After a board resolution was effectively enacted that restricts the practice of the architecture profession by non-registered and licensed architects, the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) is now bent on insuring proper implementation of this law to value their profession.
“The law created a landmark change in the architecture profession and this law is what everyone from our sector has long been waiting for because it draws a clear line between architecture professional and other aligned professions and it can also be used as an instrument to check the abuse of professionals from other discipline,” said UAP national president Medeliano T. Roldan, Jr. in a press conference held at the Cebu Country Club earlier.
The Republic Act 9266 is an act that provides more responsive and comprehensive regulation for the registration, licensing practice of the architecture profession.
Among the law’s general provisions include the "Scope of the Practice of Architecture" which encompassed the provision of professional services in connection with site, physical and planning and the design, construction, enlargement, conservation, renovation, remodeling, restoration or alteration of a building or group of buildings.
The act also defined the profession as the art, science or profession of planning, designing and constructing buildings in their totality taking into account their environment, in accordance with the principles of utility, strength and beauty.
But despite the fact that the resolution has long been enacted, a lot of gray areas regarding its full implementation still posed as problem on the sector as there have been several contentions from other profession in which 85 percent are coming from the Civil Engineering profession, said Roldan.
In fact UAP have filed lawsuits and has been respondents in cases related to contentions of civil engineers against some provisions in the law especially on the roles and responsibilities that overlapped with each other.
“There are still some sectors that are against the law and there are also some who are from the public institutions who are not aware of the law,” said Roldan.
Roldan said that since City Mayors can implement the law, their group with their new set of district officers is planning to visit local mayors from Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue and even Cebu City to provide awareness and create partnerships to properly implement the law.
UAP’s Deputy Project Director for Task Force RA 9266 Jose Mari Canizares argued that everybody should follow the act since it has already been enacted into law.
“Although it may take a long time and several hardships along the way but the law must be followed. We have to value the profession since the national law covers its practice,” he said.
Canizares stressed that in a specific project, architects are liable to the architectural plans and computations while structural engineers should be concerned mainly on civil works, structural plans and computations. Sanitary engineers on the otherhand are in charged with the plumbing section, electrical engineers on electrical plans while mechanical engineers on the mechanical plans.
“The perception of the public on architecture is mainly focused on the aesthetics but architects are trained to design buildings and make plans. We are not in quarrel with aligned professions but we just want what is rightfully ours and we want to curb those who are illegally practicing the profession,” said Norberto Uy, president of he Philippine Institute of Architects Cebu Section.
In about 20,000 architects in the country, around 9, 000 of these are members of the United Architects of the Philippines. — Rhia de Pablo