As we celebrate the PhilSTAR Property’s 7th anniversary, I want to thank The Philippine STAR for giving me this space to share ideas, reflections, and stories that connect Italy and the Philippines. I congratulate our editor, Ms. Pamela Imperial, and her team on this milestone!
It is also a personal honor for me to mark my seventh year as a regular columnist for this section. I started writing under Ms. Iris Gonzales, who was then the Property Report editor and is now the Business editor. I thank Iris for opening that door, and I thank Pamela who continues to provide a space for me to connect with our readers.
Writing for this newspaper has been a privilege. It gives me the chance to share my thoughts on various topics and talk about the Philippines, the country I love the most after Italy. After all, I am married to a Filipina, my daughter is Ital‑Pinoy, and our company—Italpinas Development Corporation (IDC)—reflects this blend of cultures. Manila has been my home for the last 17 years.
Over these years, I have tried to share more than just real estate updates. I have written about sustainability, the economy, and the relationship between Italy and the Philippines. Every time someone tells me they follow my column, I am humbled. So, thank you to my Star family for this great source of pride.
My journey as an architect began in Italy. After graduating in Architecture at Sapienza University, I moved in the 1990s to Cesenatico, where my family was connected to Villa Italia. In that setting, I opened a studio on the waterfront. That experience, as I often say, formed and completed me—not only as a designer but also as an entrepreneur. Emilia Romagna is especially close to me because my mother was from there, and it was in that region that I learned how to do business, how to work with banks, and how to collaborate with hardworking, business‑minded people.
Since arriving in the Philippines, my vision has always been simple: buildings should not fight nature, but work with it. This philosophy guided me in co‑founding Italpinas with Atty. Jojo Leviste and in sustaining what many now call the “green boom” in the country.
Recently, I was surprised to learn that I was featured in Il Resto del Carlino, one of the most established newspapers in Italy. The paper is rooted in Emilia Romagna, so for me it felt like recognition from home—as a son of the region who has carried its lessons abroad. Around the same time, La Voce di Cesenatico also published a story. Together, these two newspapers created what I called a “mirror effect”—my homeland reflecting the journey I have made in the Philippines.
I am grateful to journalist Giacomo Mascellani for the feature in Il Resto. (The La Voce article was not bylined.) His piece reminded me of how important Emilia Romagna was in shaping me. It is a region admired around the world for its progressive way of building cities and communities. Much of what I learned there I have applied and continue to apply here in the Philippines.
What made me happiest was that these articles showed the Philippines in a positive light. Too often, European coverage focuses only on bad news—poverty, disasters, or political issues. But the Philippines is full of good news: a young population, welcoming people, and great potential for tourism and investment, among many others.
The Philippines should promote itself more as a tourism and investment destination, much like what Dubai has done. Every time my Italian friends visit, they are impressed, sometimes even shocked in a positive way, by what they discover here. They see the opportunities, the warmth of the people, and the beauty of the country.
As we cheer the PhilSTAR Property’s anniversary, I look forward to continuing this dialogue with our readers. I will strive to give them insights that are both relevant and meaningful, and I hope that in my own small way, I can help strengthen the ties between our two countries. Italy and the Philippines share a long and rich history, and I believe there is still so much more we can build together—in architecture, in business, and in friendship.
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