Postscript to the 2004 Dreambuilders Competition by ALI

Ah yes... my first post for 2007...

Yep, I've resigned from my corporate job, and rejoined my family's design practice. Things have been hectic since the year started which is why I haven't had the chance to steal a few moments and post anything on this page. I feel very liberated being able to learn and do things at a much faster pace, with a little bit more authority, and to have the chance to focus on something that I really like to do (architecture, versus land development and real-estate).

Also, I've decided to drop the whole corporate gig and try to focus on the church/retreat center we're working on for my high school. Hope to post some of my revised sketches soon. Not to mention... I also have a few sidelines to finish/develop and I have to get myself back into the architectural frame of mind for the board exams this June. Review starts mid feb and I'm afraid that the year-and-a-half I spent in real estate may have taught me things that don't necessarily help prepare me for the boards.

I've realized that after seeing all the layers, the brownosing, the facades, insecurities, inefficiencies/indecisiveness and packaging in it... (not mentioning some of the good parts too... like... uh... I'm sure there are some good parts... like the good people inside the organization, the few mentors from within and the engineers I've worked with onsite.) I might not be a good fit for the corporate world. Yes I know, I can be relatively carinoso and charming/political when I have to be... Its just that, its frustrating to know what needs to be done, but not have the leverage and accountability to be able to do it.

Anyway... they still owe me a commitment. And I'm going to hold them to it. 2 and a half years of waiting for a 2 month apprenticeship position abroad is just proof of the inherent inefficiency within. That competition I won was back in 2004. Its 2007, and they still haven't awarded the prizes. Ganun nalang ba ang mangyayari sa amin? I refuse to be the product of a corporate anniversary photo op. My co-winners/placers and our schools deserve better, especially given the reputation that they've held up to the public.

But the irony of the situation is... I'm not mad about it. Because after seeing how the system works. I'm not surprised that these commitments did not move because it was no longer in their interest to carry through. Boo hoo, out there, in the real world, millions of people are getting shafted at work or in life one way or another, and I'm just another one of them.

I've tried to be extremely patient and classy with dealing with them. My co-winners from Cebu have actually reacted earlier and in a much vocal way. I thought that by being the silent, classy person and taking the high road would induce them to act, besides, they remain to be one of the biggest potential clients for any architectural design firm in the Philippines. I thought that I couldn't harass or pressure them about it because I wouldn't want to irritate a potential client. But I thought wrong. I was negotiating a strong argument from a weak position.

Before joining them, I thought that working with my father will be hell because of the stress, pressure and lack of freedom. I now know better, because after going through things, and having to shelf my emotions, and whatever limited or boundless creativity and abilities I had for the sake of the system in place, anything would be better now. Because here despite the pressure, I am accountable... and I face the challenge and rise to it.

The strong feign weakness, the weak feign strength.

And that will be my last word on that.