The shape of a nation

These days, a construction project must do more than provide a fit-for-purpose structure on time and within budget. Growing demand for sustainability, quality and innovation means any new build must skillfully weave these together in a value-driven way – not so easy given today’s cost-of-living concerns.

But for DATEM, one of the Philippines’ leading construction firms, achieving this tricky trifecta is a daily passion and has been for more than four decades. And throughout a plethora of industry and global challenges during that time, President Lesley Villanueva believes the company’s risk-focused mindset has helped it come out stronger.

“The post-pandemic era has been a process in terms of rebuilding our systems and recovering from the intense financial pressure of those years,” she tells The CEO Magazine.

The Mind Museum, Taguig City

“We’ve focused on strengthening our governance, tightening financial controls and, of course, improving operations, transparency and especially risk management. In fact, I’d say risk was the keyword in the past four years.”

Despite the upheaval, Villanueva says DATEM never lost sight of its core business, private high-rise construction. The firm’s portfolio includes some of the country’s most inventive structures, among them Cyberpark Tower 3 in Quezon City, The Mind Museum, Arya Residences Towers 1 and 2, and Seven/NEO formerly known as Net Park in Taguig City, as well as One Shangri‑La Place in Mandaluyong City and Discovery Primea in Makati City.

Reaching a milestone

The limitations of global uncertainty placed further diversification a little too far out of reach, so Villanueva says her team has played to its strengths and only branched out when possible.

“We have expanded into infrastructure; for instance, we completed some light rail stations and the North–South commuter railway. While these aren’t really our focus, they did help us build our capability,” she says.

And help it has. According to Villanueva, 2025 was a milestone year for DATEM in terms of high-rise construction.

“We were awarded PHP$16 billion [US$275.7 million] worth of projects that year alone,” she reveals.

“That’s very significant, and I think it reflects the trust the market has in DATEM. They have the confidence that we’re able to deliver these high-profile projects and stand behind our commitments.”

Discovery Primea, Makati City

One of the key reasons DATEM can deliver is its people. While labor shortage has been an industry-wide problem since the COVID-19 pandemic, Villanueva says the firm has concentrated on retraining internal staff and leaned heavily on its specialty subcontractors.

“We pride ourselves on the quality of work we deliver,” she says. “We source a lot of technology and equipment from Australia and Germany, and that entails a lot of training for our staff.

“We push for a better understanding of tools that can help with productivity. There’s still a need to convince some clients of the viability of new technology, which is only as useful as your understanding of it.”

A digital outlook

Nevertheless, the industry’s push toward a more digital future continues unabated.

“The buzzword for the past few years has been digital transformation,” Villanueva says.

“We’ve already transitioned to digital platforms for data gathering in terms of human resources information and financial systems, a first step toward making faster and better decisions based on that data.”

Seven/NEO formerly known as Net Park, Taguig City

Now, DATEM is moving toward operational-based digital technology, such as building information modeling (BIM).

“BIM has been there for a while now and some clients are already open to that idea, so many projects already have BIM in their processes,” she explains.

At the end of the day, however, Villanueva says DATEM adapts to a client’s needs, not the other way around.

“Although we can propose certain solutions, we can also adopt the innovations our clients advocate,” she confirms.

The nation’s trusted builder

This ties in with Villanueva’s personal philosophy that business should be about shared responsibility, particularly when it comes to leadership.

“For me, leadership isn’t about titles or spotlights. It’s caring for people, stewarding the direction of the organization and making the right decisions for everybody,” she reflects.

“Leadership shouldn’t be concentrated on one person or one office. We’re very intentional in not gatekeeping leadership.”

One Shangri-La Place, Mandaluyong City

As the Philippines continues to grow, DATEM’s portfolio of sustainable, stylish and purposeful high-rise buildings grows with it. Villanueva says the company’s projects reflect its evolving priorities of resilience and responsibility.

“It’s really about respecting our stakeholders, honoring our commitments and delivering projects that contribute something meaningful to the community and to nation-building,” she says.

“Our role is that of the nation’s trusted builder and we’re working hard to uphold that. And if DATEM is steered by management that has integrity and closely adheres to its core values, I’m hopeful that’s evident in our projects.”