Engineering has taken Cranbourne East’s Deborah Mallari across the world and continues to drive her passion for building a better future.
From growing up in the Philippines, to learning her field in Singapore and eventually to moving to Australia, Deborah’s journey has been one of discovery and growth.
As part of International Women in Engineering Day on Monday 23 June, Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) Senior Project Engineer Deborah Mallari has shared her story of a life well-lived in engineering and what it takes to rise up the ranks in this booming industry.
A 10-year veteran of the Victorian construction industry, she has been part of some of the state’s biggest projects including the Princes Highway Upgrade in Sale and the Monash Freeway Stage 2 Upgrade.
It all started with a little encouragement from her family and that planted the seed that blossomed into a burgeoning career in engineering.
“When I was younger, my parents told me that I am good in maths compared to other subjects and encouraged me as I’d have strong potential of becoming a good engineer… so as I got older that became my aspiration,” Deborah said. “Although my journey was not that easy, I managed to overcome the challenges and enjoyed every experience that I had through it, which made me to pursue becoming an engineer.”
It’s not just the building of impressive structures and roadways that interest her though – the importance of working with stakeholders and planning all aspects of the project have been an unexpected joy in her time as an engineer.
“I think one of the things that stood out to me is the importance of proper planning in the project,” Mallari said. “This includes engaging with all the relevant stakeholders and working with them through planning and construction process.
“One of the unique and interesting things that I did as part of VicRoads/MRPV is when I worked with the archaeologists in Traralgon where we did some salvaging works on Aboriginal artefacts.
“I found it to be important, as part of compliance with the planning and environmental requirements prior to commencing works, but a humble and respectful act of how we value the culture and history of the people who lived there before.
“This is what I love in my job, because I’m getting the opportunity to work on different aspects of the project, as well as knowing other people in the design and construction field industry.”
She’s risen through the ranks over her time at VicRoads and MRPV to become a Senior Project Engineer – now working on the Thompson Road and Berwick Cranbourne Road Intersection Upgrade
“Being a Senior Project Engineer has helped me more to understand how to manage projects as a whole,” she said. “It also gave me the opportunity to build my connections in construction industry, as well as to influence other people, for the success and best outcome of the project.
“One of the big highlights in working on major road projects is when we reached the completion of the project and fully opened up the road to the public.
“This gives me the feeling of joy and sense of fulfilment in serving the community.”
Deborah aims build a stronger engineering industry that’s more inviting for women and to decrease risk on site.
“One of my hopes in engineering is to encourage more women to join this field,” she said. “I hope the construction industry would all co-operate and adapt our culture and initiatives in MRPV, that supports the women and treat them fairly with respect.
“And given that construction industry is a high-risk environment, I also hope that there will be more safety innovations that will take place in our job with the help of our evolving technology, as this can remove our site workers in danger or in “line of fire”, which can significantly reduce any incidents in delivering our projects.”
