After last year’s postponement, the Philippines successfully hosted and chaired the 9th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Architect Project Central Council Meeting (AACCM) on October 27 and 28, 2021.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), in coordination with the Professional Regulatory Board of Architecture (PRB-Architecture), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) served as the Secretariat of the Central Council for 2019-2021.
The Council Meeting started with PRC Chairperson, Hon. Teofilo S. Pilando, Jr., welcome address and followed by the official declaration of opening by PRC Commissioner and Central Council Chair, Hon. Yolanda D. Reyes. The Council Secretary General and PRB of Architecture Chairperson Hon. Robert S. Sac made the roll call on the attendance of official representatives from the APEC Architect member economies, namely: Australia, Canada, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong China, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States of America (USA), and the Philippines, as well as the observers from Brunei Darussalam, Viet Nam, and Papua New Guinea.
Architect Lee Sang Leem, Chairman of the SPACE Group – Korea shared significant insights on the future of the APEC Architect Project, as well as the important role of the Architects given the lessons learned from the pandemic era.
The Philippines successful hosting was made possible through the government support under the International Commitments Fund (ICF). The hosting also served as an avenue to highlight the success stories of APEC Architect member economies in the Coffee Table Book, a project spearheaded by the Philippines through the UAP, and was launched in the recently concluded International Congress of Architects 2021.
Through the collective efforts of the members of the APEC Architect National Monitoring Committee of the Philippines, the Secretariat rendered a report on the duties and projects completed from 2019 - 2021 particularly on administrative services, raising awareness of the project, organizing the meeting, and on the finance matter.
On the next chairmanship of the meeting, and as a regulatory body in progressive determination of competence amongst Filipino professionals, the PRC vows to extend its commitment in supporting the Meeting’s objectives and continue working towards advancing the implementation of the APEC Architect Project.
