure constructed in the year 2007, located at Barangay Santa Clara, Batangas with its solely purpose to create an opportunity for the residence of Batangas, unfortunately, the BPLC is widely criticized and dubbed as a “White Elephant” building due to its inability to commence operation.

•

Bio-deterioration It is an effect of inorganic agent in which an undesirable change in the properties of material cause by vital activities of organisms.

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Commission of Audit (COA) It is Philippine Supreme State Audit Institution and a dependent constitutional commission that has a primary purpose to examine, audit and settle all the accounts pertaining to all government revenues and expenditures of funds, resources and properties of the Philippine government.

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Coastal area It is an environment commonly defined as the interface or transition of land and sea to create an environment with a distinct structure, diversity and flow of energy.

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Cost-efficiency It is an architectural approach which involves strategies intended to cuts construction cost by optimizing resources, technologies and material utilization while maximizing the structures efficiency.

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Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Is the primary agency responsible for the conservation, management, development, and proper use of the country’s environment and natural as well as the licensing and regulation of all natural resources as may be provided for by law in order to ensure equitable sharing of the benefits derived therefrom for the welfare of the present and future generations of Filipinos.

•

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) The executive department of the Philippine government that focus in formulating policies, implementing programs and services and also acts as the coordinating arm of the executive branch in the field of labor and employment.

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•

Ecocentric Design It is an architectural approach that is merely dedicated to the integration of sustainable design principles into the built environment, an in-depth and creative design process of careful evaluation of user requirements and site characteristics results in inspired building designs, relevant to their context and in balance with the natural environment.

•

Green It is an architectural approach that seeks to minimized the negative impacts of the structure to the human health and environment by efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy and development space.

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Human-centered A principle of architecture which put the people as the center of consideration in design process, focusing mainly on user’s behavior and characteristic.

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Income-generating It is a purpose in which the structure conducts an operation and activities to generate income and funds for the further development of the establishment and its environment.

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Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) A universal bank in the Philippines owned by the government and classified as a “Specialized Government Bank” that has universal banking license, with a special purpose of serving the needs of local farmers and fishermen.

•

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)

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It is the Philippines premier independent cabinet-level agency that is responsible for economic development and planning, highly regarded as the authority in macroeconomic forecasting and policy analysis and research.

•

Retrofitting An approach in architecture that means to provide components and features to a structure that did not have on the post construction aiming to make it more suitable to its natural environment, striving to make the building more efficient and sustainable. Retrofitting also increase the structure adaptability, durability and resiliency.

•

Responsive Environment An architectural concept that focuses on responsiveness which depends on the design of a place that affects and gives the users their choices. It is achieved by designing a place in a walkable distance while offering social, behavioral, experiential, and functional choices. The concepts applied to achieve the responsiveness of an area are permeability, variety, legibility, robustness, appropriateness, richness and personalization.

•

Sustainability It is a concept in which the mere purpose is to design that is less environmental impact by using different materials and techniques that is environmental and human friendly. This concept also encompasses the consideration of energy efficiency, water conservation, clean air, use of low-impact materials, renewable resource and preserving indoor air quality.

•

Vernacular

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Is an architectural style that is designed based on local needs, availability of construction materials and reflecting local traditions in which it can mitigate the negatives impacts of climate change to the structures. •

White Elephant Architectural term for a structure which identified to be an over-budget, unsuccessful, unutilized and hard to maintain building. This also the term used in the Batangas Livelihood Center due to its inability to commence operation.

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B. Review of Related Literature a. Historical Backdrop and Present Condition Batangas is known as the “Industrial Port City of CALABARZON” and classified as one of the most competitive cities in the country today. As the province is bounded on the north by the province of Cavite, on the northeast and east by the province of Laguna and Quezon respectively, on the south by Verde Island passages and on the west by the China Sea, it makes the province the nearest gateway near Manila having over 110,00 tourist arrivals in the Provincial Capital of Lipa alone. In a statement by the Provincial Governor, Hon. Hermilando Mandanas on Batangas Development Summit held last January 27, 2017, he told that such economic and tourism growth is largely due to the provincial port being the “best in the Philippines”.

With the province’s efforts to improve the community and its people, in an interview by Oxford Business Group to Hon. Mandanas, the Batangas government focuses on giving emphasis to its people, as it has been the province’s main resource. According to the First Batangas Investment Forum, it is said that Batangas can be the first province to first act as a federal state by full implementing the Local Government Code of 1991, which can enable a local government unit to partner with the private sector to build the needed infrastructures to implement its development plan.

The Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center (BPLC) is one of the projects of the Batangas Port Development Project (BPDP), and is located at the BPDP – Phase I fronting the Fast Craft Terminal Building in Barangay Sta. Clara, Batangas City (The Manila Times, 2017). The establishment of the BPLC CHAPTER I | 24

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was envisioned to enhance economic activity in the province and serve as a springboard for promotion and investment. It was initiated to address the socio-economic problems brought about by the Batangas Port Development Project (Dublin, 2017). On the other hand, the facility has not been used after its inauguration until today and coined as a “white elephant” building.

According to the Annual Audit Report on the Province of Batangas by the Commission on Audit, the objective of the Provincial Government in establishing the BPLC is not attained for evident reasons: • Poor planning. The feasibility study was haphazardly done, just to comply with LBP requirements.

The BPLC was built on a borrowed fund with LBP and the projected income is not realizable.

• Investors turned-off by the very onerous conditions.

• Marketing wise, packaging and promotion is weak. The BPLC building lacked the necessary amenities to be taken seriously by investors.

• Lack of political will in containing the problem brought about by the stallholders of Sta. Clara.

The Province must exercise its powers and certain degree of political will in the displaced settlers of Sta. Clara.

Redevelopment of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center In an article by Rappler, the provincial government gives the green light to turn the unused Batangas Port Livelihood Center into a livelihood and commercial hub by allocating P200,000,000 to revive white elephant livelihood center. Prospect improvements for the unutilized development has been proposed by the government of Batangas in a meeting held last October 17, 2007 called by CHAPTER I | 25

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the incumbent Governor Vilma Santos-Recto. Among the solutions being contemplated include among others: •

Reengineer the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center from being a “white elephant” to a

self-liquidating facility by allowing other developments that would cater high-density commercial facilities and institutional offices such as Call Center Offices, Maritime School, Hotel, Regional Offices or a combination from the mentioned developments.

• Market BPLC to prospective investors banking on the truism that there is no marketing without exchange.

•

Improve the market potentials of the BPLC by repairing the facility, through innovative

packaging of the building; redevelopment of the whole area; and through promotion and advertising.

•

Create a One-Stop Investment Office that will serve as the Research and Development of the

Province to complement the tourism agendum of the province.

b. Environmental-based design b.1 Coastal Setting In the Philippines, living in a coastal setting are experiencing an unprecedented rate of change due to population growth in coastal areas, human induced vulnerability, and global climate change. These changes give extreme effects in the communities that increase the risk of coastal hazards, these extreme effects can affect the livability in the coastal area due to increasing global CHAPTER I | 26

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temperature and this can also lead to more powerful storms due to storms getting their strength from heat rising from the sea.

Climate change in Coastal areas Climate change causes various impacts on coastal areas through extreme weather events, long-term changing averages in climatic variables and increased weather variability. Sudden severe phenomena such as storm surges, and gradual changes like sea level rises will directly affect human well-being by damaging investments and infrastructures, and indirectly through modification of coastal ecosystems and habitats (Alcamo 2007).

According to several models, these impacts would become most significant after 2050 (Alcamo 2007), Several observations indicate that climate change may be more dramatic than predicted. Coastal exposure to climate change can vary greatly according to interactions between global, regional, and local weather and bio geophysical factors. The rate of sea level rise is influenced by cyclical regional weather patterns, local atmospheric pressure, sea thermal expansion, coast subsidence, uplift caused by tectonic movements, and other hydrogeological factors (Nicholls 2007).

Adaptation to climate change in the context of coastal areas is defined as a policy process entailing decisions on policy and technological interventions that aim at reducing the vulnerability of the system to climatic changes.

Coastal Building Materials

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In a coastal setting there are special considerations must be made when selecting buildings materials for a coastal structure. The evident harsh environment requires that are more substantial building methods and materials to be used and should be taken with high care when using different materials for coastal setting in order to ensure the durability, hazard resistance and reduce maintenance. The materials and method in a coastal environment should be flood resistant materials, wind resistant materials, corrosion and decay resistance, moisture resistance, and termite resistance due to sunlight, aging, insects, chemical and temperature. Easement in installation and ability to properly install the materials should also be one of the considerations. All coastal buildings will require maintenance and repairs, proper materials and methods for repairs, additions, and other work following initial construction should also in consideration. b.2 Green and Sustainability Sustainable Design and Green Architecture have been a trend here in the Philippines, the core concept of sustainable design is incorporating to environmental design which means the objects that will be designing must be environmentally friendly. To qualify as a sustainable development, the built environment and services must comply with the principles of social, economic and ecological sustainability (Tancio 2017). Green design talks about the same concept, it is a process involving the whole building to sustainability by recognizing the human and environmental concerns, these also involves a sustainable site selection and development, energy efficiency, water conservation, clean air, use of low-impact materials, renewable resource and preserving indoor air quality according to Green Architecture Advocacy Philippines (GreenAP).

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Architects and designers are concentrating to achieve the most practical solutions in human and environmental concerns by creating the ideal green structure which would not generate negative impacts on the users and environment, using only sustainable and renewable resources, and all the used materials components will be returned to the manufacturer after the useful time of the resources to be used to create another material. In addition, the ideal structure will also involve nurturing and restoring, aid productivity and produce sense of well-being for its users. b.3 Vernacular Architecture Vernacular architecture centers on the function of the building type where it is required to perfume, it is generally always evolving over time to reflect the environmental, cultural, technological, economic and historical, becoming more refined and tailored to the context in which it exists. Vernacular architecture imposes great benefits such as capitalizing the local knowledge and traditions by taking advantage of local materials and resources that are energy efficient and sustainable. It also providing vital connection between human and the environment in which they live by designing in accordance with the local climate conditions.

Vernacular in Coastal areas In coastal areas, environment considered to be harsh due to climate change that gives the coastal high temperature and salty ambience making the materials to be more corrosive and easier to deteriorate. Vernacular is a design approach in which it used local materials and planning techniques use by the indigenous people to assess the given condition of their environment. Proper application CHAPTER I | 29

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of different techniques of vernacular can create a structure that can mitigate the evident effects of harsh environment in coastal areas. In addition, proper used of materials that are effectively and efficient for a coastal environment can strengthen the building to withstand the different effects of climate change. b.4 Building Deterioration Low rise, midrise and high-rise building has the substructure and superstructure as the main part of the building, superstructure include many services such as electricity, telecommunication system, water supply system and also it gives the beauty of the structure while the substructure gives the strength of the building, maintaining the building is one of the considerations of the architects and the users of the structure.

All the materials used for the construction will decay over time, not considering the maintenance and not giving attention for the materials used, the building may decay and deteriorate faster than we expect. The building maintenance is very essential for every building, it makes the particular building to be safer the people to live and work. Appraisals can assess various properties of buildings and elements; the two most related ones are strength and durability. Strength reflects the ability of a structure to carry present and future loads, while durability refers to a duration over which the structure will be serviceable. There are many reasons for the building to deteriorate, simply of them is having exposure to the elements. Depending on what a building is made of, exposure to weather over time will lend itself to deterioration unless maintenance is regularly performed.

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Architects and designer should consider the area in which they are building before choosing certain stones and building materials.

Concrete Corrosion Modern buildings created during the 20th century were made from concrete and deterioration of the concrete has begun in the recent years. The main reason for concrete deterioration is corrosion, general corrosion is from carbonation, exposure to this the reinforcement structures over long periods can cause widespread cracking of the concrete. Pitting corrosion from chloride ions from water that leaks to the concrete can cause pitting corrosion and deterioration.

Salt Crystallization Common reason that buildings made of stone suffer from deterioration. The salt crystallization tends to effect more porous stones. Typically, salt enters the stone through the air and into the pores, where it is then crystallized that will cause the stone to deteriorate, usually into a fine powder. Salt is often the result of the mixing of air pollutants and stone, it also comes from ground water, sea spray, chemical cleaners and salt used to de-ice. b.5 Ecocentric Architecture Adaptability is very essential to evolution, yet the contemporary architecture is o is often so formal and complex. Learning from nature and incorporating the idea of adaptability to the functional and going beyond of what the organism looks to merge the formal complexity with its functionality CHAPTER I | 31

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(Mazzoleni 2017). Ecocentric Design is dedicated to the integration of sustainable design principles into the built environment, it is an in-depth and creative design process of careful evaluation of user requirements and site characteristics results in inspired building designs, relevant to their context and in balance with the natural environment. The principle of ecocentric architecture suggest that the human and society are parts of an ecosystem, and thus they must behave as a responsible member of the ecosystem.

Ecological Viewpoint The building and project should be analyzing as a whole, viewing it as a complete living system. Function, economy and efficiency are indeed important parts of architecture, but a good building will only work as a living architecture if we consider the soul, the term soul of architecture is invisible it comes from the creator’s and user’s consideration, sympathy and affection (Kawamura 2005).

Diversity Ecocentric principles should be universal so they can be applied to any project or site, but it must also be flexible at the same time. The principles are analogous to sacred natural providence, that urges species to adapt to their surroundings, which lead to will vary according to place, climate and people. Designing a building on the principle of diversity, its form will vary as well, the application and adaptation of the ecocentric principle according to climate, society and the ecosystem is the key to achieve it.

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Long-Term View The sustainable architecture looks ahead and consider the possible new users for the building.

Durability and easement in maintenance are also important in the principle of sustainability.

Considering also the total amount of energy consumption and expended on materials and construction and the environmental impact throughout of the building life span from construction, operation and demolition. There are many factors to consider, and priorities will vary depending on the specific conditions of each project, and it need to figure out what is the most efficient.

Co-Existence / Harmony A structure will always be interrelated with other issue and these relations are based on coexistence. Everything in this universe is operating in perfect harmony and nothing is discordant. “Any discord is man-made, the result of something people have done which is not in agreement with the great laws of Nature. Anything that opposes Nature, or the natural pattern, produces discord according to Cosmic Law, which is immutable, impartial, is the law of total harmony in its truest broadest sense. If human beings will only follow this law, everything will move in perfect harmony, will go more smoothly."(Okada, M).

Humans always upset the natural harmony by using unnatural means and nature reacts against this to restore its harmony. But humans see this as discordant and resort once again to unnatural measures to stop nature, this creates further discord. Therefore, the architects and designers need to observe nature carefully to find the true way to live in harmony.

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Moderation and Balance The consideration of the ecosystem is to seek balance and moderation to avoid nature’s rebuke. Controlling the eagerness to put everything in the design is a principle of balance, the designers and architects should focus on what is truly needed and cut down what is unnecessary to ensure the minimization of the environmental impact. The exact size and function of every building should be carefully planned and the essence of the structure must be expresses in full potential. It is not merely the denial of expression or ornamentation but it is considering the essence of the location and the structure. b.6 Responsive Environment Architecture Since the creation and application of urban planning, several ideals from social to political are created but until to this day these ideals are never applied and achieved. The cities today are designed without considering the life that circulates in it, mostly focusing on the urban form only. A city is considered to be an entire body and soul but the city planners and designers today focus only in the body and disregarding the soul of a city, thus the creation of cities with no urban life (Jacobs, 1961).

According to Responsive Environments (1985), a manual that is written for urban design, an area’s responsiveness depends on the design of a place that affects and gives the users their choices.

The “responsiveness” of a city basically depends on how much the users have control on their choices through having multiple choices and how the urban areas are accessible for them. It is said to be CHAPTER I | 34

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achieved by designing these places in a walkable distance while offering social, behavioral, experiential, and functional choices. The concepts applied to achieve the responsiveness of an area are permeability, variety, legibility, robustness, appropriateness, richness and personalization.

Permeability Permeability depends on the paths and objects present in a place, the access to alternative routes, because these determines how easy would it be to move in the environment but permeability would be irrelevant if variety is not present, having easy access would be pointless if they do not offer a choice for experience.

Variety, Legibility and Robustness Variety is important, offering a range of activities, people and building forms gives the users variety of options available. The legibility of a place allows the users to understand the layout or the map of the place through features like paths, nodes, landmarks, districts and edges. An area must also offer robustness, it must be available for different purposes, being flexible to cater different uses and being capable to return to its original use. The concepts of permeability, variety, legibility, and robustness mainly focuses on the physical form of the place, and now that the general appearance of the area is determined through these concepts, visual appropriateness would then be applied, the areas look in detail would be important because it would determine the interpretation of the users and with a correct interpretation would result in an appropriate use of the environment.

Richness CHAPTER I | 35

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The richness of the environment in terms of offering a wide range of sensuous experience for the user affects the emotional state of the users giving them the choice of sense-experience, the selection of appropriate materials and construction techniques to be applied for both visual and nonvisual could achieve the richness of a place.

Personalization The last concept is the personalization, the opportunity of the users in the customization of the environment on a large or a small scale, applying their individual tastes and interests. While applying these steps, modification is necessary with the emerging implications in the designing process. These concepts are said to cover the key issues with regards to the production of a responsive place through achieving the said concepts by the design of buildings and outdoor places.

c. Human Behavior Human-responsive Architecture Architecture always starts with a certain need. How a single building is planned and designed depends on the people who will be using it. A deep understanding of user’s needs and characteristics are some of the factors that are needed to be considered to come up with a much suitable and well-designed space.

According to the research article, Designing for Change: The Poetic Potential of Responsive Architecture, CHAPTER I | 36

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written by Mark Maegher, “Responsive buildings enable a physical response to changes in the environment through specific building elements; in rare cases these responsive elements become an integral and poetic element of a culturally significant work of architecture.” It is pointed out that environment and users are two interconnected key elements in a building. It means that different environment features shall produce a different kind of structure or building, and a different site location would also mean a different type of facility. Human activities and behavior tell what design features and elements should be incorporated in a project.

A notable quotation “We shape our buildings, and afterwards, our buildings shape us” (Winston Churchill, 1944) proves the intensive relationship of a space to its users. It is true that in the first place, buildings are designed after evaluating its specific user. The continuous usage of that certain building will eventually shape or change its own user due to the fixed elements that are integrated. These unchangeable features can’t adapt to the change of human emotions and movements, resulting to the users are being the ones who are adapting to these features. Responsive architecture on the other hand, includes changeable and adaptive or can also be called as static elements, which can respond with the changes happening in the environment and the lives of the users.

Another term that can be connected to responsive architecture is interactive architecture. The role of the building users or inhabitants doesn’t stop when a space or structure is already done and constructed. In reality, they are actually involved from that very first stage of planning until the daily usage of the building.

Interactive design promotes an endless linkage between the users, environment and the building itself. It is a harmonious relationship that includes human factor as a major player, as it looks forward in making it a more participative element.

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Livelihood of Residents of Sta. Clara, Batangas Barangay Sta. Clara, Batangas is classified as an urban area with a total population of 12,201 residents out of the 329,874-total population of Batangas City as recorded in the Philippine Statistics Authority last 2015. It has a total land area of 165.6232 hectares, consisting of 7 sitios, and is bounded by Brgy. Sta. Rita in the North, Cuta in the South, Batangas Bay in the West, and Poblacion in the East. Since Barangay Sta. Clara is an adjacent to the coastal area, it is also called as Aplaya, which means along the seashore. Since it is where the Batangas International Port is situated, the barangay is sometimes called as Pantalan, which means pier or a place for shipments.

The daily life of the residents of Sta. Clara, Batangas revolves mainly within the Batangas Port. As the port remains operational, it continues to make an impact to the socio-economic stability of the whole Batangas City. According to the study entitled, The Socio-Economic Impacts of Batangas International Port in the Tourism Industry, Batangas port positively affects both the residents and the economy by increasing the rate of employment and providing more job opportunities, due to the establishment of small and medium scale industries within the city. As the port became the general means of transportation of Batangas, importation and trade industries are also attracted and led to the creation of more businesses. Its strategic location and being the gateway for beautiful beaches and destinations, became a great impact for the tourism growth and also led to new developments like hotel, restaurants and other tourism-related establishments.

The other source of income for Batangas City is Agriculture. According to the city’s land use plan, about 8,226.96 hectares or 28.82 percent of its total land area belongs to agricultural and agroforestry uses.

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food. To answer this problem, they have decided to focus on other crops like vegetables, fruits, and root crops. The city also launched a program on improving their yellow corn production, creating the two organizations, Batangas City Yellow Corn Growers and Batangas City Vegetable Growers Association Incorporated.

The city also benefits from the presence of the nearby sea, as their main source of fish and other aquatic resources. There’s a total of 1, 262 registered fisherfolks, 858 registered motorized bancas, producing a total volume of 60 metric tons. Livestock is also considered as a great source of income for the area, as poultry and piggery farms being the largest in terms of producers count.

Culture Culture and architecture are two things that are interrelated to each other. One cannot exist without the presence of the other. Culture reflects the way of life in a certain country, region, or place. There may be a product or process that only the people in that area is practicing, and cannot be found in others. The way a structure is designed and formed, is influenced by culture. It promotes the identity and uniqueness of that place, by integrating a distinct design element or environment to the structures, and it may be the color, texture, or the specific material used As the way of living changes, architecture also adapts and evolve, responding to the current situation or setup. Building types can also tell the cultural context of a place. The presence of church and other forms of worship-related structures is a sign that the certain place believes in religion or considers it as one of their foundation. Architecture will continue to change its form if there is a shift in the people’s practices. A rich

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culture would mean a rich architecture. This progress can be observed from the earlier days of simple living and how it changes until it became complex.

d. Economic Aspect Sustainable Commercial Facilities In the book Sustainable Commercial Interiors, it is stated that sustainable design practices have a positive effect from the three linked aspects, economic, environmental, and social. Efficient use of materials, resources, and energy can gradually increase the revenue of businesses like malls, retail stores, supermarkets, offices and other commercial-related types of establishments. It is beneficial both for the building owner and the tenants.

In the website of Wellington City Council, wellington.govt.nz, an article entitled Benefits of sustainable commercial buildings said that the energy cost for sustainable commercial buildings are 35 – 50 percent lower compared to the traditionally designed buildings. Productivity and user satisfaction can also increase by applying sustainable solutions. The article also states that green buildings has a positive impact for the customers, workers, and investors.

Sustainable Commercial Interiors also said that, “Human beings are at the center of concerns for sustainable development”, as a certain project cannot be implemented without thorough evaluation of the potential users. Sustainable solutions and features shall be based on user’s needs and activities as they are the top priority. The statement “Healthy and productively in harmony with nature”, is one of the advocacies of sustainable design. It is an upgrade to human life in terms of efficiency, without imposing harmful effects CHAPTER I | 40

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to the environment. A functional design from within to enhance user’s productivity, and a well-built building envelope that can is designed considering the environmental characteristics and climatic conditions of the place.

Low-cost Design Sustainable architecture can also be related to low-cost design. It is one of the goals of sustainability to decrease construction cost by using using low-cost yet effective materials. “Appropriate building elements and materials which should be durable, sustainable, and easy to maintain, are significant step of excellent sustainable architectural design (Fleming, 2005).” A built structure should be disaster-resilient, using the appropriate building materials that can respond to the adverse effects of the environment. It should be sustainable, using lesser energy or utilizing the energy that is be used in other purposes. Some construction techniques consider the use of light-weight materials because they are easy to be replace and to be fixed in case of damages.

Prefabrication is another key element in sustainable and low-cost design. Prefabricated materials are commonly made off-site prior to the installation process. It is proven that the use of prefabricated construction materials saves construction time, and also reduces the construction waste that is produced if a certain material is made on-site.

"Cutting costs can be achieved in various ways without losing sight of utility or aesthetics (B S Bhooshan).” As people continues to find ways on how they can achieve a cost-effective design and save more construction budget, building functionality and appearance were sometimes sacrificed. Vernacular architecture on the other hand, promotes the use of readily available materials, or the materials that can be CHAPTER I | 41

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found in the environment where a certain project is located, like bamboos and woods. Vernacular materials can also be considered as sustainable as it can be easily prepared and maintained, and has low to zero emission. Vernacular architecture is a great example of the use of low-cost materials, applied in a wellarranged manner, and is functional at the same time.

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C. Research Frame THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

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Figure 1.4 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework CHAPTER I | 44

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At the beginning of the Theoretical and Conceptual Framework (Figure 1.1), the social problem where the study started, was determined. It is the economic deficiencies experienced by the Provincial Government of Batangas. In order to answer this dilemma, the local government proposed a project which is the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center (BPLC), a part of the Batangas Port Development Plan (BPDP). It was planned to house and promote the economic activities of the locals of Batangas, and to produce more job opportunities. However, it did not commence operation and became unutilized due to the dissatisfaction of clients and investors which has led to the BPLC being just a passageway for the passengers to the Batangas Port Terminal 3. With this situation led the merchants of the Sta. Clara to experience downfall on their business, gaining less income on their long stays of business hours. Since BPLC was not maintained, it led to the physical downgrade of the building, plus the factor of ecological setting which is the coastal area of Batangas, hasten the deterioration of the building. BPLC also became a burden to the provincial government, as their dept continues.

The next part of the figure, shows the proposed the redevelopment of BPLC and how it was hindered by its present conditions which were mentioned above. It shows how the study looks to address the onerous conditions of BPLC such as, being unutilized, physical deterioration, and increasing dept, and how these will be answered by human and site responsive solutions while considering its negative economic impact, environmental context, and budget limitation for the proposed redevelopment.

The first sub problem is about how the redevelopment will address the negative economic impacts of the construction of BPLC, and how a project that was expected to boost the economy of a province became an economic burden itself. The social impact will be addressed, the involvement of users – the locals of Batangas, Port Workers, clients and investors. The reasons why the BPLC failed to be utilized according to its purpose will be established through environment-behavioral study, review of existing building laws such as National Building Code of the Philippines CHAPTER I | 45

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(NBCP), BP 144, and other related building design codes. The concept of ecocentrism and holistic architecture will be applied, as it focuses on the deeper interconnection of the building, environment and users.

The second sub problem is mainly about how the revitalization of BPLC will be maximized, given the fact that there is a budget constraint, while still considering the building’s effectiveness and efficiency. Suitable techniques and strategies will be determined through in-depth understanding of green construction which involves energy-efficiency, low-cost design, and net zero buildings. This will also be connected to the concepts that are mentioned above (ecocentrism), as it will involve the relevance of considering the existing site and environment context in achieving costeffective design.

The third sub problem focuses on how the redevelopment will address the risks imposed by the ecological setting of BPLC, given the fact that is situated near the coastal area of Batangas. The negative effects of the environment like physical deterioration, will be identified through extensive review of vernacular architecture, climate-responsive design, and the use of sustainable materials in connection with green construction. Retrofitting will be considered as it is about improving an existing building in order to respond to the current environmental aspects and the continuouslychanging needs of the people.

Figure 1.1 also shows the relationship of the theories and concepts like ecocentrism, green design, and vernacular materials and strategies, in achieving a well-rounded building construction and design. At the end of the framework, use-based considerations, cost efficient and effective construction methods, and the proper redevelopment method will be established as key pointers in redeveloping the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center into an incomegenerating complex.

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D. Methodology of the Study a. Systems of Inquiry In order to make the study possible, understanding the idea of the topic shall be of high priority; the topic, which mainly focuses on how environmental-based design affects the economic sustainability of the place where it is situated. Ocular inspection will be the first process to be used as it will help in assessing the present environmental characteristics of the area, surrounding BPLC. Architects and environmentalists who are proponents of Ecocentrism will be interviewed as they are knowledgeable about the importance of integrating the environment into building design. These will be presented as the first-hand data. Secondary data will come from books and studies about environmental-based design, human-responsive approach, as well as the records and reports from relevant government agencies b. Research Design This research aims to achieve the goals and objectives presented in a table form that includes objectives, which is the first step and will serve as the main guideline on what to study and research. The second will be activity method, which is used as the main guideline during the processing of data and information collection. The third is the expected output, which will be used as a basis on what to be achieved at the end of the study. The fourth are the persons involved during the process of data collection, it determines who should the researchers needs to talk to with regards to the problem. The fifth focuses on the tools that are needed to be prepared and to be used during and after the interviews are conducted. The sixth and last

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would be the estimate time-frame, which is essential in guiding the researchers to stay on track and in-line with the schedule. This also makes them aware on what needs to be done during a particular process. c. Research Tactics OBJECTIVES

1. Determine the relationship between the community and the BPLC and how they respond to its environment.

TACTIC

INSTRUMENTS

Conduct observation and photo documentation on other facilities with relation to the environmental setting of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center

Observation guidelines Camera

Gather information through books on how people respond with its environment

Books about Humanresponsive environment Journals

Conduct ocular observation on how merchants utilize the BPLC.

Interview guidelines Interview questions Camera Phone Recorder

TIME FRAME

PEOPLE INVOLVED

EXPECTED OUTPUT

List of behavior of Passengers and Port Workers within the BPLC

1 day Researchers

3-4 hrs.

List of strategies for userresponsive design

3-4 days

Table of Behavioral responses on how the merchants of BPLC utilizes the facility

Merchants on the BPLC Researchers

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Conduct survey on residents within the vicinity of the BPLC on how they utilize the facility

Survey forms Pen and paper

1 week

Residents of Sta. Clara, Batangas Researchers

Table showing the pictures and list of physical characteristics of the BPLC

Conduct ocular observation of the present conditions of the BPLC 2. To assess the present conditions of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center in terms of its Physical Characteristics

3. Determine the previous reasons why the BPLC failed to be utilized according to its purpose.

Conduct ocular observation to assess the present environment and its characteristics where the Batangas Provincial Livelihood is situated

Observation guidelines Camera

Table of Behavioral responses of Residents of Sta. Clara, Batangas on how they utilize the facility

1 week

Researchers List of physical and ecological site characteristics of the BPLC

Conduct an interview with the BPLC’s management regarding the existing physical and economic conditions of the facility

Interview guidelines Interview questions Camera Phone Recorder

2-3 days

BPLC Administration and assigned personnel Researchers

Conduct interviews on the Sta. Clara, Batangas Local Government about the Batangas Port Development Plan about its failure to be utilized

Interview guidelines Interview questions Camera Phone Recorder

1 week

BPDP Project Head Researchers

Comprehensive assessment of the existing physical and economic conditions of BPLC Report of the BPDP regarding the current situation of BPLC and why it failed to be utilized

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Batangas Commercial Complex: The Redevelopment of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center into an Environment-responsive Income-generating Complex through Ecocentrism Camacho, Cheskertt I. | Laigo, Billy T. | Maniquiz, John Carlo M.

Secure a copy of the previous feasibility study for the BPLC

4. Determine the effective methods and strategies on efficient and effective building designs

5. Develop guidelines in designing buildings in relation to the coastal environment to

Request Letter for Batangas Provincial Development Office

Gather secondary information through books and related studies regarding the efficient buildings

Books and journals about building construction

Conduct case studies on facilities with effective building design and efficient operational life

Laptop Internet connection Books, journals and Magazines about building construction

Conduct discussion with Filipino Architects on how to develop efficient buildings.

Interview guidelines Interview questions Camera Phone Recorder

Gather information about the causes and effects of deterioration

Books, journals and magazines about building deterioration

Researchers

Previous Feasibility study of the BPLC

Researchers

List of substantial effective and efficient building construction techniques

1 day

Researchers

List of successful construction methods applied on coastal areas

3-4 days

Ar. Ma. Saturnina Parungao Researchers

Effective techniques for efficient building design

Researchers

Design considerations to avoid or mitigate the BPLC's possible deterioration

2-3 days

1 day

1 day

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Batangas Commercial Complex: The Redevelopment of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center into an Environment-responsive Income-generating Complex through Ecocentrism Camacho, Cheskertt I. | Laigo, Billy T. | Maniquiz, John Carlo M.

avoid biodeterioration.

6. Assess the structural stability of the BPLC to determine the proper redevelopment method that should be applied

Conduct observation and assessment of the physical characteristics of the site.

Observation guidelines Camera

Conduct case studies on developments on coastal areas on how they design according to its site context

Laptop Internet Connection Pen and Paper Camera

1 day

Researchers

Watch documentaries on climate and coastal-responsive buildings

Laptop Internet connection Pen and paper

1 day

Researchers

Gather information in the Architect of the redevelopment of the BPLC regarding its plans on reviving the facility

Interview guidelines Interview questions Camera Phone Recorder

3-4 days

Batangas Provincial Planing and Development Office Director Researchers

2 days

Researchers

Physical analysis of the BPLC Effective design strategies on how to design buildings on coastal areas Effective methods on climate responsive design List of construction techniques to be avoided for coastal areas

Considerations about the government's plan to the BPLC's reconstruction

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Batangas Commercial Complex: The Redevelopment of the Batangas Provincial Livelihood Center into an Environment-responsive Income-generating Complex through Ecocentrism Camacho, Cheskertt I. | Laigo, Billy T. | Maniquiz, John Carlo M.

7. Develop strategies and techniques for lowcost construction, considering the possible effects of deterioration.

Interview Ar. Ma. Saturnina Parungao regarding efficient low-cost methods of construction.

Interview guidelines Interview questions Camera Phone Recorder

Gather information about local materials for low-cost construction

Books, journals and magazines about building materials

3-4 days

1 day

Ar. Ma. Saturnina Parungao Researchers

List of effective and efficient building designs

Researchers

List of possible construction methods and materials for low-cost redevelopment

Table 1.1 Research methodology

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