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“Reinventing S.O.A.: SERVICE-ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE”

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Norma I. Alarco n, FUAP

Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies, Major in Socio-Political and Cultural Development with
specialization in Architectural Historic Preservation
Master of Science in Architecture, UST
Associate Professor, UST College of Architecture

A Fellow of the United Architects of the Philippines, Arch. Alarcon finished her bachelor
(1970) and masteral (1985) degree in architecture at the University of Santo Tomas (UST).
She is a Ph.D candidate (UST) in Development Studies, Major in Socio-Political and Cultural
Development with specialization in Architectural Historic Preservation.
She teaches both at the College of Architecture (Associate Professor) and at the UST
Graduate School (Associate Professorial Lecturer). She was assistant dean of UST’s College
of Architecture and Fine Arts in 1981-1990. A licensure examination reviewer, she ranked
number 2 in the 1973 Architecture Licensure Examination.
A senior researcher, she is a two-time recipient of research grants from the Program
for Cultural Cooperation of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Spain (1999 & 2001).
She was also awarded a research fellowship by the Asian Cultural Council New York (20032004), an affiliate of the Rockefeller Foundation. Her research interests include Spanish
and American architecture in the Philippines, architectural preservation, heritage and
culture. Likewise, she has read papers regarding Filipino architecture in both national and
international forum and her researches were published in refereed journals.
Her published books are The Imperial Tapestry: The American Colonial Architecture in
the Philippines (UST Publishing House, 2008) that was awarded the Gawad San Alberto
Magno Best Book, last February 27, 2009 by the University of Santo Tomas and the UST
Faculty Union; Philippine Architecture During the Pre-Spanish and Spanish Period (UST
Publishing House,4th printing 2008) and the chapter “The Roles of the Plaza, A Philippine
Experience” in the book “Public Places in Asia Pacific Cities: Current Issues and Strategies”
(Kluwer Academic Publishers of Netherlands, 2001).

“Escolta: Why this Place is Worthy of Restoration Effort?”
Escolta’s distinctive heritage encompasses Manila’s cultural, historical, social, political,
and architectural phases. It is an important place worthy of restoration efforts due to its
socio-economic tradition that has passed on from generation to generation.
For about 100 years, Escolta stood as a symbol of commercial activity in the Philippines.
Its history and the history of the nation spanned the Spanish, American and Post-War
Periods. It was the business pulse of the Philippines. It swayed political and commercial
decisions of the nation. Despite its current state, it has an architecturally and aesthetically
important streetscape containing many equally important buildings. Notwithstanding the
loss of its finest buildings to the war and the owners’ lack of knowledge in conservation
methods, Escolta’s few remaining structures affirm the street’s architectural significance.
Its architecture depicts the different periods of history in the country. The streetscape is
the main organizing component of historic neighborhoods: the buildings, the streets and
pedestrian walkways. But definitely, the buildings are the features that speak of the streets’
timeline and streetscape.
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37th UAP National Convention © 2011