HISTORY OF UAP In 1938, Bill No.
1850, proposing the separate statute for the practice
of Architecture & Engineering, approved in the 2nd reading
(UNITED ARCHITECTS OF THE PHILIPPINES)
After WW2, PAS re-organized:
Maestro de obra – closest title a Filipino could aspire to practice
Architecture during Spanish time Fernando Ocampo – President
1st school of Maestro de obra founded by the Spanish government = Cesar H. Concio – Vice President
Escuela Practica y Professional de Artes Oficios de Manila
Jose Zaragoza – Secretary
2 classes
Luis Ma. Araneta – Treasurer
1. Maestro de Obras-Academio
2. Maestro de Obras-Practico Juan Nakpil, Andres Luna de San Pedro, Gines Rivera, Gabriel
Formoso – Directors
First Filipino Graduates
The name changed to Philippine Institute of Architects and Planners
1. Julio Hernandez (1891) (PIAP), later changed to Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA) by a
2. Isidro Medina (1894) resolution by Carlos da Silva.
3. Arcadio Arellano (1894)
4. Juan Carreon (1896) 1948, PIA presented Pres. Elpidio Quirino a resolution to assist in
preparation of plans for public works under the War Damage
First Filipino Architect = Felix Roxas y Arroyo, schooled in London Commission
and began practice in 1858, employed by Spanish government as the
Municipal Architect of Manila. Works: Ayuntamiento de Manila in A group of members of the PIA incorporated as United Architects,
Intramuros & Sto. Domingo Church, both destroyed during WW2 Inc. as a corporate body so that selected members can enter into
agreement with Department of National Defense on Design of the
First Organization Veteran’s Memorial Hospital
Academia de Arquitectura y Agremensura de Filipinas (AAAF) 1902 15 members of PIA formed another organization: League of
Philippine Architects (LPA) headed by
Headed by
Pablo S. Antonio
Guillermo Gardnier – President
Antonio V. Bañas
Arcadio Arellano – Vice President
Pablo D. Panlilio
Jose Perez Siguereza – Secretary
Jose L. Reynoso
Tomas Arguelles & Jose Paras – Directors
Elias L. Ruiz
In 1903, transformed as the Academia Arquitectura, Ingenieria y
Agremensura de Filipinas (AIAAF), promulgated the first standards Jose V. Herrera – 1st President of LPA
of professional practice for Engineering and Architecture, known as
Tarifa de Honorios, which was patterned from the AIA documents 1948, Congress enacted RA 472, amending Administrative Code,
Section 1901, which legalize the awarding of the design of public
In 1921, architecture profession was formalize by virtue of Philippine works and buildings to private architects and engineers, which may
Assembly Act No. 2985 – An Act to Regulate the Practice of the be considered as the magna carta of the practice of private architects
Professions of Engineers and Architect) signed into law in Feb. 23, against bureaucratic architecture and engineering
1921 by AIAAF
1949, Law which separates Architects from Engineers was passed as
Law allowed practicing Maestro de Obras to be automatically RA 544 (still governs) & RA 545 (repealed as RA 9266)
registered as Architects
1950, first Gold Medal Award for Filipino Architect – Andres Luna
1st registered – Tomas Mapua de San Pedro for “Crystal Arcade”
2nd – Carlos Barreto 1951, Standards of Professional Practice prepared by PIA was printed
and released
3rd – Antonio Toledo
1953, 20th Annual Convention of PIA, first time Architects were
In 1933, transformed as the Philippine Architects’ Society, headed honored as guests by the President of the Philippines in Malacañang,
by:
1954, 96th Anniversary of the AIA, Carlos de Silva was honored as
Don Juan Nakpil – President AIA Honorary Member
Tomas Mapua – Vice President On January 23, 1957, PIA was officially admitted as the National
Section of the Union Internationale Des Architects (UIA)
Harold Keyes – Secretary-Treasurer
1958, architects employed in the government formed: Association of
Carlos Barreto & Fernando Ocampo – Directors
Philippine Government Architects (APGA)
1960’s, group of young architects tried to organize Molave, it did not Manuel Mañosa, Jr. (VP for Private Practice), Ruperto Gaite (VP for
prosper Government Service), Cesar Concio (VP for Allied Fields), Urbano
Caasi, Jr. (Secretary), Librado Macalinao (Treasurer), and Felipe
1962, Philippine Council of Architects, a short-lived organization of Mendoza, Ricardo Poblete, Constantino Agbayani, Corazon Tandoc,
LPA and APGA which became Council of Filipino Architects (CFA), Jesse Mackay, Antonio Ascalon, Johnny Sulit as directors while
conceived to be the umbrella organization to unite LPA, APGA & Norberto Nuke as ex-officio.
PIA. PIA did not affiliate to the CFA
In 1976, UAP became one of the founding members of the Philippine
1965, APGA, LPA, and PIA unanimously approved the Architects’ Federation of Professional Organizations (PFPA, the Philippine
National Code, the Architects’ Services and Schedule of Fees Technological Council (PTC), and the Philippine Council for
Planning and Housing (PCPH).
In 1969, during the presidency of Manuel T. Manosa , PIA; Librado
Macalinao, LPA; and Luciano Aquino, APGA a memorable joint In 1979, UAP became one of the founding members of the Architects
fellowship was held. Regional Council of Asia. In 1988 UAP became the National Section
of UIA.
During this time the members of LPA and APGA under the name of
the Council of Filipino Architects endorsed the resolution which
designated the second week of December as the Nationwide
Architecture Week by President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
The year 1973 was the year when the illusive goal of professional
unity was explicitly conceptualized.
On June 1973 President Ferdinand Marcos issued PD 223 creating
the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for the purpose of
regulating the practice of all professions.
On September 4, 1973 – after a long span of time, enough to heal the
bruised knuckles and egos of the members of the three organizations,
the Panel of Negotiators after the approval of each of the Boards of
the 3 Organizations signed the Joint Comunique defining the
principles and guidelines of the Integration of the three Organizations
headed by the incumbent Presidents
On December 9-10, the Architecture Week was jointly celebrated by
APGA-LPA-PIA, highlighted on December 10, by the passing of the
Joint Board Resolution of Integration of PIA, LPA and APGA. This
Joint Resolution was ratified without objection in a joint general
assembly on December 16, 1973 at the Architectural Center in
Makati.
On January 1, 1974, the Ad-Hoc Commission assumed its function
and formulated the Constitution and By-Laws of the proposed new
organization which was approved on December 19, and ratified by
the membership of APGA, LPA, and PIA on January 15, 1974.
After a thorough analysis, review and evaluation, many drawn to the
name United Architects of the Philippines and was chosen because it
directly expressed the central concept on which the organization was
founded: unity.
On March 26, 1975, UAP was incorporated and was registered with
the Securities and Exchange Commission with Registration No.
60782 and on May 12, the Professional Regulation Commission with
Architect Eric Nubla as the first Commissioner, issued Certificate No.
001 to UAP as the duly accredited professional organization of
architects in the Philippines.
The members of the Interim Board were: Norberto Nuke (President),
Cesar Canchela (VP for Private Practice), Deogracias Atienza (VP
for Government Services), Aquiles Paredes (VP for Allied Fields),
Benjamin Meamo (Secretary), Alfredo Tungpalan (Treasurer) and
Luciano Aquino, Otilio Arellano, Benjamin Feliciano, Edilberto
Florentino, Bernandino Lozad, Arturo Mañalac, Ariston Nakpil,
Victor Tiotuyco and Evelio Valdes as directors.
Finally on December 12, 1975, the members of the UAP elected the
First Regular Board of Directors, namely: Jose Herrera (President),
