March 29, 2024

This has reference to the article, “SC case stops council from passing edict on building designs” published in the Sept. 18, 2022 issue of the Courier.

We would like to state that the United Architects of the Philippines supports the localized implementation of Republic Act 9266, or “The Architecture Act of 2004” through a proposed ordinance, which is being challenged in Baguio City.

During the city council’s session on Sept. 12, the proposed measure introduced by Councilors Ma. Mylen Yaranon and Betty Lourdes Tabanda was referred to the committee on laws, human rights, and justice for further review, and not shelved.

RA 9266 states only architects are authorized to prepare, sign, and seal architectural plans, designs, specifications, drawings, and architectural documents relative to the construction of a building.

The mandatory involvement of allied engineers signing as co-design professionals, their drawings based on the architectural plans, specifications, and computations or analyses makes up the complete instruments of service referred and attached thereto the building permit.

Architects are neither authorized to overlap the scope of other allied professions, nor even sign structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, electronics, and other plans and documents.

In the pursuit towards a sound relationship between professionals in the industry, respect is a virtue that transcends any profession. Respecting boundaries of scope, rather overlapping it, is a basic gesture a professional should practice in one’s field.

Kudos to the growing number of cities, municipalities, and provinces that localized the implementation of Architecture Act of 2004 and we hope Baguio City will follow suit.

Again, this call is to implement what the law states, and that is to let architecture be practiced only by architects. — AR. JONARD DON B. JARDENIL, president, United Architects of the Philippines-Baguio City Chapter