Who’s who: Distinguished industry leaders lend expertise as judges for the 10th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards 2022

In their own right, the judges have proven themselves worthy of deciding the best of the best in the archipelago

Plagued with distinct environmental challenges, the Philippine real estate sector keeps on evolving each year to ensure the stability and sustainability of the built environment that can withstand recurring typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, and volcanic eruptions. 

Beyond that, the industry must also meet the societal needs of all walks of life, without compromising on the quality of the infrastructure. These are just a glimpse of the standards that the judging panel of the 10th annual PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards must keep in mind during the selection of winners and highly commended awardees. 

The independent panel of expert judges dedicate their time each year to examine whether the entrants uphold the Gold Standard in real estate and are worthy of receiving the honoured titles. 

In their respective fields, these masters have proven time and time again why they are worthy of judging industry leaders and their creations. 

Maven of hospitality, leisure, and tourism 

As the newly hailed Chairperson of the PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards this year and a notable member of the panel since the inception of the programme in 2016, Cyndy Tan Jarabata brings forward two-decades worth of knowledge in hotel acquisitions and development, and marketing and asset management, as well as ten years of experience as an awards judge.  

She currently runs the operations at leading consulting and development firm TAJARA Leisure & Hospitality Group, Inc., as its president. Prior to this, she held management and executive positions in the country’s top hospitality brands, was a Chairperson of the Muntinlupa Investment Board where she conferred on investment and tourism-related projects, a consultant to the Philippine Retirement Authority on marketing and business development, and a published travel author in several international and local lifestyle magazines. 

Mastermind in furniture design 

This Italian may have a PhD in Economics, but Carlo Cordaro’s relocation to the Philippines as a consultant of an avant-garde furniture manufacturer in 1995, awoke his passion as he became enamoured with the Philippines’ natural materials, eventually leading him to being an architect and designer, a member of this prestigious panel since 2018, and of course the owner, president, and chief executive officer of Atelier A, producing bespoke pieces for upmarket corporate properties. 

All-around real estate whiz 

Jaime A. Cura, Ph. D., the group vice-chairman of the RGV Group of Companies, which handles real estate appraisal, brokerage, development, and management, is among the loyal and most respected members of the panel who has been with the awards programme since the beginning, even taking on the Chairperson role in 2018.  

In the past, he served as the national president of the Chamber of Real Estate Builders Associations, Inc., president of the ASEAN Association for Planning and Housing, executive director of the Consulting Engineers Council of the Philippines, and was head of several businesses in engineering consulting, real estate development and management, and tourism. 

An engineer at heart 

Jean Jacquelyn Nathania de Castro is the chief executive officer of full-service engineering firm ESCA, founded by her father in 1982. Though her career path — from being a successful litigation lawyer to a business news anchor on Bloomberg TV — is not the traditional way of landing the top position of an engineering company, her experience working on an arbitration case related to the sector ignited her drive to learn her father’s business, take over the firm, and make a name for herself.  

Since then, she has received a BIM Manager certification from the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore, served as a consultant of the Privatization and Management Office of the Philippine Government, volunteered as a member of the awards panel since 2018, and was the first female chair appointed by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philippines in 2020. 

More: PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards Reception pay homage to the country’s best and brightest of 2021

Connoisseur of interior design 

As the leading interior designer for residential, commercial, and hospitality spaces in the Philippine capital, Principal Interior Designer and President of KPO Beyond Designs Co. IDr. Kathleen Obcemea has provided valuable insights to the panel, having been a member for two years now. She has degrees in both Business and Interior Design, has nearly a decade of experience in industrial engineering, is an appointed member of the Technical Career Progression and Specialization Committee of the Board of Interior Design, and was chosen as a Board of Trustee by the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers. 

The real estate maestro 

Luis Enrique T. Mangosing, the chief executive officer of Metro Development Managers, Inc., has been a treasured member of the judges for four years. He has been involved in most development aspects of the industry, including but not limited to property acquisition and disposal, project development and management, property and facilities management, and real estate asset and investment management across horizontal and vertical residential, office-commercial, hospitality, and industrial sectors. 

A marvel at brand consultancy 

Michelle Barretto joins our esteemed roster this year, delivering her knack for brand consultancy as the founder and chief executive officer of multi-awarded firm Vitamin B. Her prowess in insight-driven strategy, C-Suite brand advisory, brand architecture, stakeholder branded communications, system design, and problem-solving for massive conglomerates and regional start-ups in real estate and tourism makes her an essential addition to our panel. 

A strategist and a visionary 

JLL Philippines’ Property and Asset Management Team Head Philip Mareschal might be the new face of our distinguished judging panel this year, but his three decades of experience in the industry makes him worthy of judging leading real estate players. Throughout his career, he has set up businesses and led both start-up and established companies in several industries in the Philippines, the United States, and France. His speciality lies in establishing structure, driving vision, and achieving critical strategic goals. 

Sustainability champ 

As the chief executive officer of NEO, the biggest owner, developer, and manager of green net-zero office buildings in the region, Raymond Rufino delivers crucial expertise as an advocate for sustainability. Under his leadership, NEO was the first in the globe to receive the EDGE Zero Carbon certification for a building portfolio and the first office portfolio in the region to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Seal. 

Other than NEO, he is a board member of the Philippine Green Building Council, Urban Land Institute, WWF Philippines, ARISE Philippines, and YPO Philippines. He has also been a member of the panel for 10 years now. 

More: 10th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards programme launches with resurgent optimism in the real estate market

Savant in research and consultancy 

Richard Raymundo BSc (Bus Econ) MRICS, the managing director of Colliers Philippines, is a new member of our 2022 panel, imparting his 25 years of wisdom in research and consultancy to aid in the judges’ decision-making process. His projects mostly revolve around Asia and involve numerous sectors, from simple, straightforward developments to major mixed-use properties with residential, hotel, office, retail, industrial, and institutional land. 

With stringent guidelines to ensure judges decide without bias and with the assistance of HLB, an award-winning global network of auditing and accountancy firms, PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards – running triumphantly for 17 years – secures our programme’s credibility, fairness, and transparency. 

Find out more about the judging process at asiapropertyawards.com/judging-process/