31-7-2023 (MANILA) Architect Mitchelle Gorospe Ignacio, 40, has been based in Kuala Lumpur for a decade, leaving her then one-year-old daughter Thania Nichoelle in the care of her husband and parents in the Philippines. Despite the distance, Ignacio has maintained a deep connection with her daughter and is proud to see her excel in school. Thania Nichoelle has expressed a keen interest in following in her mother’s footsteps as an architect, knowing that Ignacio is now a reputable architect in Malaysia, assigned to big-ticket projects like the Merdeka Tower.
The Merdeka Tower, scheduled to open by December, is Malaysia’s tallest structure, standing at 118 stories. Ignacio is part of the team of architects involved in its construction, including three other Filipinos. She is the only Filipina left in the project, adding that not all Filipinos are given the opportunity to be involved in such significant projects.
Ignacio’s other notable works include her participation in the design and construction of two completed railway projects: the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrified Double Track project and the Sentral MRT Linkway in Kuala Lumpur.
Ignacio was among the Filipinos in Kuala Lumpur invited by the Department of Foreign Affairs to meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his state visit to Malaysia last week. She was among the estimated 322,000 mostly blue-collar Filipino workers in Kuala Lumpur, apart from the 500,000 or more undocumented workers.
Ignacio is happy with the Philippine government’s support for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and the recognition given to them. She agrees with Marcos’ remarks about the good reputation of OFWs and their responsibility, adding that most OFWs enjoy good working conditions in Malaysia. She is also ready to lend her expertise to development efforts back home, giving her time to be with her daughter again.
