31 years of architecture and urban planning in 40 countries

THIRTY-one years ago, in July 1989, I had to make a tough decision to leave a high-paying job to start Palafox Associates. I was advised that it was the worst time to start a company. This was the year of local coup attempts, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Tiananmen Square massacre in China and the fall of communism. With the support of my family — my wife Wilma and three children — I took a leap of faith and started Palafox Associates in Makati with three colleagues. I fondly remember our humble beginnings. Our first office was a rented space in a condominium, and in our first year, there were not enough projects in the Philippines. My colleagues and I would go to the office and work even on weekends and holidays to complete projects from three different time zones: Asian, American and European.

Now, as we mark our 31st anniversary on July 1, I am filled with gratitude to see how Palafox Associates has grown into a multidisciplinary team of professionals — architects, urban planners, designers, engineers, and accredited consultants — and be able to complete more than 1,600 projects in 40 countries. These comprise the urban planning and master planning of over 44 billion square meters of land and the architecture and design of more than 16 million square meters of building floor area. In spite of the current complexities we face, we have so much to be thankful for and look forward to. I have always encouraged the discipline of gratitude, so I would like to give thanks to our Chief Architect and Chief Planner, our Lord Almighty, for all His blessings. I am incredibly grateful for the love, kindness, and support of my family to me and to the firms.

I am extremely grateful for our colleagues, staffers, team leaders and project managers. We would not be where we are today without your hard work, loyalty and commitment. We have spent millions of man hours together in the office to develop opportunities for others, and it has been our pleasure and privilege to be of service to millions of people through our professions. Together, we have been applying our core values, and we have achieved so many things and so many firsts: to be the first firm in the Philippines to be included in the world’s top 500; to be among Asean firms included in the top 100 architects as per

London; and to be ISO-certified in management and environmental management in the fields of architecture, urban planning, environmental planning, landscape architecture, interior design, among others.

We are thankful for opportunities to work with the government, the private sector, and civic organizations to plan and design communities, cities and provinces, new urban centers, international gateways, offices, schools, shopping centers, hotels, hospitals, civic centers, business parks, industrial estates, golf course communities, resorts, islands, and places of worship here and abroad. Thank you to all our past and present clients for choosing us to develop visionary plans with you and for your support and constant affirmations.

As an advocate of patriotic architecture — as well as philanthropic architecture, democratic architecture, architecture of faith, and architectural activism — Palafox Associates will continue to promote urban and regional development in the Philippines.

Out of our completed projects, more than 1,400 are spread throughout the country. As I wrote in my term paper at the University of the Philippines, “Development is not worthy of the name unless spread evenly like butter on a piece of bread.” We have long valued an equitable future for everyone, and we believe that our best chance to develop inclusive, sustainable, and resilient communities and cities lies beyond Metro Manila.

For these reasons, we are honored to have been involved in projects like the Pampanga Megalopolis, the Master Development Plan and Business Plan of Clark Freeport Zone, and the Metro Davao Urban Master Plan. We continue with our commitment to create visionary, short-, medium- and long-term plans for new communities and urban centers that promote social growth and environment-friendly practices and maximize economic growth potential while preserving heritage, culture and spirituality. We are looking forward to the completion of our projects, including the Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone (LEIZ) Master Development Plan; the Metro Ilocos Master Development Plan; the Santa Cruz Comprehensive Development Plan; and the Batangas Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Integrated Zoning Ordinance, Comprehensive Development Plan and Local Development Investment Program, among others.

Aside from our planning projects, we have also achieved architectural feats and milestones like the master plan and architecture of the first five towers of Rockwell Center, which remains a hallmark of planning mixeduse developments; the Sultan Hassanal Al Bolkiah Masjid in Cotabato, the largest mosque in the country; the Asian Development Bank Third Atrium; LandBank Cebu; SM Malls; and Robinsons Malls; among others.

With our achievements come many lessons and even failures. So, I encourage my colleagues at Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture Group to continue to strive for global excellence and to be persistent and relentless when it comes to innovation and learning, not just in the technical aspects of our professions but also in managing the business. Let us continue to hold on to our values, most especially during challenging circumstances, for these are our lighthouses that will strengthen and guide us through stormy weather. May we never lose sight of our principles, vision and mission. As we help plan and design buildings, communities and cities let us remember that each project should be “

— for God, country, and Planet Earth — and must be guided by our design principle of “integral ecology” — balancing social equity or people first with protecting and conserving natural environments, inclusive economic growth, culture, history and spirituality.

Our anniversary this year happened during a time of adversity, but let us plan for the next 100 years. Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture Group are built to last. With God’s grace and blessings, we can survive, thrive and excel well into the new world order.