UAP POST - 4th Issue 2016-2017 UAP Post - 4 | Page 18

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UAP DILIMAN HOLDS
SEMINAR ON ENGAGING
COMMUNITIES IN DESIGN
By Arch. Karen Kaye L. Ang, UAP
The UAP Diliman Chapter held a continuing professional
development seminar last May 13, 2017 at the Museum of
Filipino Architecture (MOFA), College of Architecture, Uni-
versity of the Philippines Diliman entitled: “ENGAGING
COMMUNITIES: Urban Design, Heritage Conservation,
Housing and Disaster Management”.
Being a diverse profession, architecture requires constant en-
richment and adaptation to constantly-evolving social and envi-
ronmental factors. The seminar aimed to enhance social aware-
ness and promote the value of multi-sectoral cooperation and
professional collaboration towards the development of a better
and safer built environment.
The CPD seminar featured four (4) speakers with diverse spe-
cialization: Dr. Takazi Okuda, an urban planner and a visiting
professor in the University of the Philippines, whose interest lies
on the critical issues and commitment to community concerns in
the region; Raymond S. Rodolfo, a registered geologist and a
lecturer at the Environmental Science Department of Ateneo de
Manila University, whose expertise lies on
engineering geological and geohazard assess-
ment; Carmen Bettina S. Bulaong, a conserva-
tion architect whose work includes several
church restoration projects and who is current-
ly the executive director of Escuella Taller de
Filipinas Foundation, Inc.; and Arlene Christy
D. Lusterio, an architect, an environmental
planner, a community development worker,
and the executive director of TAO (Technical
Assistance Organization) – Pilipinas, Inc., who
worked in building disaster resilient communi-
ties in the Samar province after the typhoon
Yolanda.
The participants, who are mostly architects
from several chapters, were treated to the in-
sights and experiences of the speakers from
their community-based initiatives. They
learned the value of participatory planning and
design in post-disaster shelter reconstruction,
discovered the added value of community-
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Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Pro-
gram, and answered various questions and even
comments from participating delegates in a forum
which followed shortly after his talk.
Day Two of the Convention highlighted different
seminars, with corresponding CPD points. The first
talk was delivered by Singaporean Institute of Archi-
tects (SIA) former President Theodore Chan, which
echoed the call to all architects to “reclaim” the built
environment for the preservation of the future’s
resources. Arch. Edwin Uy, which hailed from Min-
danao, gave an inspiring story of his career and the
pursuit for professional success despite being a
probinsyano and saw it as an opportunity instead.
Being an airport planner, Arch. Robert Gaskin gave
some insights on how the design of airports, then and
now affect our travel needs, as well as our prefer-
ences for a much seamless travel in the coming of
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age. For the last leg of Day One of CPD Seminars,
Arch. Gerard Joson introduced his philosophy of
“Parametricism” and how it has slowly evolved from
the hegemony of modernism the world has known
over.
A brief sojourn by the Vice President of the Philip-
pines, Hon. Leni Robredo, on the afternoon of the
second Day were also given a warm welcome by the
architects in the hall. She even have some photos
taken with several delegates. She was the Guest of
Honor and Keynote Speaker for the UAPSA Annual
Symposium entitled, “Design Matters” held also in
conjunction with NatCon, at the Function Room 1,
still at the SMX Convention Center.
Meanwhile on Day 3, three more CPD Seminars
were delivered. Architect Tan Szue Hann from Sing