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Running a successful family enterprise and having a great family relationship are Founded by architect-couple Jose Siao Ling
not mutually exclusive. It is possible to enjoy both. However, one must need to and Ana Mangalino-Ling, JSLA has specialized
find the right balance in order to achieve family and business success all at the in architectural design, master planning, project
same time. feasibility, and project development.
The Ling family, no doubt, has found the right balance that satisfies both their firm and This family enterprise traced its roots in Hong Kong
family members. The family’s flagship firm, Jose Siao Ling & Associates (JSLA), has been where architects Jose and Ana used to practice
successfully doing business for three-and-a-half decades now as their family relationship has their profession. While working for their respective
grown stronger through the years. companies abroad, they conceived of having their
own architectural firm. Eventually, they brought
their combined expertise in the Philippines and
JSLA was born in July 1983.

JOSE SIAO LING
AND ASSOCIATES

35Attributes

Years of Firm Success to

Family Teamwork
by Ludwig Ritchel A. Kalambacal

The patriarch recalls how he and his wife
divided their work among themselves:
she was responsible for office management,
production, and administrative works, while
he took care of the design and other
technical aspects. It did not take long for
the couple’s hard work and discipline to
pay off as clients began to take notice of
their designs.
But the road to success will not always be
easy. Architect Jose admitted that their first
project in the country was quite a challenge
for they needed to adjust from Hong Kong
standards to Philippine standards in building
the Benson Apartelle, and the rest was

history. JSLA proceeded to complete hundreds
of projects, ranging from subdivision and
townhouse developments, commercial and
institutional buildings, industrial complexes,
hotels, resorts, and leisure parks to multi-storey
residential buildings and mixed-used
condominium developments.
Architect Jose, the firm’s principal architect, is
among the pioneers in ‘feng shui’ application
in designs and one of the propagators of
post-modernist ideas in Manila. He was the
recipient of the Professional Regulations
Commission’s Most Outstanding Professional
in the Field of Architecture in 2004.



Architect Ana, on the other hand, is JSLA’s associate architect who is in charge
of general management, including finance, production, training, and quality
control. She is an industry leader who headed the United Architects of the
Philippines (UAP) as national president from 2009 to 2010.
The Ling couple finds succession planning very important. Thus, they have
trained their children to hold sensitive and important positions in the firm.
They deem it valuable to have a ready-made team of loyal family members
and a pool of dedicated successors.



For Architect Ana, running the business
with her husband is pretty much like
running the family—it is a selfless endeavor.
She, however, sees time as a common
conflict. To balance the personal and
professional affairs of family members,
she believes that clear communication
and understanding is the key to manage
time and balance the harmony among
them.
Among the co-founders’ best practices is
to be always open and honest in all their
dealings with one another, with their
children, and with their employees. The
Lings consider their employees as part
of the family.

Moreover, they consider all their projects as their first project, showering them with the
same ‘tender loving care’ from start to finish. Through the years, JSLA is consistent in providing
‘personalized professional service’ to their clients.

Now on its 35th year, JSLA keeps on
improving its trade, facilities, and
employees. The firm’s commitment
to providing ‘functional innovative
architectural designs’ through the
incorporation of ecological concepts,
consideration of trends and technolo-
gy, and continual improvement
of employees and management
systems gives it a competitive edge
among its peers in the industry. For
12 consecutive years, from 2006 to
2018, JSLA was recognized as among
the top 10 architectural firms in the
Philippines by BCI Asia.

At JSLA, the Ling family uncovers the
unique interrelationship between
familial obligation and corporate
responsibility, which is not typically
found in non-family-owned enterprises.
Understanding this interrelationship
and harnessing its power and poten-
tial requires an exceptional family
teamwork. This must have been the
Ling family’s secret of success in
their enduring family firm.





Going into Business with Family:

Q&A Roundup

Archikonst has interviewed the Ling children on the
benefits, challenges, and rewards of working in a family
enterprise and here are their answers:
JOAN ADDA LING, senior architect in the design
department, eldest among the siblings. Her
responsibilities include checking all projects
to be presented to clients and training staff
to do things “the Siao Ling way”.

“Growing up with the company, I know how the firm
operates. What was taught to me at home was actually
the same principles we have in the office.
“The challenge of working in a family enterprise is to
be able to learn how to balance your role being a part
owner and, at the same time, part employee. We have
to be an example to our colleagues. We are trying our
best to be at our best for the company and for our family.
Being with your family at work, you know you will never
be alone. We are taught to support each other, understand our
differences, and encourage each other to give our best shot.
“I find it rewarding if our collective hard work as a family—
as the whole JSLA family—is being recognized or received
an award. I also find it rewarding to see our staff, who have
been with us through the years, growing professionally and
achieving their dreams. Like us, a handful of them started
as OJT (on-the-job) trainees until they became full-fledged
architects.”
JONN ALDO LING, senior architect in the construction
coordination department, the second child and eldest
son in the family. His role is to supervise, check, and
attend to project site and to preside management
meetings.

“I’m currently handling nine projects ranging from
residential buildings, mixed-use developments, office
buildings, and educational centers. I’m excited about
the completion of the CTP Asean Tower, which is aiming for
LEED Gold Certification, and the recently-opened iAcademy
in Makati City.
“The benefit of working in our company is that we are
lucky to have a company that is already established.
Establishing an architectural firm from the ground up
is very hard, nowadays. The challenge is for us to be as
good or better architects than our parents.
“The rewarding part is the diverse experiences in the
architectural industry are being shared within us since
we, siblings, are all architects. These experiences are
also brought out to the company in order to promote
growth and provide helpful experience to our employees,
making these beneficial to our future projects.”

JESI ALEC LING, senior architect in the design “Some of the benefits of working in the family enterprise
department, belongs to the second generation. are that we are all accessible and there is an open line
He handles design projects and conducts design of communication when it comes to work. Moreover,
presentations to new clients. we all have the same upbringing, which may result in
“My team takes care of several design projects; us having the same orientation, direction, and work
thus for me, a great architecture does not only attitude in the firm.
stand out, but it also blends into its environment. “The most rewarding part about being involved in
Whenever I represent our company in various events, a family enterprise is when knowing a completed
I’ll make sure to present our company background project, which turned out nice, is the result of our
and capability. collective efforts. It’s quite fulfilling.”

JENI ALYS LING, senior architect in the
production department, belongs to the
second generation. Her responsibilities include
staff training and checking the projects
before presenting to clients.
“When I started to work for JSLA, I was so
inexperienced and felt like I was not yet
ready to carry the name, Ling. I became confident
as the days go by as I got accustomed to
the office culture. I am happiest when I can
confidently represent my family.
“The benefit of working in a family enterprise
is more of having a security in our profession—
security in terms of growth in career and
character. The firm provides us with not
only the knowledge, the ins and outs of the
profession, but also the discipline in the
workplace and in ourselves.
“The challenge of working in a family enterprise,
however, is more of overcoming the pressure
that is put on me and my siblings’ shoulders—
pressure that we should live up to the name
of our parents and be good role models to our
co-workers.
“At JSLA, we are one big family, so the triumph
of one is the triumph of all. The most rewarding
part of being involved in the family enterprise is
that when a person achieves a certain goal, be
it a milestone in their career or personal life,
everyone is with them to celebrate.”
JAYE ANJO LING, junior architect in the
design department, youngest in the family.
His role in the company is to check if the
projects are at par with the JSLA standards
and comply with the country’s building
codes and ordinances.
“Because it is a family business, I believe that the
benefit JSLA gives me is employment security
because this will lead, guide, and help me reach
my dream (unimpeded) and become an excellent
architect like my parents.
“Through product presentations and coordination
meetings, the company encourages us to
grow and learn new things. The company
supports us by providing simple things that
an employee needs.
“The most rewarding part about being
involved in the family business is that this
company still makes me feel like I’m in the
family. It is somewhat hard to distinguish
one from the other.”