When the skyline of Dubai was still a mirage on the horizon, a young Filipino urban planner stepped onto the desert sands with a vision. Nearly five decades later, Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. returns—not just to remember—but to be remembered. At the 2025 UAP Dubai Design Awards, held in the UAE’s architectural epicenter, Palafox Architecture Group Inc. (PAGI) earned two distinguished honors, not merely for structures of steel and stone, but for storytelling through design.

One award, for the Henann Premier Coast Resort in Panglao Island, exemplifies coastal architecture at its most inviting: Filipino hospitality rendered in curves, water, and light. With suites that open directly to the pool and a sky pool that hovers above the shore like an echo of a dream, the resort redefines luxury through local warmth.

The second, for the Holy Angel University Senior High School building in Pampanga, is not just a nod to educational innovation—it’s a tribute to institutional memory. Here, PAGI marries modern functionality with heritage, expanding the region’s largest private campus while honoring its 1933 foundations. Architecture, after all, is not just about scale—it’s about soul.

But what made this night more than a ceremony was context. In 1977, Palafox was name-hired by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum to help transform Dubai from a sleepy port to an international hub. That act of faith launched a legacy. Now, Dubai—once a blank canvas—celebrates one of its original sketchers.

Today, PAGI stands as the Philippines’ architectural ambassador to the world, with over 900 projects spanning 38 countries. It was also ranked among the Top 100 largest architectural firms globally by World Architecture Magazine. That’s not just success. That’s influence.

In a gathering of 200 architects, jurors, and dignitaries from Asia and the Middle East, PAGI’s recognition was a clarion call: Filipino architects no longer merely contribute to global design. They shape it.

More than trophies, these awards reflect the journey of a man and a nation—of cultural resilience rendered in stone, and purpose laid out in master plans. As PAGI humbly shared, the honors belong to every collaborator, every community, every believer in the power of Filipino design.

Pro Deo, Patria, et Terra. For God, Country, and Earth. ([email protected])