First Balfour Inc., the construction and engineering arm of the Lopez Group, has become the first construction firm in the Philippines to adopt the Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), an AI-powered construction management system (CMS) designed to streamline project planning, execution, and monitoring.
The announcement follows a partnership agreement with CIM Technologies Inc., a leading local provider of design automation solutions and an authorized distributor of the ACC.
With this digital shift, First Balfour aims to significantly boost operational efficiency. “The launch of the CMS stands as a testament to the company’s commitment to driving excellence, advancing innovation, and shaping the future of construction,” said Rey G. Villar, managing director for construction operations.
The CMS integrates key project components—such as tendering, scheduling, cost tracking, and collaboration—into a single digital platform. According to First Balfour’s CMS project lead, John F. Peralta, this integration is expected to greatly enhance productivity and coordination across all projects.
The move is part of Project UNLAD (Unleashing Next-Level Automation and Digitalization), a 2024 initiative marking the company’s push toward digital transformation.
“This is our first major step in adopting cutting-edge technologies to enhance project management,” said CEO Anthony L. Fernandez, noting the collaboration with Autodesk and CIM Technologies as a key milestone in their digital journey.
Autodesk’s Dennis Lim lauded the partnership, saying it will lead to improved cost control, better coordination, and higher quality and safety outcomes in construction.
First Balfour, a subsidiary of First Philippine Holdings Corp., has been behind several major Philippine infrastructure projects, including the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway and the LRT-1 Cavite Extension.
