Raquel Baquiran, architect of fortitude

FEU vice president for Career Development Raquel Baquiran opens the Alumni Relations Office Appreciation Day by highlighting partnership opportunities that strengthen alumni engagement and support career development. ARO.

Architect Raquel Baquiran, Far Eastern University (FEU)’s VP for Career Development (CDev), is the personification of grace under pressure. While managing the work of four units in her office—alumni relations, career and placement, industry internship and instruction, work immersion—VP Baquiran ensures that her team is so focused on their goals that any interference, internal or external, is blocked or at least set aside for the time being.

“We maintain open communication lines with other departments and coordinate with them. Among my team we build trust with one another, so I let them handle their functions independently,” said Raquel, as she prefers to be called.

She admitted to being strict, meticulous, and detail-oriented. Since assuming administrative positions at FEU, she has made her team experience what is important to them even as she is involved in their activities. She cited the FEU management for providing academic and non-academic administrators with a supportive environment.

“For us at [CDev], we engage with alumni because they are invested in our vision and mission. We are equally invested in FEU and its students so we engage with them as well,” said Raquel. “It’s not about the numbers but the depth of our engagement.”

Her office connects partners with students through its industry real world and simulated tours or employment engagement programs for job matching. More CDev initiatives are aimed at connecting them as well with new innovations and technologies in various industries.

“We are a small office so we see to it that we make an impact,” said Raquel. “Every day we search for new linkages. We look at job markets. Our office is data driven; we process these daily.” Then comes the usual meeting with industry partners, students, or faculty members.

Ar. Raquel Baquiran joins fellow FEU officials in exploring Nanyang Polytechnic International’s facilities to strengthen partnerships in Business, Communication, and Fine Arts education. FEU IRO

Management style

Raquel is described as exuding quiet strength. People also observe that she is highly organized and goal-oriented, maintaining composure even under pressure—so much so that one would not know if she is stressed.

“Her demeanor is often strict and seemingly unapproachable, yet beneath that exterior lies a genuine care for her people, though she expresses it subtly,” said Maria Christina Akbar. “During my time as department chair, I learned a great deal under her guidance [when she was dean of Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts or IARFA]. Her leadership style is

firm, and her commitment to excellence has left a lasting impact on me.”

Akbar, herself an architect, said Raquel is firm when it comes to deadlines—she expects tasks to be completed on time and with precision. She places great importance on proper documentation and ensures that official reports are always prepared, which proves invaluable during accreditation processes. She values transparency and appreciates it when departmental matters are communicated to her directly. She also welcomes ideas, which contribute to the continuous improvement of her department.

“Students hold Architect Baquiran in high regard, and if I’m not mistaken, she consistently earns excellent ratings in her Teacher Performance Evaluation. While she doesn’t often engage in casual conversations with all faculty and staff, she has a keen ability to recognize and assess the talents and strengths of both staff and faculty,” said Akbar. “She thoughtfully places individuals in roles where they can thrive and contribute meaningfully. Her quiet discernment and strategic insight have played a significant role in the department’s growth.”

They shared their dreams for the department, said Akbar, vividly remembering the time when they worked on a strategic plan to improve board exam results.

“We set our target—an 85 to 90 percent passing rate for our alumni—and felt genuinely excited about the possibilities. Over time, we saw a consistent upward trend in the results, which was incredibly rewarding,” said Akbar. “It was a true team effort, with faculty, staff, and administration all working together. Seeing our collective vision come to life was one of the most fulfilling experiences I've had.”

Both had come a long way by then. Akbar recalled the time when she was asked to take on the role of department chair. For Akbar it was completely unexpected.

“I was, in fact, the second choice, as the [faculty member considered originally had declined the offer],” said Akbar. “[Architect Baquiran] assured me that the position would broaden my perspective on management and promised me full support throughout the journey. True to her word, she carefully assembled a team of capable individuals who helped me ease into the role. With her guidance and the support of the entire team, I was able to complete three fulfilling years as department chair under her mentorship.”

Raquel’s directors, coordinators, and staff at CDev have a similar experience. One of them, John Oliver Brioso, had worked with Raquel when she was VP for Academic Services.

“It was perfect timing [when VP Baquiran] asked me to join CDev. My contract with JPMC [College of Health Sciences in Brunei, established with FEU] had expired,” said Brioso. “I feel comfortable working with her. She allows us to speak out and voice our concerns.”

Brioso said Raquel is structured in her approach to the mandate of CDev. He cited staff meeting as an example. Raquel, said Brioso, would go straight to the point. She is particular with the time—herself punctual as she expects others to be on time.

“Outside the workplace she can be jolly,” said Brioso. “She jokes around.”

VP Raquel with ING senior leaders and representatives from the FEU Career Development and Placement Office during the Financial Crimes and Fraud Prevention Workshop on June 21, 2024. FEU CDPO

What comes next?

Raquel joined IARFA’s Department of Architecture as a part-time faculty member in 2010. She found her students to be hardworking and determined to learn. Shortly after just a semester she began her tenure track.

“Architecture students take the initiative to learn; they ask questions. I saw them progress—mature,” she said. They could be credited to her decision to go full time at FEU although she does consultancy work when she has the time. They are the reason why she has stayed on for more than a decade now. After her administrative tour of duty is over she would resume teaching.

“I remember teachers whom I did not like,” said Raquel, facilitating learning unlike the way they did. “That’s how I developed my own method of teaching.”

She would talk to her students about architect and ecologist Kean Yeang, who emphasized in an interview with CNN that “[eco-design] is designing in such a way that the human-built environment or our design system integrates benignly and seamlessly with the natural environment.”

This “marriage” of the environment and architecture ushered Raquel to post-graduate studies at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, “where a site [is treated as art, where the balance of hard and soft surfaces in outdoor and indoor spaces is achieved].”

“Enough is never enough,” said Raquel. “When we accomplish our task we may feel elevated,” but more important than the satisfaction is the fortifying effect of getting the job done. The question “what do we do next?” gives Raquel and CDev a sense of purpose.