Nestor S. Mangio: Bizman-Architect with a Heart

Sunday, August 21, 2011

RENOWNED architect and urban planner humbly admits what his clients and associates dearly brand him: a businessman-architect with a heart.

“That is because I go beyond the aesthetic design of a structure rather I make sure that it is worth it when you put expense and invest in a building. Just like in construction, whatever I contracted I will deliver -- whether I make or lose money -- that even the most discriminating tell me, ‘with Nestor Mangio, you could sleep soundly.’ It is that trust and integrity that I revere so much and keep in my heart,” Mangio tells Sun.Star Pampanga.

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Getting to where he is now, Mangio recalls, took a lot of hard work and dedication.

“I was working 16 hours a day. Starting with small pocket developments in Pampanga and Baguio, I took up further studies at Harvard to learn more about what I would like to specialize in. I was looking at sustainable communities that early and I mean real communities with interaction and living in harmony with each other and nature. The result was The Lakeshore and succeeding projects which incorporate the heart and spirit of living. The vision was that there must be something for the next generation so I work with the moral, social and spiritual aspects of homeowners to make them alive and vibrant, and live enjoyably,” he shares.

Beyond his drawing board, Mangio is also a known public servant and civic leader. “Because of my religious upbringing at Don Bosco Academy, I keep honesty foremost in my dealings, to be true and sincere. In public service, I found it hard to institute reforms and changes unlike in a private corporation. It became a challenge. Many were good but the system has been there ever since. Still, I kept that vision and somehow made a difference.”

He furthers: “I have been involved in civic activities like the Giant Lantern Festival and other social responsibility affairs for many years. But this time around, I am focusing on charismatic activities like our very own Spirit of Love Community. I am now more on spiritual development and evangelization.”

Through all these experiences in business, urban planning, civic activities and living with God’s word, Mangio says he shuns politics to avoid “contamination” and keeps to his advocacies. “In my dealings, it’s honesty and integrity. To deliver beyond expectations. Go beyond mediocrity. Help and live in God’s words.”

To aspiring business leaders and architects, Mangio has pieces of advice: “To be a good businessman and architect, you should be true to your commitment. You should be sincere and honest in all your dealings. Above all, you should be God-fearing because a God-fearing person does not profit unreasonably but rather profit with honor and earn what is due you through hard work.”