Felino Palafox: Honesty, Integrity, and Professionalism
Known by his students as the professor who teaches Hotel Planning and Design, Mr. Felino “Jun” Palafox is known across the globe as the principal architect-urban planner and founding partner of Palafox Associates. “Sir Jun” or “Sir Palafox”, as his students call him, is one of reasons among many with as to why Enderun boasts of its diverse set of remarkable and experienced faculty.
*Photo courtesy of Palafox Associates
Mr. Palafox started teaching in Enderun back in 2009. Being a good friend of the college’s former provost Dr. Lance Masters, he did not consider that teaching at Enderun would be something long term “I thought I’d only teach for one semester, but it has now been 5 years”. A former student at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, he decided to apply the Harvard-style of teaching in his classes. “My class focuses on theory in the first half of the semester then practical application on the second half… I let my students do role plays of different scenarios, each student taking on different roles such as the client, the engineer, the architect, the contractor, and so on…”
His main work is heading Palfox Associates – an architectural firm that holds rank in the Top 100 Architectural Firms in the World (BD World Architecture Magazine, London). Currently at its 25th year, the firm has had over 1,100 projects in 38 different countries. Jun teaches to all who crosses his path that “the biggest success comes when you follow the quadruple bottom-line” – which is taking into consideration the following: 1) Social Equity (people first), 2) Planet Earth & the Environment, 3) Economic Growth and 4) Spirituality and Well-Being.
Apart form the numerous achievements within his company, “Mr. Palafox has [also] been a recipient of several local and international awards, most notably as Ambassador for Peace from the Inter-religious and International Federation for World Peace given in New York, Outstanding Professional Awardee for 2012 by Superbrands, Most Outstanding Architect given by the City of Manila, a Gusi Peace Prize 2011 Laureate for Architecture with Global Excellence and International Urban Planning, and consistently included in BizNews Asia’s The Best of the Best.”[i]
Despite his busy schedules of planning, leading, flying in and out of the country and his various encounters with the media, Jun Palafox leaves us with these statements:
1. Honesty, Integrity, Professionalism. Those are the tools needed in elevating the Filipino people.
2. Walk the talk. (Never be late. Tardiness is a lack of integrity)
3. Always aim to make the BIG plans, no little plans.
4. “My best project & success?” … “THE NEXT ONE”
For more information about Palafox Associates, visit: http://www.palafoxassociates.com/
*Photos courtesy of Palafox Associates
[i] Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. http://www.palafoxassociates.com/about-us/officers
