From IT education to iconic structures
By Theresa S. Samaniego
Ambassador Amable R. Aguiluz V once made his indelible mark in Philippine history when he pioneered the IT education in the country.
Ambassador Amable R. Aguiluz V once made his indelible mark in Philippine history when he pioneered the IT education in the country.
Francisco Madrigal Bayot Jr. candidly admitted that he never saw himself as one who would go into property development.
It is good to be “home.” For Nita Claravall, working now for one of her most esteemed clients back in the early days when she was still an advertising executive, feels as if she has come full circle.
Like any other child, Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. liked playing in the sand. But while other children would build sand castles out of their fairytale imaginations, the young Palafox would instead strive to create miniature townships, cities and buildings and adorn these with rivers and bridges—yes, all out of sand.
David M. Consunji is a “builder” first and foremost. Although the 90-year-old construction magnate has successfully made a mark in the local real estate industry that he is now heralded as the father of contemporary construction industry, Consunji continues to stress that he is a builder, who derives satisfaction not from making money out of his projects, but from putting up structures and real things that brought real benefits to other people.
The pathway that leads to great success in property development is a treacherous one especially in a country with a volatile market environment like the Philippines.
While most of his contemporaries are still busy working on their dream projects, Jose L. Acuzar has already built his. The 57-year-old chairman of New San Jose Builders Inc. (NSJBI) proudly points to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan as the realization of his dream of entirely improving the way people see housing.
As a youth growing up during martial law years, Chinese-Filipino businessman Willy Ocier was well aware of how many Filipinos had been deprived of “luxury.”
Successful property developers often tell stories of how their strong passion to build structures and their revolutionary visions to change the Philippine landscape, have fueled their victories in a fiercely competitive real estate sector.
Ultimately, it was “that kind of fulfillment” that won Mario Oreta over. A fulfillment that was borne out of putting roofs over people’s heads, of developing not just houses but homes and communities, and out of seeing huge smiles from the faces of satisfied homebuyers.
Alice Erfe practically had all the trappings to become a successful doctor: an unwavering passion, a keen eye for details and an innate expertise to piece things together.
Structures—from bridges to churches to towering buildings—can still leave most of us in awe. At times, these edifices can even define, to a certain extent, our heritage and culture, as they give us concrete reminders of how far we have come.
