Friday, June 06, 2008 ‘Green’ products up for grabs
PRODUCTS that could help end-users cope with the surging prices of fuel and other basic commodities, while planning to build or complete their homes, will be available in a construction show.
With its opening today at SM City Cebu, the 16th Construction Show-Cebu will showcase to visitors and consumers a wide range of solutions in construction, including “green” building products.
Putting up a portion of the show for “green” products is one way of building awareness among consumers who, according to construction industry leaders, are not yet fully aware of the capacity of the building materials.
Peso-stretching
Charles Kenneth Co, vice president for marketing and sales for Cebu Oversea Hardware Co. Inc. and director for Hardwares Consolidated Inc. (HCI), said that the construction show will give consumers “the chance to see all possible choices under one roof, ask trained people about certain products and learn to stretch their hard-earned peso.”
He cited compact fluorescent lamps as one of the “green” items that can help consumers save a lot on electricity.
Green products
In a press statement, some leading brands that advocate the principles of “green” building include Davies Megacryl, a premium acrylic water-based formulation for interior and exterior application; Megaman Energy Savings Lamps that ensures precise heating time, longer operating life and high luminous efficacy; and Permabond bio-organic wood glue from Amon Marketing Corp., a non-toxic, solvent-free adhesive in paste form.
Co said they are also asking the government to help, like providing HCI members that produce “green” products with tax incentives since producing the materials would entail additional costs to make them environmentally viable.
He also admitted the construction sector is also affected by rising fuel costs.
Price increase
This is obvious with cement products costing from P5 to P8 this month as well as the five to 10 percent increase of resin-related materials like PVC pipes.
Despite the situation, Co and HCI president Basil Ting are optimistic that the construction sector will still grow due to overseas Filipino workers remittances and the market’s inclination to invest on building homes, as well as Cebu’s tourism and travel development.
Development
“Last year, we saw a lot of condominiums, condo-tels and business process outsourcing buildings constructed in Cebu compared to the past three years. We see retirement homes and tourism-related (infrastructure) being built in the future,” Co said.
The Home Development Mutual Fund has allocated P30 billion for low-cost housing loans while the Philippine Retirement Authority has short-listed seven destinations, including Cebu, for the projected influx of 829,250 retirees coming from Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan.
The 16th Construction Show-Cebu is organized by the 62-member HCI and L.A. Ducut and Company Inc.
More than 100 exhibitors and 40,000 visitors are expected in the annual show. (NRC)
