Three things keep him going: A noble cause, an incredible mission, and a direct line to The Almighty.
Philipp Inno is a renaissance man with dozens of dreams. Born Philipp Purino, he uses this new alias partly because he is a proud Filipino. And also because he is a relentless "inno"vator.
His activities mostly span the fields of Creative Design and Business Innovations Consultancy. But there's really more to this multi-faceted man than meets the eye.
Philipp is an inventor, an architect, an entrepreneur, an artist, and a visionary...all rolled into one philanthropic, God-fearing soul. And his multiple passions only reflect the depth and magnitude of his purpose.
A member of the Filipino Inventors Society (FIS), Inc., Philipp has come up with noteworthy patented inventions. His Modular Impermanent Building System won 1st Prize in a DOST-TAPI National Invention Competition. Also called BLOC Technology, this geo-architectural building technique is hinged on the use of recyclable materials combined with energy-efficient design.
In tandem with this, he founded AutoBLOC, subtitled "The Necessity of the 21st Century". In conjunction with his first brainchild, AutoBLOC basically integrates BLOC Technology into a system. This alternative hearth plays on dynamics that has for its primary purpose eco-living and sustainability. It is centered on autonomous housing and communities, using inexpensive, even indigenous, materials and design. Autonomous, meaning "off the grid"...of the electrical company, of the waterworks and sewerage service, and, preferably, also of the municipal garbage collection service.
Renewable energy, recyclable waste, practical sustainability and resource conservation are at the core of AutoBLOC's philosophy. And Philipp devised in AutoBLOC is a chorus of eco-technology, techniques and systems that bring equilibrium to a host of these elements for the sustainability of human society.
"Efficiency and functionality, recycled, reused, repurposed construction material, modular and prefabricated design concepts...these are the elements I factor in when building an optimized eco-friendly habitat ", Philipp confesses.
Having an architectural background, Philipp considers himself now as an "architechnopreneur". Asked what differentiates him from the new generation of modern Filipino architects now multiplying in the country, and he replied, "Low energy consumption, low carbon dioxide emission, and low in resultant carbon footprint are points I seriously take in consideration upon planning or designing any project. But then again, I also look at the angle of yield, in production, in crop, in revenue and profit, the entrepreneurial angle, for those who want their projects to be income-generating."
According to Philipp, hearth, abode, and even communities can and should be less oriented towards cost, expenses, consumption and liabilities. And there are techniques and methods that can re-orient things towards gain, revenues, production and assets. The trick is in the propagation and practice of right philosophy. Meanwhile, the balanced integration of all the elements that advance the philosophy is the discipline he is exploring.
He looks at an efficient, productive, integrated and dynamic hearth system as a well-oiled machine.
"If you're going to spend time and money building, you may as well build a dream", he says.
Like a building block is not the whole megalith, one "green" smart home is not the dream Philipp has in mind. What he'd consider a dream come true is the wide application of his concepts for earth-friendly, autonomous abodes and systems. He is proving his advocacy by operating a working set-up in the form of "glamping" (glamorous camping).
Beside Lumot Lake in Cavinti, Laguna stands the BLOC Camp Site, which is Philipp's BLOC concept actualized. Here, he's built an eco-friendly enclave with a camping theme, sparking tourism and providing jobs to local residents in the process.
The BLOC Camp Site gives him the perfect venue to showcase his brainchild. As a glamping facility, he is able to raise environmental awareness among his guests, indulging them to up close treats of nature. After making them fall in love with the Earth, with nature and all its bounties, he then injects the advocacy to preserve it, value it, and strive to restore it. Visitors often engage him in such ecological talks, and this is where he finds the opportunity to promote his vision on renewable energy, recycling and upcycling, earth-attuned architecture and modular housing for the masses.
It didn't take long before GLAMPINGxBLOC (Glamping by BLOC) became a huge success. It's consistently among the Top 10 Great Glamping Spots in the country. And it's been featured in dozens of blogs and even TV features like GMA7’s Day-Off, iJuander, Pop Talk, and twice at Unang Hirit.
That, however, isn't the end of the story, but only the beginning. Three ingenious ideas immediately followed as a result of opportunities that seemed to pour like rain.
He put in display at the campsite another of his winning concepts, the NeGo-Kubo: "Ang Pambansang Kubo na pang NeGOsyo ng mga Pilipino." He then went on to infuse the concept as a solution to mass housing with the establishment of Missionaries Of The Homeless or MOTH, Inc., which he is the Executive Director of. And, of course, he got to partnering and franchising the BLOC brand for both glamping and housing solutions. What better way to promulgate both your brand and advocacy than setting up franchises everywhere, right?
"I have this audacious goal to eliminate the 1 billion backlog in global housing", he claims. As impossible as it may seem, Philipp thinks it's very doable.
The plan is to propagate franchises first here in his beloved Philippines, spurring entrepreneurial opportunities and financial literacy among his countrymen. Later on, to spread elsewhere in the world through foreign partners.
“We’ll turn your idle property into a revenue-earning winner", is a sales pitch he claims few can resist.
Besides the one in Cavinti, Laguna, there is another BLOC Camp Site in Baguio-La Trinidad, Benguet Province. And ten more are in the works, following the push to put up more BLOC Camp Sites in other provinces.
There's a lot more work to be done. So much, in fact, that it would daunt anyone who takes a peek into what else he expects to achieve. Some might say he has delusions of grandeur, but really, he doesn't. What he has is a mindset that keeps him at peace, and he dissects this mindset into a couple of parts.
"First, it's very important for me to believe that my advocacy is bigger than me, so no matter how grand my ambition, or how unachievable it seems, I have to surrender that to the fact that it won't stop with me. Secondly, I have the wealthiest, most powerful partner in the world: God", he explains.
Linked to his mundane advocacy is the message of the "ultimate architect, the greatest Creator to whom all glory belongs to". Words on salvation by Christ, and awesome works of God are inseparable from his talks and seminars on glamping and building homes for the human race.
In his incessant pursuit to cause meaningful change, Philipp has already seen a series of successes. But these never got to his head. For him, "it is always for God's honor, praise and glory". This attitude, perhaps, is what makes Philipp Inno unstoppable.
