20/06/2024
Architect- Urban Planner Felino “Jun” Palafox, on his lecture on Vision 2050-The First World Philippines at the recently concluded 3rd Asian Convergence Initiative (ACI) last June 13, 2024 at Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square, Bangkok, Thailand.
Architect and Urban Planner Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. has 52 years of experience in architecture and 50 years in planning. He was educated in Christ the King Seminary, University of Santo Tomas, and University of the Philippines. For continuing education, he studied Advanced Management Development Program for Real Estate and seven other special courses in Harvard University. In May 2017, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines conferred on him the degree Doctor of Fine Arts (Honoris Causa). In April 2018, Architect Palafox was conferred with Honorary titles as Doctor Fellow on Royal Institution of Singapore; Royal Institute of Architects, Singapore; Royal Institute of Development Consultants of Singapore, Royal Institute of Town and Regional Planners of Singapore.
Architect Palafox has lectured in more than 20 countries across the globe, including institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard. He has travelled and observed more than 1,000 cities in 79 countries.
He is also an active member of various international and national organizations such as the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, where he is elected as a fellow; Urban Land Institute; American Planning Association; The American Institute of Architects; US Green Building Council; Harvard Alumni Association; United Architects of the Philippines; and Fellow Rotary International. He was also elected past Chairman and President of the National Real Estate Association, past President of the FIABCI International Real Estate Federation, past President of the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners, and he was the first architect-urban planner and past President of the Management Association of the Philippines. He is a Governor of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and Chairman of the Environment and Urban Development Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines. Trustee of Philippine Business for the Environment and Swiss Input.
Forbes Asia Magazine cited him as one of their 48 Heroes of Philanthropy in Asia. In November 2017, he was awarded by the JCI Senate as one of the three Top Outstanding Filipinos for the field of Architecture. In November 2018, his book was awarded as Best Book on Professions for The Philippines towards Resilient Cities and Communities in the 37th National Book Awards. He was recognized by the Professional Regulatory Commission as the 2019 Outstanding Professional of the year in the field of Environmental Planning.
Architect Palafox founded led and managed, Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture in carrying out more than 1,800 projects in 40 countries, the planning of 54 billion square meters of land, and the design and architecture of 20 million square meters of building floor area. Since its establishment, Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture have won more than 200 awards and recognitions. Palafox is the first Filipino architectural firm included in the Top 500 Architectural Firms in the World of the London-based World Architecture Magazine in 1999 and the only Southeast Asian architectural firm included in the top 100 largest practices and the Top 8 Leisure Projects in the world in 2012.
