Christine Cortez – Quantity Surveyor, Civil Engineer

I am a Licensed Civil Engineer and Master Plumber professional based in the Philippines. Back when I was young, it always excites me to solve complex mathematical problems. I always feel accomplished every time I can provide a solution to a complex math problem. Therefore, I believe that my love for Mathematics at a young age foreshadowed what I wanted to do when I grew up, and that is Engineering.

I started pursuing my bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering at University of Santo Tomas, one of the top-ranked and oldest universities in the Philippines. During my time at the university, I enjoyed learning new things related to my course. Aside from academics, I was also active in extra-curricular activities such as Community Development and Student Council. The university has helped instill its high-esteemed core values namely, competence, commitment, and compassion, which molded me into what I am today.

Right after passing my professional licensure exam in Civil Engineering back in November 2017, I decided to apply for a Trainee Quantity Surveyor position at Arcadis Philippines Inc. The company trained us with the basics of Quantity Surveying for Structural and Architectural works so we can have the necessary skills and knowledge for the projects assigned to us. After 6 months, there was an assessment within the company and fortunately, I got appraised to a newer position as an Assistant Quantity Surveyor. As an Assistant Quantity Surveyor my role mainly focused on doing Quantity Take-offs and Bill of Quantities for Architectural, Structural, Landscape and Fit-Out Works. The projects I have handled are residential and commercial projects within the Philippines.

In my second year with the company, I was offered to be assigned to another department which is project-based and mostly involved in post-construction. From there, I have worked with their infrastructure projects like roads and landscape works. I was assigned to handle cost estimates, procurement and negotiations with contractors and suppliers.

I was offered a Quantity Surveyor position with Makati Development Corporation, after working with Arcadis Philippines Inc in 2020. My task there was not far from my previous job role which greatly involved in preparing Quantity Take-offs and Bill of Quantities for residential and commercial developments.

Unfortunately, when I started with Makati Development Corporation, the COVID-19 pandemic is starting to spread and affect most people in the Philippines. Back then, the management decided to implement a work from home setup due to the government's lockdown and quarantine protocols around the Metro. At first, it was really a struggle to work in a completely non-traditional work setup but after a short while, I got used to it and I found myself being more productive and efficient at work. Instead of spending an amount of time to prepare and go to work in a conventional setup, I can save my energy and focus more on the projects assigned to me.
Last March 2021, a recruiter from LinkedIn contacted me for a Virtual Assistant – Quantity Surveyor position and her client was a roofing contractor based in Ireland. Since this is a remote work setup, I agreed and signed with them. So far, I have produced a work with good feedback from my employer, which is very useful in his day-to-day tasks. From this, I felt that same satisfaction and adrenaline that I felt during my childhood whenever I do something to solve problems and help other people. Currently, I am ready to take on new challenges and give my best to help businesses succeed.

For a copy of Christine's resume please click here.