The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is urging Filipino architects to integrate their efforts in responding to the disaster risk reduction by designing safe and resilient structures. DPWH Secretary Rogelio L. Singson made the call in the recently held 37th Annual United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Convention. Singson reminded the architects that their responsibility does not end in designing eye-catching structures. Instead, they should be most wary of the safety of the public. “After witnessing the massive destruction brought by the natural catastrophes in Haiti, New Zealand, Japan, Myanmar, and now some parts of the Philippines, we should be more socially aware on disaster preparedness,” said Singson. The DPWH chief also noted the creativity of each Filipino architect. He said the works of architects reflect the marvellous harmony of the past and the future in every community skyline. Singson also acknowledged the contribution of the UAP in the implementation of the national building code and their awareness of the various geological hazards in the country. He stressed that the DPWH fully supports UAP members as professional architects in the country. On the other hand, Singson also challenged the organization to actively participate in the review and formulation of the amended implanting rules and regulations of the building code with a wider foresight on structural designs and standards

The Speech of DPWH Secretary Rogelio L. Singson:

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND FRIENDS. GOOD MORNING.

YOUR CONVENTION THEME, “REINVENTING SERVICE-ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE”, I UNDERSTAND IS TO GEAR U.A.P. TOWARDS COMING UP WITH GOOD DESIGNS OF STRUCTURES THAT WOULD ALSO ADDRESS THE MOST PRESSING CHALLENGE OF OUR TIME, NOT ONLY IN THE LOCAL SCENE, BUT ALSO GLOBALLY – AND THAT IS THE CLIMATE CHANGE.  AS SUCH, MY CONCERN IS THAT WE CANNOT JUST BE SERVICE ORIENTED, BUT WE HAVE TO TAKE A LONG TERM VIEW – THE WHOLE LIFE COST OF A PROJECT.

U.A.P MEMBERSHIP, AS CREATORS OF EVERY COMMUNITY’S SKYLINE, CAN TRANSFORM A LOCALITY INTO WHAT THEY THINK WOULD BE THE MOST SUITABLE DURING THESE PRESENT TIMES AND FOR THE YEARS AHEAD.

WHEN ONE LOOKS AROUND AT EVERY COMMUNITY, YOU CAN SEE THE HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE BY THE WAY THE BUILDINGS ARE DESIGNED.

AS YEARS GO BY, YOU ARE NOW EVOLVING INTO WHAT THE ESSENCE OF YOUR THEME DURING THIS CONVENTION WOULD TRY TO IMPART – FROM AESTHETICS TO FUNCTIONALITY, OR INTEGRATING BOTH – AESTHETICS AND FUNCTIONALITY, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS, WHICH NECESSARILY HAS TO LOOK AT A LONG TERM VIEW.

YOUR WORKS ALSO REFLECT THE PROGRESS OF EVERY COMMUNITY’S SKYLINE. THE BUILDINGS THAT YOU DESIGN ARE NOT ONLY STRUCTURALLY SAFE AND STRONG, BUT, WORKS OF ART AS WELL.

WHEN WE SEE THOSE TALL BUILDINGS, WE ARE AMAZED ON HOW AESTHETICS AND FUNCTIONALITY BLEND TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH THESE MASTERPIECES.

THUS, AS DESIGNERS OR CREATORS OF THESE STRUCTURES WHERE MANKIND WOULD DWELL, YOU CAN RE-SHAPE AND RE-ENGINEER THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE SPEND THEIR DAILY LIVES.  IN OTHER WORDS, AS ARCHITECTS, YOU SHOULD NOT ONLY BE DESIGNING BUILDINGS BUT LOOKING AT TOTAL ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.

YOU HAVE THE POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY TO SHAPE THE CONDITIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE LIVE AND EVEN BEHAVE – OVER A LIFETIME.

THEREFORE, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS ARCHITECTS DOES NOT END WITH COMING UP WITH THESE MAGNIFICENT AND BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURES. YOUR PARAMOUNT RESPONSIBILITY IS THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF THOSE WHO SHALL OCCUPY THESE BUILDINGS AND ITS ENVIRONS FOR A LIFETIME.

RECENTLY, UNFORTUNATE EVENTS HAVE JOLTED US TO BECOME MORE SOCIALLY AWARE ON DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. HAITI, NEW ZEALAND, JAPAN, MYANMAR, AND NOW SOME PARTS OF THE PHILIPPINES, ALTHOUGH THESE ARE MINIMAL IN MAGNITUDE, THE EARTH IS SHAKING AND NEW HAZARDS ARE EVOLVING. SOME DESIGNS AND STANDARDS 20 YEARS AGO ARE NOW OBSOLETE.

WE ARE WITNESSES OF THE MASSIVE DESTRUCTION THAT THESE NATURAL CATASTROPHES HAVE BROUGHT UPON MANKIND.

AS DESIGNERS THEREFORE OF THESE BUILDINGS, U.A.P SHOULD PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN INTEGRATING YOUR EFFORTS TO RESPOND TO THE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION BY DESIGNING SAFE AND RESILIENT STRUCTURES. I HAVE SAID, THE PRICE TO PAY FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE APPROPRIATE LAWS, MORE PARTICULARLY, THE NATIONAL BUILDING CODE IS VERY STIFF BY PUTTING THE LIVES OF OTHER PEOPLE AT RISK. WE SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE & BUILD AWAY FROM KNOWN HAZARD ZONES PRECISELY BECAUSE OF OUR LONG TERM VIEW.

WE, IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS, HAVE BEEN DOING OUR PART TO AT LEAST MITIGATE THE POTENTIAL OUTCOME OF WHATEVER DISASTER & HAZARDS THAT WE MAY EXPERIENCE IN THE FUTURE. BUT MY PHILOSOPHY IS LOOKING AT A LONG TERM VIEW.

THIS IS WHERE YOUR ORGANIZATION MAY BE INVOLVED.

AS DPWH SECRETARY AND  THE COUNTRY’S NATIONAL BUILDING OFFICIAL, I ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE U.A.P. IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL BUILDING CODE AND YOUR AWARENESS OF THE VARIOUS GEOLOGICAL HAZARDS IN THE COUNTRY.

I CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE YOUR ORGANIZATION TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE REVIEW AND FORMULATION OF THE AMENDED IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE BUILDING CODE WITH A LONGER TIME HORIZON.

AGAIN, I HAVE JUST SIGNED A SPECIAL ORDER RECONSTITUTING THE BOARD OF CONSULTANTS OF THE NATIONAL BUILDING CODE WHERE U.A.P. IS A MEMBER, TO REVIEW THE CODE, AND IDENTIFY THE PROVISIONS THAT NEED UPDATING OR AMENDMENTS, AMONG OTHERS. IN FACT, ARCHITECT ARMANDO DOMINADOR N. ALLI IS DESIGNATED VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF CONSULTANTS.

I AM ALSO ENJOINING YOUR ORGANIZATION TO ACTIVELY INVOLVE ALSO IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE CODE, AND BE FULLY AWARE OF IDENTIFIED HAZARD ZONES, WHILE WE ARE PREPARING FOR ITS IMPROVEMENT.

IN THE DPWH, WE HAVE COME UP WITH A TASK FORCE ON BUILDING INSPECTION FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS & STRUCTURES.  THIS TASK FORCE NEEDS YOUR EXPERTISE IN ENSURING THAT THE BUILDINGS, PARTICULARLY PRIVATE BUILDINGS, ARE SAFE TO WITHSTAND EARTHQUAKES OF ANY MAGNITUDE.

BEING PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTS, THE PRACTICE OF YOUR PROFESSION SHOULD ENSURE AT ALL TIMES THE SAFETY OF OUR PEOPLE.

I, THEREFORE, ENJOIN EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU TO BE INVOLVED WITH ENSURING AND DESIGNING SAFE STRUCTURES & SAFE COMMUNITIES FOR A LIFETIME.

WITH THE TURN OVER OF THE RESPONSIBILITY THIS EVENING, LET THIS BE THE NUMBER ONE AGENDA OF THE NEW SET OF OFFICERS WHO WERE SWORN TO DUTY – A DUTY WHICH SYMBOLIZES DIGNITY, AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY IN DEVELOPING SAFE STRUCTURES & PLEASANT SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.

LET DIGNITY, AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY GUIDE YOU IN DISPENSING YOUR DUTIES AS OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THIS PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION. DIGNITY TO ONE’S SELF; AUTHORITY TO GOVERN OTHERS; AND THE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE SOCIETY.

WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT BENIGNO S. AQUINO III,  WE WILL FULLY SUPPORT YOU IN DISPENSING WITH YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTS IN THE COUNTRY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND GOOD DAY

DPWH Website, click here

Profile of DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson, click here