Wired for Change: Building a Sustainable Future with Data Centers in the Philippines
Project Country: Philippines / IBD Client: STT GDC (Philippines)
Written By: Nuria Escrivá, James Wang, Testimony Elendu, Sarjana Jaiswal, and John Kyle Moseley
First day of work! From left to right: John Kyle, Testimony, Sarjana, Nuria, and James
After a semester working with STT GDC Philippines, our IBD team had a chance to visit our client in Manila! Over two transformative weeks, we explored how data centers, one of the largest growing sectors of energy usage, can lead the charge in sustainability.
From site visits across Metro Manila and Cavite to stakeholder interviews, we dove deep into the challenges and opportunities of reducing carbon emissions in the digital infrastructure landscape. Along the way, we gained more than insights. We built lasting connections with the incredibly kind and generous employees, reflected on equity and the environment, and even planted saplings at a local ecopark. Come read about our journey!
From Rooftop Work Sessions to Company-Wide Spotlights: Our First Week in Manila
We arrived in Manila sun-kissed and sleepy, easing back into city life with a rooftop work session under the humid 88°F night sky. Slides were polished, jitters calmed, and 90% ready for our first meeting with STT GDC Philippines.
Midnight working sessions to morning breakfasts from the 35th floor of the hotel!
During our first week, we were greeted with a warm orientation and an unexpected surprise—an invitation to speak to the entire company about sustainability! Our big presentation came on May 21. We covered climate change, Scope 3 emissions, and the UN SDGs to the entire company!
IBD team posing with the HR team who led the Sustainability In Action sustainability teaching session
Sarjana giving a talk about the UN SDGs to the entire company
Another highlight was meeting the CEO Carlo. Genuine and passionate about sustainability, he made us feel like part of the company. However, we had many meaningful encounters with people throughout the many teams, enjoying multiple meals with them!
Lunch with the leadership team!
Wired for the Future: Touring the Heart of STT GDC Philippines
Our journey also included visiting 3 data centers and the AI Synergy Lab, a proof-of-concept showing how direct-to-chip liquid cooling works!
The best opportunity was visiting the massive Fairview site, which will soon become the largest data center in the Philippines with a 124 MW capacity. Already LEED Gold pre-certified (and one point away from Platinum!), it’s the only site in the country with a built-in substation. Touring the construction site in full PPE (with high safety standards due to STT GDC’s forward-thinking practices), we scaled scaffolding to see diesel gensets on the 4th floor and chillers on the roof—with green hills as our “Fair View.”
Head of Technology explaining direct-to-chip liquid cooling technology (left).
IBD team standing atop the roof of the Fairview, the data center still under construction (right).
Nature, Nurture, and a Night Out
While many IBD teams spent their weekends relaxing, we were up before sunrise for a special opportunity: volunteering at La Mesa EcoPark, a space dedicated to protecting the La Mesa Watershed, which supplies 97% of Metro Manila’s drinking water. STT GDC Philippines partners with the park as part of its community outreach efforts, giving us a chance to step beyond cityscapes and into nature.
We learned about a dozen of the 200 native tree species, tasted local honeysuckle, and sampled taho (a sweet tofu snack) from street vendors. Later, we helped prep soil and bag Kupang saplings for future reforestation.
La Mesa reminded us that sustainability starts with education, local stewardship, and equitable access to nature. It was a grounding experience—literally and figuratively—that reconnected us to why this work matters.
IBD team planting Kupang samplings with the STT GDC team
Final Stretch: Aligning, Learning, and Wrapping Up in Manila
As our final week began, we shifted into execution mode—refining our deliverable into a robust sustainability roadmap. We met with eight stakeholders across departments, learning how each team could contribute to reducing carbon emissions. From data integration challenges to supplier engagement and waste audits, we gathered rich insights for targeted recommendations. Highlights included a conversation with Pierre from Design and Construction, who shared how open communication was key to construction acceptance at Fairview, which lay in a residential area. We even had a chance to meet and visit with Globe, STT GDC’s parent company, to ensure alignment across teams.
IBD team visiting Globe, one of STT GDC Philippines’s parent companies and meeting their sustainability
and HR team to learn more about their progress and initiatives.
Outside of work, we attended STT GDC’s monthly Town Hall as a recognition forum for employees and to deep dive into each department’s efforts as a way to build camaraderie in the company and shared a wonderful dinner with the local Berkeley alumni network—an inspiring group who were proud and welcoming to see the first IBD project land in the Philippines.
IBD team meeting the Cal alumni living in Manila!
By the week’s end, we finalized our report and presented it to the management team, receiving warm praise about how they could move forward. They even suggested sharing it with their parent companies to influence and lead the charge for sustainability. As we packed our bags, we felt deeply grateful: for the warmth of our hosts, the complexity of the challenges, and the impact of our work.
For us, this wasn’t just a consulting project; it was an opportunity to affect real change. The STT GDC team even invited us to reach out in 6 months to check-in on the progress.
