From the end of World War II to the 1950’s, engineering consultancy in the Philippines was the domain of in-house engineers and government engineers. The time was ripe for introducing the concept of integrated engineering services to the government and private sectors. This initiative was taken by several men from University of the Philippines College of Engineering, who, having returned from studies and training abroad, were eager to merge theory and practice. In 1957, they formed the DCCD Engineering Corporation, an all-Filipino consulting firm, the first of its kind in the country.
The Company’s first projects, however, were far from modest. How this came about is a treasured part of the company lore. In the late 50’s before DCCD was incorporated, Dean Alfredo Juinio, together with other UP engineering professors, had designed the first thinshell concrete dome in the Philippines for the Chapel of the Holy Sacrifice at U.P. An auspicious presence in this project was that of Mr. Fernando Zobel de Ayala, who was commissioned to render the church’s mural paintings. He was impressed with the competence of the team that when the Zobels embarked on developing Makati as a business district, DCCD Engineering Corporation was assured of a very active part in the undertaking. It was asked to design the master plan of Ayala Subdivision’s sewerage system.
In the first decade also, eighty percent of the buildings along Ayala Avenue were designed by DCCD wherein the first true high-rise building, the Elizalde Building was built. Over the next ten years, DCCD established its name and its client base.
During the late 60’s, overseas and foreign-funded projects started coming in. Among these were the integrated engineering service for the Accelerated Rice Research Institute in Joydevpur, East Pakistan (Now Bangladesh) and projects funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
By 1975, DCCD had won a place among the country’s top 1000 corporations. DCCD weathered the economic crisis of the mid-80’s that caught the whole country in its grip by undertaking design works for roads, bridges, irrigation, water systems, and other projects for both local and foreign developers. The U.S. Department of Defense commissioned the firm to work on American military installations projects based in the country.
Today, DCCD’s expertise can be seen in the modern, technologically advanced residential and office condominiums, industrial and real estate complexes, and infrastructure projects across the country.
This firm that has for decades been providing practical, innovative, and cost effective integrated engineering services continues to explore new and better ways of serving its clients. Through the efforts and talents of its engineers and other professionals who value quality, honesty, and integrity in all aspects of work, DCCD will continue to deliver top-quality service and guarantee the best results. In DCCD, quality is never compromised.