At the third edition of the summit "The Filipino Times Watchlist: Top Engineers and Architects in the Middle East 2025," which took place on February 14, 2025, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dubai, three key themes were highlighted: artificial intelligence and technological innovations, preservation of cultural heritage, and sustainable development. During the last session, titled "The Role of Filipino Engineers and Architects in the Sustainable Development of the Middle East," the discussion featuring all Filipino speakers allowed participants to share topics that resonated with them the most and provide key insights.
As pointed out by Enrico John Chavez, head of community relations at Linesight DMCC, all discussed topics are timely and relevant, and for him, each of them is equally important. "We must remain vigilant about leaving a legacy. It's necessary to look to the future and understand how we can become more sustainable and how we can develop our talents in the present time," he noted.
Franz Felea Reyes, senior engineer for sustainable development at KEO International Consultants, added that for them as engineers and architects, it is essential to leverage artificial intelligence, culture, and sustainability to integrate all these values and assist the community. Marlon Hipolito, project manager at Watermaster Technical Services Co., emphasized that one of the goals of Estidama is to satisfy community needs, thereby reducing the need for people to go elsewhere.
Engr. Marlon Hipolito also remarked that it is important to develop more competently. "Cultural heritage is important to us because it gives soul and significance to the buildings we design, alongside sustainability," he said. Engr. Chavez also drew attention to the fact that Filipinos are talented in providing ideas, but there is a need to improve leadership and social influence.
Dr. Karen Remo, founder and general director of the media group New Perspective, publisher of The Filipino Times, agreed: "We structure our perspectives. In addition, we discuss artificial intelligence and cultural heritage." Participants in the summit expressed the view that such meetings are definitely beneficial for Filipino professionals in the Middle East, especially in terms of covering topics important to them.
Engr. Hipolito underlined the importance of preserving cultural heritage, which gives buildings soul and meaning, as well as sustainability, which is a fundamental part of developing sustainable communities. Maria Ezor Reyes pointed out that in her view, artificial intelligence and big data, as well as environmental management, are weak areas for Filipinos.
Engr. Chavez added: "We can leverage vast amounts of data for heritage planning. The question of talents—this is what we need to further develop." All specialists agreed that Filipinos possess the ability to adapt and display resilience in complex situations.
