ALTHOUGH architecture has been a part of the human instinct for survival and quest for beauty since time in memorial, the practice of architecture in the Philippines was only institutionalized as profession a century ago. The year 2021 is designated as the Centennial Year of the Architectural Profession in the Philippines. The founding of the architectural profession in the Philippines was formalized by virtue of Philippine Assembly Act 2985 (An Act to Regulate the Practice of the Professions of Engineers and Architect) signed into law on Feb. 23, 1921. The celebration will be spearheaded by the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) with affiliate organizations through a year-long lineup of activities that commemorates pioneers, milestones and shapers of our profession in the last 100 years. But the emergence of Filipino architects can be traced beyond a century as our profession was molded in the institutions of colonialism and colonial tutelage.
