Elevating Lives for People in the Coastlines

The Philippines has a long history of weather disturbances, yet only few structures are designed to withstand these harsh conditions. For BS Architecture students Jonas Adrian Itao and Russ Mary Tolo, the development of innovative infrastructure in Ginatilan can bolster its economy and enhance its resilience to natural disasters.

Ginatilan is a 5th class income municipality that’s largely a coastal town. Jonas, being a resident of Ginatilan himself, saw the opportunity to develop the existing Ginatilan Public Market. “When we discovered that our site is prone to storm surges, we used that as our main inspiration or challenge in our design development,” he said. 

They elevated the public market from the natural ground line using berms. “Site grading or Berm is the shaping of the terrain to create a transition zone and access zone that connects the users from the ground line level up to the elevated finish floor line of the public market and livelihood center,” Jonas shared. 

Russ also paid attention to the resources used within the public market, as well as their efficiency. “Since the market is prone to wastage of water, like mga hugaw baana (dirty water), we created a wastewater treatment which is essential in a public market,” she elaborated. 

To attain their goal of fostering economic growth in Ginatilan, Russ and Jonas integrated a livelihood center in the public market. They also designed a mini amphitheater and promenade to encourage foot traffic and cultural activities in the area. 

Despite being good friends, Jonas and Russ also had their own design styles that they had to reconcile. “Despite our differences in ideas and design concepts, we consistently prioritized finding common ground and choosing to communicate with each other and to consider the design solutions for the flow of our thesis,” Russ explained. 

“Regarding our dynamic as thesis partners, the one thing I learned is to really trust your partner, that she can do her job and trusting myself that I can also do my job properly. I won’t fail my partner in our thesis,” Jonas said, emphasizing the importance of picking the right thesis partner. 

The panelists commended them for the innovative and creative translation of their design solution. This led them to win the Best Thesis award in the School of Architecture, Fine Arts, and Design of University of San Carlos.

“Winning the best thesis was slightly telling me that I am capable, that we are capable of creating something that is more than we expected for ourselves,” Jonas shared. 

For Russ, this award helped her overcome her self-doubt and add up to her achievements. “It’s natural to experience moments of doubt and frustration, but always remember your goals and be persistent and resilient,” she said. 

Jonas and Russ are currently apprentices in different design and build firms. Moving forward, these two individuals will continue to elevate the design standards for people in their own respective communities.