The UAP National President's Report The UAP National President's Report | Page 47

current barriers to the export of professional services. Its function is to maintain a register of
APEC architects who have fulfilled common elements of the education and training require-
ments for professional recognition in participating economies and are currently registered/
licensed as architects, and who have a proven track record of professional experience as
registered practitioners.
This new set of Filipino APEC architects will augment and improve the quality and expertise of
the Filipinos in the architecture arena including the previous 54 APEC architects in the
Philippines as they make their mark and attain global status.
The project is intended to facilitate the provision of architectural services between participating
economies around the Pacific Rim. The principal idea here is that the participating APEC archi-
tects economies can enter into bilateral or multi-lateral mutual recognition arrangements which
provide architects the opportunity to practice cross-border services faster.
Tripartite agreement
In January 2004, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) together with the UAP and the
Commission on Higher Education signed an agreement to work together as the National Mon-
itoring Committee Philippine Section of the APEC Architects Central Council, in establishing
the APEC architects registry. Its aim is to develop, operate and maintain the APEC architects
registry in the Philippines in accordance with the agreements of the participating economies. It
opened the doors to Filipino architects to unveil their capability, to showcase their perspective
abilities and to interrelate with our counterparts within the region.
The APEC Architects Central Council firmly believes that epitomizing regional cooperation
and economic integration is the key to unlock Asia’s vast potential to spur strong and sustain-
able economic growth across the region. Here the Filipino architects can have the opportunity
to practice and show their propensity, and definitely live a healthy and fulfilling life outside
Philippine soil.
Over the years, the project served as a vehicle for the free transmission of information and
exchange of views among its members. In areas like service where innovation is evolving at
such a swift pace, it is essential to share new experiences and know-how at all levels, including
government, business and individuals, rather than cementing in common rules, eventually form-
ing networks from which rules will gradually emerge. In this sense, too, the project’s provision
for free discussion will prove invaluable.
Today the Philippines has 63 registered APEC architects who pay special attention to their
craft and expertise as professional and registered architects, in their quest to prepare them-
selves for the “new economy.” The success of an industry or firm in the new economy will
depend largely on its ability to create its own technology, carry out innovation as well as
introduce new products and services.
PH as host to APEC Architect Central Council Meeting
The overall responsibility for the operation of the APEC architect register rests with a central
council composed of nominees of independent monitoring committees established for this
purpose in each participating economy, and authorized by the central council to carry out its
functions.
Though the regional cooperation is a relatively new concept in Asia — so much so that we
have only just started to measure its benefits and decipher the lessons that will help Asia move
forward, the APEC architects registry is one of the many solutions ways how the Philippines
and its Asian neighbors can make the big leap towards that goal, and serve as a roadmap for
the Asean’s quest for a new era of development.
The Asia Pacific region is coming out of the Asian economic crisis and is entering a new phase
as a 21st century economic growth center. Undeniably, the APEC Architect Project has come a
long way in the last 13 years. The scope of cooperation has broadened. The discussions now
are not only on the requirements for the recognition of architects by host APEC economies, but
also on the many other areas which aim to sustain the growth and development of the archi-
tecture profession in this age of globalization.
The Philippines through the UAP hosted the APEC Architect Central Council Meeting in year
2010, and is set to host the council meeting in year 2020 with me as the convenor. Simultane-
ously, the Philippines shall also serve as council secretariat. Parallel to this meeting will be the
two-day International Conference of Architects which aims to bring together leading architects
in the Asean region to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all
aspects of architecture. The conference will provide the premier interdisciplinary forum for
researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations,
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