The importance of community engagement
HE National Architecture Week (NAW) is an opportunity for all Filipino architects to celebrate and profess our calling as the prime designers of the built environment. As I take on this meaningful event as the third-term chapter president of my beloved United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Manila Sta. Mesa, I aim to serve our mother organization as well by leaving our mark here, where I have most of my projects built: Sta. Mesa, Manila.
As the saying goes, the best proposals are not always the most complicated. A 35-meter-long wall perpendicular to P. Sanchez Street features a 3-year-old mural showing the serenity of nature. If there is adaptive reuse in buildings, architects can do the same with art. What better way to insist on responsive and accountable design by fusing architecture into this mural art piece where thousands of pedestrians and commuters traverse with a message “Sigaw ng Alon, Architecture should coexist with … and protect Nature!”
One Monday morning, I reached out to the honorable Barangay Chairman Lito Erasquin and proposed to integrate not one but five iconic buildings here in Sta. Mesa under five different sectors, namely: Residential – Illumina Residences, Health care – Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Liturgical – Our Sacred Heart Parish, Educational – Polytechnic University of the Philippines Main Campus, and lastly, under the Retail sector – SM Sta. Mesa.
I had to coordinate with the respective marketing and administrative leaders of each organization involved to ensure proper protocol. It took days to plan, meet and discuss every detail. Diligence leads to success.
It was almost ambitious to assume that the project would be approved but one with this social impact must materialize as I envision. Our most sincere gratitude goes to all who manifest the same passion for making this project a success. This engaging endeavor will not be possible if not for the help of my co-chapter servants, starting with directress Angela Regencia and Sheila Leabres, VP Randy Arcillas and VP Marianne Villero, treasurer Catherine Carls and secretary Peter Pila, and our auditor Dan San Juan. It was a very humbling experience to have the UAP National President Ar. Richard M. Garcia during the inauguration with various distinguished guests. We consider this event a milestone for both UAP Manila Sta. Mesa and our mother organization UAP.
As an architect of 22 years, I am blessed to have been given this opportunity to work with the great men and women of UAP, while serving the children of the Mother Teresa Spinelli Orphanage and spiritual people who need professional help through the design of their kitchen and nursery facility. I also worked with Kiwanis on their Brigada Eskwela campaign, the creation of 25 exhibit modules to assist chapters in professing our calling to society, and promoting our chapter members in pursuit of bridging the economic challenges during the pandemic.
Furthermore, the creation of “Bahay Para sa Buhay” as a coloring and reading material serves as a catalyst to share the love for the family while promoting the significance of architecture and its relevance to strengthening the Filipino family. Copies were sent to the provinces of Cavite, Tarlac, Bohol, Quezon, Cebu, and internationally, Singapore.
Children of all ages learned and enjoyed the craft of spending hours on paper than on screen. It was most rewarding when the Timoteo Paez Integrated School in Tondo included in their teaching curriculum the same parallelism used to align house elements to family members.
As I transition from chapter president to past president, I only have one wish for my beloved chapter: that UAP Manila Sta. Mesa will be well remembered among the most active chapters of UAP. After three years of service, I am ever grateful to have touched a lot of lives and left a mark of service that I never had foresight on, despite us architects being visionaries.
Indeed, our God, who has designed and authored life, had a great sense of humor by tapping the least in our clan to make a difference.
God is indeed the Chief Architect, and I am His work in progress. After all, design is a process and I am His design.
The author is the current three-term chapter steward of UAP Manila Sta. Mesa, and a community-engaging architect for 22 years and counting.