IWBI announces Menarco as the first in Southeast Asia to achieve WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management

New York--(Antara/Business Wire)- The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) today announced that the Philippines‘ iconic Menarco Tower is the first building in Southeast Asia to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management, a program that IWBI recently launched to guide and empower the actions of large and small businesses alike in taking the necessary steps to prioritize the health and safety of their staff, visitors and stakeholders.

Menarco joined the more than 100 global early adopters in July to enroll in the documentation-based WELL Health-Safety Rating and implement its science-backed guidance. The rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all new and existing building and space types focused on operational policies, maintenance protocols, emergency plans and stakeholder engagement strategies to help organizations get back to business.

“As we celebrate Menarco Tower’s achievement for becoming the first regional WELL Health-Safety Rated property, we are proud to see Menarco take another step in its WELL journey, demonstrating a continuous commitment to supporting people’s health, safety and well-being,” said IWBI President Rachel Gutter. “The latest achievement by Menarco gives the sense of reassurance to the project team, employees and stakeholders that the measures they took have been mapped to scientific evidence and verified through an internationally trusted third-party review process.”

The Menarco Tower was the first WELL Certified project in the Philippines. Gutter pointed out that there are thoughtfully designed pathways for WELL-registered and WELL Certified projects to pursue the WELL Health-Safety Rating by effectively leveraging the synergies between the two programs. The WELL Health-Safety Rating was adapted from features in the WELL v2, the recently launched update to the WELL Building Standard (WELL), but focuses specifically on documentation-based features around facility maintenance and operations. While WELL projects can adopt longer term design strategies to reduce the risks of infectious disease spread, they can tap into this rating to focus on measures that can be implemented immediately to address acute threats, restoring confidence to support an organization’s business bottom line.

“Together with IWBI, Menarco continues to be a leader in the healthy building initiative in Southeast Asia,” said Carmen Jimenez-Ong, founder & CEO of Menarco Development Corporation. She said Menarco confidently strode forward during the Covid-19 pandemic despite rising cases in the Philippines. “We know that with our WELL Health-Safety Rating, we are locally executing international best practices, and it makes me happy to share that during this crucial season, Menarco Tower helps keep people safe and well.”

Menarco Tower achieved the rating by implementing features across five categories, including cleaning and sanitization procedures; emergency preparedness programs that include plans for both staff and visitors as well as plans for re-entry after an emergency event; health service resources such as providing access to sick leave and mental health recovery; air and water quality management; and stakeholder engagement and communications resources to promote health and wellness.

Created by IWBI, the WELL Health-Safety Rating is informed by guidance developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), global disease control and prevention centers and emergency management agencies, recognized standard-making bodies, such as ASTM International and ASHRAE, and leading academic and research institutions. IWBI has leveraged insights from its Task Force on COVID-19, established at the outset of the pandemic to help business and building leaders integrate actionable insights and proven strategies in the fight against COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.

Owners, operators and tenants can pursue the WELL Health-Safety Rating for projects independently, seamlessly using the rating as a stepping stone to achievement of WELL Certification, or integrate the rating as a milestone within their WELL Certification or WELL Portfolio journey.

To learn more about the WELL Health-Safety Rating, visit https://www.wellcertified.com/health-safety.

Menarco Development Corporation (Menarco) was established in 2014 by the Jimenez Family, chaired by Menardo R. Jimenez (GMA Network) and founded by Carmen Jimenez-Ong, with a vision to become a globally-trusted voice in creating humanity-centered spaces to work, play and live in. Anchored on the principle that one’s built environment affects performance, health, and behavior, Carmen took on the task of building a superior office tower – one that meets international standards of wellness and sustainability. The result is Menarco Tower, a multi-awarded, 32-storey, corporate office landmark which was completed in 2017. It is considered the healthiest building in Southeast Asia for being the first and only WELL Certified™ Gold building in the region. It is not only good for the people, but also the earth, with its LEED ™ Gold certification. Today, Menarco proudly stands as not only the healthiest, but also the safest building, after having earned the much coveted Health & Safety Rating ™ from IWBI. Menarco is second in the world to achieve this accolade, next to Yankee Stadium.

With the Menarco Tower as proof of its ability to deliver on its vision, Menarco Development Corporation is leading and changing the property development landscape in the Philippines by spearheading the development of healthy, more human-centered spaces -- putting You Above All. For more information, click here. Facebook: facebook.com/MenarcoDevCorp; InstagramL @menarcotower

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is leading the global movement to transform our buildings, communities and organizations in ways that help people thrive. WELL is focused exclusively on the ways that buildings and communities, and everything in them, can improve our comfort, drive better choices, and generally enhance, not compromise, our health and well-being.

WELL v2 is the most recent version of its popular WELL Building Standard (WELL), and the WELL Community Standard pilot is a district scale rating system that sets a new global benchmark for healthy communities. The WELL Health-Safety Rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all facility types, focused on operational policies, maintenance protocols, emergency plans and stakeholder education to help organizations get back to business now and address broader health and safety-related issues into the future. IWBI mobilizes the wellness community through management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources, and advocacy for policies that promote health and wellness everywhere. IWBI is a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate citizenship initiative, and helps companies advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the use of WELL. More information on WELL can be found here.

Press:

Yan Tai

media@wellcertified.com

Source: International WELL Building Institute (IWBI)