Palafox tapped for Carcar infra plans

CEBU, Philippines — A world-renowned architect has been invited to draw up plans for the site developments of Carcar City in southern Cebu.

Carcar Mayor Nice Apura wants Felino "Jun" A. Palafox, a world-renowned green architect and urban planner, to design for the new city center that will house a public transport terminal and a market.

Other projects include the construction of a public park in front of the new City Hall, renovation of the old public market, and beautification of Mainit-Mabugnao Cave.

However, the consultancy firm of Palafox needs to participate in a public bidding to undertake the projects.

“I hope he wins the public bidding,” said Apura.

The mayor said getting Palafox would cost the city P5 to P7 million.

But Apura said the amount is considerably low and cheap for an internationally-renowned urban planner.

He added that it would be a good investment for the city.

“Initial pa lang gyud. No specific plans or details yet. Duna lay mga discussions kung unsay mga gusto namo mahitabo ug unsay sitwasyon karon. But for sure, we want a sustainable development,” he said.

Palafox and the city’s bidding committee are likely to meet two to three months from now, said the mayor.

Palafox's projects all over the world are mostly adaptive architecture, whose designs could help save lives and properties. He has the credentials and the gravitas to be a climate adaptation advocate.

Palafox's is the Philippines' foremost architect, master planner, and urban planner.

Palafox Associates, founded in 1989, is the only Filipino company listed among the world's biggest architectural firms consistently for the past years.

The company was involved in the planning of more than 12 billion square meters of land area and the design and architecture of more than eight million sq m of building floor area and in undertaking more than 900 high-profile large-scale projects in around 40 countries.

In the Philippines, Palafox Associates has helped design and plan large-scale landmark buildings like Rizal Tower, Luna Gardens, Amorsolo East and West, Hidalgo Place and the master plan of the Rockwell Center, shopping malls SM and Robinsons, masterplan for Sta. Elena, the Country Club, Camp John Hay, Clark Global Gateway, and new buildings among more than 800 projects.

The company has also been commissioned by the Sultan of Brunei to design the largest mosque in the Philippines, the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Masjid in Maguindanao, as well as one of the landmark shrines in Misamis Oriental, the Divine Mercy Healing Shrine.

Abroad, it has designed the Philippine Chancery in Brunei, the Tzu Chi public schools in Bam, Iran, the Special Needs Children Center in Saudi Arabia, and Vien Dong Meridian Tower in Vietnam, among others. —/KBQ (FREEMAN)