Professional Documents
Culture Documents
423
Gaza, Janhlawrenz M.
1.0 History of UAP
During the Spanish era there were no schools of Architecture in the
Philippines. The first Filipino recorded architect was Felix Roxas y Arroyo,
born circa 1820 in Manila, studied in Spain and stayed for many years in
England and France. Previous to this, a Filipino could aspire to erect an
architectural structure through the help of a Maestro de Obras or master
builder. The first formal school for master builders was opened only during
the last decade of the 19th century. On 14 September 1902, many of the
graduates of this school joined the civil engineers and surveyors in the
country and founded the first professional organization of architects and
allied professionals ~ the Academia de Arquitectura y Aguimensura de
Filipinos (AAAF). It maintained direct consultation with the American
Institute of Architects (AIA). A year after, its name was changed to
Academia de Inginieria, Arquitectura y Agrimensura de Filipinas (AIAAF).
In 1904 it founded the first school of Architecture in the Philippines, the
Escuela de Ingenieria y Arquitectura, which offered five-year courses in
Architecture and Civil Engineering.
In 1911, the AIAAF was dissolved when the civil engineers withdrew to
form their own professional organization, but not before it has struggled
for the passage of an Engineers and Architects Law. In 1921, the
Philippine National Assembly Act No. 2985 passed, the first enabling law
for the practice of the professions of engineering and architecture, defined
the unique and separate identities of the two professions.
The profession of Architecture in the Philippines was given its first
separate statute on 17 June 1950 with the enactment of Republic Act 545,
"An Act to Regulate the Practice of Architecture in the Philippines."
From the early 1930's to late 1950's, associations of architects were
founded, but only three survived until the early 1970's ~ the Association
of Philippine Government Architects (APGA), League of Philippine
Architects (LPA), and the Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA). In June
1973, President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Presidential Decree 223,
creating the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) regulating all
professions and accrediting only one organization to represent each
profession.
The United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) was born on December 12,
1974 out of the noble vision of unifying the three (3) existing architectural
associations at that time - the Philippines Institute of Architects (PIA), the
League of Philippine Architects (LPA) and the Association of Philippine
Government Architects (APGA). Through the concerted efforts of the
de Chile, Chile, the Council passed Resolution No. 9 stating the "following
the laws of the Philippines and the UIA Statutes, UAP legally became the
National Section". A certification to this effect was issued to the UAP in
April 1983.
The meeting of ARCASIA in Lahore, Pakistan in 1983 approved the
proposal for UAP to host and organize the First Asian Congress of
Architects (ACA-1) in Manila in October 1984 (The Sixth Asian Congress of
Architects was also held in Manila in December 1994).
The United Architects of the Philippines today claims an active
membership of over 10,000 architects scattered over 3 strategic areas of
the country: Area A, comprising the central and northern portion of the
Island of Luzon including Metropolitan Manila comprises 5 regional
districts; Area B composing southern Luzon as well as the members from
the islands of Mindoro, Masbate and Palawan contains five regional
districts; Area C comprises members from the Visayan Islands as well as
Mindanao. This area comprises four regional districts.
3.0
Forms/Levels of Membership
Registration for New Passers (without a Chapter)
Membership Form
Transfer Form
Member Emeritus
4.0
Organizational Structure
The affairs of the UAP shall be administered by the General Assembly and,
on behalf of the General Assembly, by the UAP National Board of
Directors. The General Assembly is the highest authority of the UAP.
Organizational Structure
(Mancom and the UAP Secretariat)
Mission
In order for the UAP to unite the registered and licensed architects in the
Philippines, promote the aesthetic, scientific and business practice of
architecture; advance architectural standards of continuing education,
training and practice; and build relationships among clients, the
construction industry and architects, the following mission is adopted:
The UAP as the Integrated and Accredited Professional Organization of
Architects, is the vanguard of the Architecture profession in the country
which shall serve as the catalyst of dynamism and unity among Filipino
Architects, promoting the highest ethical conduct, discipline, responsibility
and values beneficial to man and society, culture and the environment in
the delivery of its professional mandate for local and global practice.
Objectives
UAP offers continuing education programs, publishes vital Practice
Documents, hosts an annual National Convention and provides support to
all the chapters, ---. a professional organization for the design profession
and is classified as "not-for-profit. In this UAP aims to: