Dragon Ladies

They might not like being called ‘dragon ladies,’ but their devotion to their boss and the company they serve blazes bright as dragon fire, and they certainly are ladylike. They are the silent movers at some of the country’s most successful architectural practices—Leandro V. Locsin Partners, Jorge Yulo Architects Associates, Aidea, and BUDJI+ROYAL Architecture+Design.

Vicky Gonzales and Lolit Espiritu have been serving as secretaries at the Locsin and Yulo offices for so long, I imagine the two have known their bosses since they were long-haired teens applying for Harvard and Bard in Massachusetts. Then there’s Angel Ortiz, who may have served “only” a decade as Aidea CEO Jojo Tolentino’s executive assistant but is beloved by the 275-man firm’s many clients and partners.

Roslu von Kauffmann came into BUDJI+ROYAL as an office manager, and though both principals have each had their own secretary for years now, von Kauffmann still steps in to perform personal assistant duties for both. By dint of hard work, smarts, and the sheer force of her winning personality, von Kauffmann, now an associate, is moving up to become the fast-growing firm’s business manager. Another silent mover is Onet Coronel. Likewise an associate at BUDJI+ROYAL, Coronel accompanies CEO Royal Pineda to all meetings, big and small. Coronel and von Kauffmann run the company’s management committee meetings and, together, make recommendations for Pineda’s approval.

These four women are the keepers of the gate. They know everything the boss needs, maybe even better than the boss. They arrange their bosses’ lives, filtering out the unwanted and irrelevant. They are the guardians of personal and sensitive information, and because hardly anything gets in or out of the boss’s office without them knowing, the dragon ladies operate at and impact the center of the business.

Twelve years of covering design, I always called on these fiercely loyal dragon ladies when I needed an appointment, information, or wanted to make sure their bosses would attend our publication’s events. Now that I have a better appreciation of the scope and stress of their work and the frequent unexpected tasks that come with the job, I’m even more appreciative of the kindnesses they’ve extended to me—a nosy editor whose visits and interviews almost always run overtime.

We talk to Jojo Tolentino, Budji Layug, and Royal Pineda to find out how their dragon ladies earned their complete trust and confidence.

Judith Torres: Tell me how amazing Angel is.

Two things. How she deals with external contacts, particularly clients, and how she works with me. Let’s talk about the clients. One thing they always tell me is, “Uy, Jo, your assistant is amazing. Where did you find her?” She can connect with different kinds of people. She’s very pleasant and knows how to carry a conversation. Long story short, they become her friends.

Then, she briefs the clients. For example, I’m invited to lunch. She’ll tell the client, “O, he doesn’t eat meat. He doesn’t take rice. And these are the restaurants he goes to.” So, she goes to that level. (Laughs) At first, I was worried the clients would think I was demanding and was uncomfortable with it. But in time, I realized she was protecting me, ‘di ba? Because she knew I had a diet plan. And, as it turned out, the clients didn’t see that as offensive. They saw it as her way of caring for me.

When I go to a meeting, she reconfirms the day before and the day of. Fifteen minutes before the meeting, she will again reconfirm. If I’m going to run late, she will call the client and say, “Okay, he’ll be a bit late, but he’s on his way.” And she is so pleasant. Another comment I always hear is, “Can you find me someone similar?” (Laughs)

Oh, your schedule is impossible.

It’s often chaotic because of last-minute changes, even for overseas trips, because our clients also change schedules. When that happens, one schedule change affects the next meeting and the next. So she has to manage the other clients who will be affected. Her skill is explaining it in a way that clients don’t feel they are less important because they were bumped off, right, or rescheduled. Worse are international meetings because then you’ll have to sort out the flights, the hotels. It’s even happened I ran out of money while abroad. But she always pulled things off. I know she found that stressful, but she managed it quite well and never complained.

Then, there’s the personal side. I’m not only a husband to my wife. Ever since my father died, I look after my mom and siblings. And I also have friends who call me. And the nice thing is they were able to connect with her so that when I’m not around, they can leave a message with Angel, and they’re sure it will reach me. Or, sometimes, she’ll remind me: “Okay, you regularly do this for your mom. Don’t forget.” When you’re busy, you do forget…not intentionally, but I do forget. So she always reminds me.

And when I’m stressed, she does not contribute to my stress. I could be worrying, “My god, will my visa make it in time? I’m traveling two days from now, and you’re telling me I’ll get it tomorrow—are you sure I’ll get it tomorrow? (Laughs) She’ll say, “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure it’s there.” I was not used to having a full-time fixer. (Laughs)

Like what else would she fix?

When I travel, she prints out my itinerary, makes sure my notebook, laptop, money, passport, and tickets are all packed and in place. All I need to do is carry that bag, and nothing important is left behind. Even the food, where I want to sit on the plane—she understood all I needed.

How do you feel about someone controlling access to you?

As you know, Judith, I talk to everyone. Saying no to people wanting to speak to me, that’s not my style. But she does it to limit the number of meetings I do in a day and make sure I only deal with absolutely necessary things. So, initially, we would talk and strategize. I wanted her to open up my schedule for people because I’d tell her that’s how I operate.

That’s tough, with almost 300 employees and so many team heads to talk to.

As we got bigger and I got busier, yes, it became more challenging for her, turning people down, telling them they have to wait, you know, that didn’t happen to me in the past. Suddenly, people in the office had to line up to talk to me. So, I’d tell her, “Angel, make sure that if we turn down people, we schedule them as early as possible. Or find a way to understand what they need and if you can solve it, fine. If we need to talk, then we talk.”

So that’s how we worked. It’s been a terrific run for both of us. At some point, it had to end. I was worried about Angel’s health. I didn’t want her to feel she had to report for work even while she wasn’t physically fit.

What was the problem?

She had a back problem and was in pain. She was hospitalized for a time. She also had asthma and, at one point, pneumonia. I was terribly busy and needed full-time support. And she understood. That’s why in January last year (2020), she finally had to retire permanently. But before she left, she told me she wanted to make sure her successor would take care of me the way she did.

Oh, nice!

She was really concerned. I said, “Don’t worry about me. If I ever need anything from you, I’ll reach out.” So we still see each other. We just saw each other last week.

Why did you cry during the ceremony?

Well, it’s hard to part from people with whom you’ve worked closely for a long time. When uh… we were starting out, they were there. When times were difficult, they were there. They spent a good part of their professional life with us. They were faithful. So, it’s difficult to part ways.

She’s older than you?

Yeah. She’s past 65.

Really!

Yes, she could have retired sooner, but she wanted to stay work with us. But it was an effort for her to report for work. No one wore face masks before COVID, right? But she was already wearing a face mask as early as 2018.

You gave her a “Legacy Builder” award. What institutional and personal memories do you wish she could share with new members of Aidea?

The first is malasakit. [A Filipino word without direct translation, which means care and solicitude for something or someone as if it were one’s own.]

Second, client relationship. I remember telling her, “You are a reflection of me. If you give people a hard time, that reflects on me as a leader and as your immediate supervisor. So, she always projected a positive image.

She handled clients really well. That’s one of her strengths. She takes care of every foreign partner, every foreign client the way she takes care of me. She books their hotels, their food, transport, and even the pasalubong [gifts or souvenirs] for them to take home. Angel has expensive taste. (Laughs) Sometimes, I’m caught by surprise. “You bought that?” So, of course, the people who receive the gifts are delighted. (Laughs) That’s why when they come back, they always have a gift for Angel, especially the Japanese clients. She’s the person they look for.

It’s a position of trust. It’s also a position of influence. And with the wrong person in that position, it can be abused. She never overstepped her role or used it for her personal advantage.

People haven’t stopped asking for her.

Roslu von Kauffman of BUDJI+ROYAL Architecture+Design

Budji Layug and Royal Pineda hired von Kauffmann thirteen years ago (2008) to be their office manager. “When I interviewed her, I knew she was the right fit to represent the company,” Pineda says. “She was gracious and respectful,” adds Layug.

The firm was five years old then, with 18 employees. While she took over the administration and human resources, she quickly took charge of the two bosses’ lives (even though the two shared a secretary) and often saved the day when situations got knotty.

“She always does that!” Layug says. “There are numerous instances she really saved me from many things. Even as simple as ‘You need to say hello to this person.’ She knows me very well and is sensitive to other people. She is like a lady-in-waiting. She filters people, makes arrangements, prepares the way for you. And she has become a very close friend. She is like family to me.”

“She is my buffer,” says Pineda. “She constantly keeps me aware of business and client relationships without compromising my privacy. An excellent conduit that you can turn on and off.”

Joining the two bosses in the interview is another silent mover, Onet Coronel, who joined BUDJI+ROYAL a year and a half after von Kauffmann. The firm now has 50 employees and recently breached BCI Asia’s Top Ten Architects of the Philippines—an indicator of the volume of work the company is engaged in. Almost all the firms who make it to the Top Ten have a hundred or more employees, so BUDJI+ROYAL’s inclusion can only mean all 50 have been working at peak levels. No dragging of feet allowed by these dragon ladies!

Do you have examples of Roslu saving the day?

Coronel: Lots! Countless, really. Off the top of my head:

The team was so busy finishing the main scale model to be submitted to a client the following day, only to find out at 11 p.m. that the base was wrong for it. So at 6 a.m. the next day, she knocked on the door of a furniture maker (who she’d never met) in her village until he woke up and made her a new wood base according to spec.

Her charming ways can diffuse many tense moments. Our clients like her. There was only one time she refused to attend to a client alone. The client, a widower, had a crush on her and was “getting creepy.” (Laughs)

One time, both Royal and Budji were going on a European trip. Unfortunately, there was a terrible storm, and the banks were closed for two days. I don’t know how, but Roslu was able to source the needed euros in time for the trip.

Another time, Royal needed to fly to Hong Kong the next day, but alas, his passport was at the Japanese embassy. This was years ago when visas took many days to process. Roslu magically arranged to pull the passport out from the embassy and drove Royal herself to the airport.

Office manager par excellence! How about examples of unexpected tasks?

Coronel: Unexpected tasks are a-plenty and done freely, as her heart is wired to help anyone in need. She can do many levels of magic, like get hard-to-book front seats and backstage passes to ASAP [a Philippine noon-time TV show]; act as interpreter and tour guide to visiting foreign partners; organize everything and do styling for photoshoots, pull overnighters to help stage CITEM exhibits; and broker for property.

Pineda: And with her charm, she is Finance’s not-so-secret weapon for collections. Whenever there is a problem, she is the go-to woman. Always reliable and resourceful.

Finance? Roslu now handles collections for Finance?

Layug: Roslu’s position is ‘associate.’ Having been in the company so long, she understands its needs and how to bring it forward. She does it with heart. Her position now is head of administration and human resources, so she functions like a GM.

Pineda: She knows our client circle. She does not get intimidated. She has the qualities and personality aura that can best represent the firm. I saw her value in becoming our business manager, and we are training her for this. She represents me. When I am busy that I cannot face clients outside or cannot attend to the business, I send Roslu. If I want to seal a deal, I send Roslu to close the contract. Pag kailangan ko ng tapang, it’s Roslu.

Both Roslu and Onet are associates. Associates are a reflection of me. They run the company and are empowered to take over in my absence. Roslu handles HR, the business, and clients; Onet handles operations and design.

That is fantastic news. Forgive me for not knowing—I still call on them for help after all these years!

Pineda: I value both of them tremendously. And I need both of them to help me because I can’t run the company alone. If I did, then maybe I could only design three houses a year, no? I need collaborators. That’s Roslu and Onet.

Roslu was ahead of you, Onet, right? Did she guide you when you just came in?

Yes, Ms. Roslu is no-nonsense, fair, and professional, so it was easy to adjust to my new work environment. I like that she can separate what is professional from what is personal. We share a lot of values and, in many ways, are complementary. She is an extrovert, and I am more of an introvert. She looks at the big picture while I study the details. She is outspoken and challenges ideas, while I am diplomatic and calm. Building a friendship with her was easy.

After the beautiful stuff you’ve already said about Roslu, there seems no need to ask this, but what do you most appreciate about her?

Pineda: Loyalty to the firm and care for everyone in the office. Her being objective in making decisions and her willingness to learn.   

Layug:  She always thinks of what is good for the company. She puts clients at ease. Exudes integrity.

Coronel: Her professional and personal integrity. Her malasakit and her unconditional friendship. She does not hold any grudges and has strong faith in God. I have learned a lot from her. She mastered persuasive charm to get things done—she can bully me into finishing her work first before my own, but I freely give in! (Laughs) Her naturally loud and firm voice—the German blood in her—can move things. And she always brings me delicious lunch (her recipes) and is very generous with other people. She even gives treats to people in the office to show appreciation for a job well done.

How do the younger staff regard her?

Pineda: They look up to her as a person of wisdom. She has the experience and the seniority to guide the younger generation. She has cultivated a culture of discipline.

Layug: They respect her seniority and experience. In this line of growing and evolving, she is a significant contributor to the company’s development.

Coronel: A mother superior. Very motherly in nature, approachable, but strict in upholding policies, though compassionate and understanding when the situation calls for it.

What institutional and personal memories might Roslu have that you want her to share or model for the young employees? 

Pineda: The concept of evolution. Growth comes with one’s willingness to learn. People should know the culture of the firm. She is a model of perseverance, and she is an example of how the firm cultivates talent.

Layug: The most important thing is treating the team respectfully. Try to understand each individual or technical problem. Try to observe their work sensibility and help them grow. Share the love and pride that comes with promoting the country and the modern Filipino. She sets the standard for always doing what you do best and striving to do it better each and every time.

Coronel: It is good to let the next generation know how the firm started, struggled, and evolved to become one of the country’s significant architecture and design firms. What can she teach the young ones? In whatever situation, keep your integrity.

Onet Coronel of BUDJI+ROYAL Architecture+Design

Coronel was an architect with several years’ experience working on banks, spas, offices, drugstore chains, residences, restaurants, condo model units, and Kidzworld, the first edutainment complex in the country. “I even did wayfinding graphics at Tutuban Mall,” she says.

She wanted to do interiors, so she considered studying interior design. But then she thought the best way to learn would be on the job, under the tutelage of designers she admired. “I always resonated with Mr. Budji and Ar. Royal’s design sensibility. I remember visiting their showroom and saying to myself, “This is me!”

So she applied as an apprentice and downplayed her experience. “So they would take me in because they wouldn’t have to pay me, right? And so they wouldn’t expect too much from me while I learned from them,” she explains with a laugh.

Who hired Onet? What was the interview like?

Coronel: I thought I was going to be interviewed by Architect Royal. I was early for the interview and saw Mr. Budji at the top of the stairs. Mr. Budji glanced over at me from head to toe and said he’d interview me right there and then. Mr. Budji is larger than life, so I had to compose myself, being a fan of his. Afterward, Royal met me with a broad smile which put me at ease after the formal session with Mr. Budji.

Pineda: Onet was a good friend of my professor and dean at Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Gloria Teodoro [now dean at Mapua University]. Gloria called me, saying Onet wanted to apply as an apprentice. But I said, no, let’s do this properly. If she’s right for the firm, we’ll give her a job and pay her properly.

And you hired her as?

Pineda: Interior architecture manager.

And now you’re an associate. What does that mean in BUDJI+ROYAL? And why are you always at Royal’s side, wherever he goes?

Coronel: The associate architect position puts you in the executive committee. I oversee the architecture and design operations, ensuring excellence and client satisfaction. Why am I always at Royal’s side? Maybe he needs a bodyguard to keep fans at bay! (Laughs) I guess some find him intimidating, and I break the ice.

Pineda: Why is she always with me? Because that’s the best way to train her to take my place. To witness how I interact with others. Onet makes my life easy. You know, Onet is like a child—so very enthusiastic, passionate, ganadong-ganado [excited, stoked], and I can use that energy. I want to surround myself with that energy. Why surround yourself with disbelievers, right? Because when ideas burst out of me, Onet gets it. She understands the vision of modern Filipino architecture and design and helps bring my thoughts forward. She has drive, she has fire, and she makes things happen.

How does she make things happen?

She makes connections and is quick to recognize opportunities and point them out to me. That is how she got me to share my vision of modern Filipino architecture and design in Singapore, the UK, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia.

Onet, how does your role engage with Roslu’s and make things work in the firm?

I manage architecture and interiors operations, she heads the administrative and finance. We both take care of the client and business side. I also am involved in communications and media, with my advertising and marketing background, honed by working for five years at McCann Erickson as creative group head. She and I make order out of the creative chaos that flourishes in BUDJI+ROYAL.

What’s your favorite part of the job? Are you looking to reach higher in the firm?

Our projects are very varied and exciting! I love to see the spread of modern Filipino architecture and design, and it is fulfilling to inspire students and colleagues through talks and interviews. I am happy to be part of the growth and evolution of BUDJI+ROYAL.  The deep passion for design that Budji, Royal, and our talented team of all ages and backgrounds have is contagious and stimulates me every day. To be appreciated for your efforts is a bonus, but it is already rewarding to work on something you love. 

Pineda:  The next step is partnership. What would that take? Experience and the right timing. I have seen Onet’s and Roslu’s potential and capabilities. Over the years, they’ve proven their values and loyalty. I see it. I believe in them both. I have no question about their commitment to the company. No question at all. •