MANILA, Philippines - A local property management firm has tied up with the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) to make its managed portfolio of over 40 buildings across the country more energy efficient.

CCI, a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, is assisting Century Properties Management Inc. (CPMI) by providing advice on various technologies and financial mechanisms to reduce total energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

Work has begun on the Pacific Star Building, a 20-year-old office building in Makati City, CPMI said.

For starters, chillers used in the structure were replaced by new and more efficient ones from TRANE Philippines.

CPMI said the energy savings will enable the Pacific Star Building to pay back its investment in less than 4 years.

The company said it is planning to fit out energy efficient equipment in its remaining managed buildings in the Philippines over the next 2 years.

"(Reducing energy cost) is a 'win-win' proposition and almost a guarantee to become a precedent," CPMI chairman and chief executive officer Jose E. B. Antonio said in a statement.

More green initiatives

CPMI's tie-up with CCI is not the first attempt to make structures or vehicles in the country more environment-friendly.

Philippine Utility Vehicle manufacturer had earlier embarked on a campaign to turn "jeepney" mini-buses green by replacing them with electricity-powered ones.

The so-called e-jeepneys, which can carry a dozen people each, can travel travel about 70 kilometers at speeds of up to 60 kilometers an hour.

Jeepneys were earlier dubbed as "environmental vandals" because their huge diesel-powered motors are one of the major contributors of air pollution in the country.

Meanwhile, a couple in Cebu previously built a "Green House" -- a structure designed using natural lighting and passive cooling principles -- in an effort to conserve energy and protect the environment.

Shaped like a boat, the 3-storey house has rain catchers, small windows, glass blocks and grills to prevent heat and allow cold air to pass through.

About 14 exhaust fans are placed on every corner of the house, just in case it gets warm.

During the summertime, owners of the Green House said they only paid P600 to P1,300 for electricity bills every month.