FACULTY

Prof. Ernesto B. Abaya, PhD. is a licensed Civil Engineer with a Doctoral Degree in Civil Engineering with specialization in Transportation Engineering. He is currently a full-time Assistant Professor at the UP College of Architecture at UP Diliman, Quezon City. He was a University Extension Specialist at the UP National Center for Transportation Studies (NCTS) from October 2011 to January 2018, assisting in capability and capacity building programs to students, transport officers of related national and LGU unit agencies. He was involved in research programs of transport vehicles in which fuel economies were measured. He was a also a resource person in applicable engineering and infrastructure-related fields for graduates aspiring to be professional architects. He has also experienced working abroad as a Design Engineer for the Bangkok Transit System in Thailand for two (2) years, 1996-1998 with J. Muller International and as Assistant Design Checker for an Expressway Project also in Bangkok as part of a Project Management Company from May 1995 to June 1996.

Maureen Anne L. Araneta is faculty of the College of Architecture of the University of the Philippines Diliman. She has degrees in Architecture (Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude) and Urban and Regional Planning (Master of Arts), with on-going studies in Anthropology (Doctor of Philosophy), all earned from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Her publications touch on several interests, including architectural and pre-historic Philippine heritage, and campus planning and management. She has also written several reviews of books, and presented at international conferences, both on architecture and anthropology. She has served in several administrative positions in the University and in the College, including her current involvement in the Technical Working Group for Biodiversity Management convened by the Office of the Chancellor.

Ronald Balane is currently studying to be a Doctor of Philosophy in the Designed and Built Environment in the College of Architecture in UP Diliman. He took his Bachelor of Science in Architecture in the same University and subsequently took Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning as well after becoming a Registered and Licensed Architect. His expertise lies mostly in computer renderings and simulations. However, in his recent pursuit into graduate studies, he has been exploring the use of vernacular material into creating woven structures for human habitation. He currently is a member of the Building Science Studio Laboratory.

Richelle Rhea Reyes Baria took her Master of Architecture in the College of Architecture University of the Philippines (UPCA) and has been an Assistant Professor since 2004. With expertise on Architectural Lighting, Architectural Design and Urban Design, her interests focus on perception, experiential nature and meanings of spaces. How the layers of urban lighting, the nuances of environmental acoustics and the dynamics of human activity, interaction and movement, among others, create the richness of space, contributing to placemaking and sustainability functions. Integrating the scientific processes with the flair for the qualities of the urban and architectural realm is driving force and inspiration of her designs and researches. Initiating the studies and conceptuals for urban design for the tourism of Legazpi City and other cities in Albay are what keeps her pre-occupied these days. She is currently the head of the Urban Design Studio Laboratory of UPCA.

Marie Edraline B. Belga is an Architect by profession. She finished both her BS Architecture, and MA in Urban and Regional Planning degrees from the University of the Philippines (Diliman Campus). Prior to joining the academe, she was part of the Human Settlements and Development of TAO-Pilipinas, Inc., a women-led technical service non-government organization that assist marginalized communities on housing, and security of tenure issues using participatory community development processes. Having roots from the Cordillera Region of the Philippines, she initiated several studies that focused on closely documenting the landscape sustainability factors of the Batad Rice Terraces. Currently she is an Assistant Professor, a member of the Building Science Studio Laboratory, and the College Secretary of the College of Architecture of the University of the Philippines (Diliman Campus). Her research interests lie on sustainable tourism development planning, and traditional construction methods.

Luis Maria Bo-ot, PhD. is the current Vice-Chancellor for Community Affairs and the Dean the head of the Building Science Studio Laboratory of the UP College of Architecture. He finished his undergraduate in Architecture from UP Diliman. He then took his MS in Physics from Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow and PhD Physics at the National Institute of Physics in UP Diliman. Professor Bo-ot has been a faculty member in the College of Architecture since 1994. He has Fellowship in the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy and in the National Institute for Fusion Science in Toki City, Japan. He has undertaken various residential design and construction projects both as an architect and a consultant. His publications and other professional work are centered on heat, fluids, as well as acoustics.

Alexa Brillantes is a landscape architect and sustainability consultant specializing in Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (or LEED). She graduated cum laude with a degree in B Landscape Architecture from the University of the Philippines-Diliman in 2013 and landed third place in the Philippine Landscape Architects Licensure Exam in 2016. She holds a master’s degree in Integrated Sustainable Design from the National University of Singapore. Some of her notable clients for her LEED consultancies include UnionBank of the Philippines and MPT South; while her landscape design clients include UnionBank of the Philippines and Araneta City. She is also a research fellow for the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) Graduate School of Public and Development Management (GSPDM) under their Sustainable Development Goals and Futures Thinking research program. Aside from her various consultancies for landscape and sustainability, she has been a part time lecturer for the UPCA Environmental Landscapes Studio Laboratory since 2021 and serves as president of the Philippine Association of Landscape Architects (PALA) from 2022 to 2023. Her work experience in these overlapping industries has pushed her to promote the importance of landscape architecture in the sustainability of the built environment.

Carmen Bettina Silao-Bulaong is an architect specializing in architectural heritage conservation and is a professor in the undergraduate and graduate programs of the College. She took her undergraduate studies in BS Architecture at the University of the Philippines, Diliman and pursued her MA Degree specializing in the Restoration of Monuments and Sites at the Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restauración y Museografía “Manuel Castillo de Negrete”, México Distrito Federal. She is currently a doctoral candidate of the Environmental Science Program at the University of Shiga Prefecture in Hikone, Japan. She is the Executive Director of Escuela Taller de Filipinas Foundation, Inc., a Foundation organized on initiative of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo, to train out-of-school youth in specialized skills needed for the conservation of Philippine tangible heritage.

Johannes Vincent F. Chua is an assistant professor in the UP Diliman of College Architecture. He has nine years of teaching experience, handling Architectural Design, Building Science and Environmental Architecture courses. Also, he has been a practicing Architect for over twenty years handling residential, institutional and commercial projects. He is a member and past coordinator of the Environmental Architecture Studio Laboratory. His interests are reflected on the courses he handles: climatic approach to design, the application of critical thinking in the design process, and the potential and capability of structures, light, and sound to express form and meaning.

For over 15 years of teaching stint at two government-run higher education institutions, Prof. Madonna Danao has provided motivations and optimism to hundreds young aspiring students. Earning both her bachelor’s (BLA) and master’s degree (MTLA) in the UPD College of Architecture, she is now pursuing her doctorate degree at UPLB School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM). Her research focuses on ecological resource management, adaptation, and management measures using land suitability analysis. Her competence, excellence and commendable track record have earned her a four-year membership in the technical working group for landscape architecture under the Commission on Higher Education ( CHED) that has set the policies and standards for landscape architecture as a specialized baccalaureate program in higher education in the Philippines. As a faculty , her goal include inspiring her students to be life-long learners connected to their environment through embedding sustainable landscape architectural knowledge and action. She was recently given the Haligi ng Dangal Award 2022- Merit Citation on Landscape Architecture by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) acknowledging her project that exemplify and express Filipino cultural identity in design.

After completing his degree in Architecture at the University of the Philippines in 2000 and acquiring his professional license in 2002, Arch. Kelvin C. De Chavez immediately started his own design-build firm and gained experience in the industry through various scales of projects. In 2009 he was admitted as a full scholar at Politecnico di Milano, Italy and completed his graduate degree in Urban Planning and Policy Design in 2012. During his stint in Milan, he worked as a Design Architect at Design International — a London based design firm with focus on big commercial developments in Europe and Africa. After finishing his Master’s Degree in Urban Planning and acquiring the license to practice the Environmental Planning profession in the Philippines in 2014, Arch. De Chavez joined the academe as a Senior Lecturer at the University of the Philippines, College of Architecture. After a few years he was promoted to be an Assistant Professor at the Faculty. His major academic focus is within the Urban Design and Building Science Laboratories. Presently Prof. De Chavez is a member of the International Metropolitan Fellowship as its Global Academic Coordinator. IMF, is an emerging world-wide organisation that focuses on the various discussions on present situation and new approaches in Metropolitan Planning Discipline, Metropolitan Architecture and Urban Design.

Ruby Teresa M. De Leon is an Architect by profession. She earned her BS Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees from the University of the Philippines. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the University of the Philippines (Diliman Campus) and serves as the Graduate Program Director for Master of Architecture (M. Arch) and Master of Arts in Architecture Studies (MAAS), the Secretary of the College Academic Personnel Committee (CAPC), and a member of the College Committee on Student Admissions, Progress, and Graduation (CCSAPG). In the past, she had also served as Student Relations Officer, Undergraduate Program Director for BS Architecture, Architectural Communication Studio Laboratory Coordinator, Gender and Development Focal Person, and Mental Health Focal Person. She is a Fellow of the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) and works as a Senior Associate Architect at F.L. Hong Architects and Associates, a private firm in Quezon City specializing in architectural design, planning, and construction management. She is currently a member of the Architectural Communication Studio Laboratory, and also handles courses under Urban Design, Practice and Governance, and Building Science Studio Laboratories.

Nicolo Precioso C. Del Castillo has degrees in BS Architecture and Master of Architecture from UP Diliman, and a PhD in Sustainable Architecture from Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. He has been a registered and practicing architect since 1991. His research publications touch on sustainable technologies and practices in architecture, climate-responsive design, as well as people-environment relationships. His extension works span from giving public lectures on sustainable architecture, accessibility & universal design, to providing policy and design inputs to local government projects and non-government organizations’ projects. He has served as Campus Architect of UP Diliman from 2000 to 2005. He has also served as College Secretary and Undergraduate Program Director. He has also served in University Council Committees – the Committee on Student Organizations, Activities and Welfare, and most recently in the Committee on Campus Policies and Issues. He led a team that was awarded second place in the 2011 Futurarc Prize, an international design competition on green architecture. He also led a team that garnered third prize for the 2008 Millenium School Design Competition, an international design competition for school buildings in developing countries located in the tropics. He is the recipient of the UP Diliman Centennial Faculty Grant for 2021. He is currently the head of the Environmental Architecture Studio Laboratory.

Maria Vio Bianca C. Fernandez is a research analyst at the Institutional Shareholder Services – Environment, Social, Governance (ISS-ESG) focusing on the business ecological accounting of the energy and extractives industry. She is also a part-time Senior Lecturer at the University of the Philippines – College of Architecture, teaching courses on environmental ethics, natural resource management, and landscape theory and design. She completed her MSc in Forests and Livelihoods in Developing Countries from the University of Copenhagen and MSc in Environmental Management and Policies for Tropical Forests from AgroParisTech. In the completion of her Master’s thesis, she worked as a researcher for the Chaire Comptabilité Écologique (Chair of Ecological Accounting) in France. She has also conducted research projects on community forestry in Nepal and tropical forestry in French Guiana. Prior to graduate studies, she previously worked in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – National Capital Region under the Planning and Management Division and Conservation and Development Division.

Leonido M. Gines, Jr. (Jun) finished his BS Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines College of Architecture (UPCA) and his MA Anthropology degree from the University of California, Riverside (UCR), where he is also currently pursuing a PhD degree. As a professionally licensed architect, he specialized in museums and exhibitions design and was a corporate partner of TAO Management Inc., a cultural resources development firm. As an academic, he taught at the De La Salle – College of St Benilde (DLS-CSB) for over 15 years. His academic (PhD and teaching) research focuses on the issues surrounding urban volatile realities through methodologies that intersect urban and cultural studies, design, ethnography, and sensorial studies. He received several research grants including the University of California’s Pacific Rim (PacRim) Research Grant in 2008. He authored an essay for the catalogue of the Philippine Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2018 curated by Edson Cabalfin, PhD. In 2020, he was co-editor of a volume on contemporary design and sustainability for Art Archive 3, a publication by the Japan Foundation Manila Office. He is currently a guest editor of a forthcoming volume on cinema and space, a book about architects responding to the films of Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal, to be published by the DLS-CSB’s Center for Campus Art.

David Xander Lacson completed his BSc. Architecture degree in 2008 with magna cum laude honours at the University of the Philippines. In London, Xander received his MSc. in Built Environment: Sustainable Heritage in 2017 with distinction from the Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources at UCL. In the early days of his career as an architect, Xander finished second in the country in the Architects’ Licensure Examination of 2010 in the Philippines. After a brief stint with Archion Architects, Xander joined Leandro V. Locsin Partners wherein he gained extensive experience in residential villas and hotel and resort planning and design. From there, he moved on to private practice focusing on interiors, fit-out and construction. Currently, Xander specialises in providing consultancy for sustainable strategies in managing heritage property and for environmental and heritage impact assessments. His research work is rooted in sustainability and conservation, specifically with obsolescence, life cycle analysis and the adaptive reuse of architectural heritage. He plans to expand his academic research to urban planning and urban regeneration through heritage conservation. Xander is a lecturer for the Architectural Communications Studio at the UP College of Architecture.

Aaron Lecciones is an Assistant Professor at the College of Architecture, University of the Philippines Diliman. He earned his BS in Architecture and MA in Urban and Regional Planning degrees from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, and an MSc in Practising Sustainable Development with distinction at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is currently completing a PhD in Urban Design and Planning at the University of Washington, Seattle. He is a recipient of the 2022 Fulbright-CHED Scholarship, 2011 British Chevening Scholarship, and a regional winner of the 2005 Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction. Aaron’s research on the intersection of sustainable and resilient urban design, wetland-built environment dynamics, nature-based solutions, and blue-green infrastructure have been published in SCOPUS indexed database. Before joining the UP College of Architecture, he was previously Assistant Professor at the College of Human Ecology, UP Los Baños; Senior Lecturer at the College of Architecture, FEATI University; and Senior Lecturer at the Architecture and Multimedia Arts programs of the School of Design and Arts at De La Salle College of Saint Benilde.

Gerard Rey Lico is a Professor and Director of the Research Office at the College of Architecture, University of the Philippines Diliman. He practices architecture as a heritage conservation professional and designer of institutional buildings. He is a prolific author of publications on Filipino architecture and cultural studies, curator of architectural exhibitions, and director of documentaries on Philippine architecture. He has been involved in the conservation of landmarks such as the Manila Metropolitan Theater, the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, and the core buildings of the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman. He also served as a consultant of conservation planning initiatives for other local and national heritage sites across the country. Apart from presently serving as Consulting Architect for the City of Valenzuela, he heads a multi-disciplinary, research-oriented design consultancy practice.

Karen Therese F. Lopez is an architect by profession. She finished her bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Santo Tomas and her master’s degree in Architecture from the University of the Philippines (Diliman Campus). She received an Outstanding Thesis award for her undergrad thesis and was consistently a University Scholar for her master’s degree. She worked for one of the country’s top architectural firms: Aidea Inc., where she primarily did modeling, documentation, and clash detection of architectural and engineering models using Building Information Modelling (BIM). Her BIM and architectural software skills were further enhanced when she worked for an Australian firm: Ridley & co., wherein she tackled facade modeling and the creation of complex parametric families or components in BIM. She co-founded Arkalo, an architectural firm, and has worked on residential, commercial, and hospital projects. Currently she is both a principal architect for Arkalo and an Assistant Professor who is part of the Architectural Communication and Building Science Studio Laboratory in the College of Architecture, University of the Philippines (Diliman Campus).

Markel Cesar A. Luna is an Architect specializing in Architectural Heritage Conservation. He attained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture and a Master of Architecture Degree in Architectural Heritage Conservation at the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Architecture, where he currently teaches. Having been a consistent University and College Scholar, he was inducted as a member of the International Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Maintaining a private architecture practice, Markel Cesar A. Luna has been active in uplifting the Architecture profession as a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Philippines and the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP), where he was elevated to Fellow. He has served in UAP National Committees for over a decade, and is currently the UAP A4 District Director (Fiscal Year 2021-2022). An Architectural Heritage Conservationist, Ar. Luna has been involved in Conservation Projects, with the Paco Park & Cemetery being the latest that has been completed. Moreover, he has produced Research Work presented and published in the Philippines and Europe. A member of the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, Inc. (FILSCAP), Ar. Luna is also an Award-winning Songwriter in the Philippines and abroad.

Dolores Cecilia T. Madrid is a licensed architect with years of experience in tourism infrastructure and estate planning, general construction and project management. She holds the position of Assistant Professor VII at the University of the Philippines College of Architecture (UPCA) and heads its Practice and Governance Studio Laboratory. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Architecture from UPCA and her master ‘s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UP SURP. She is currently under the doctorate program in the Designed and Built Environment in UPCA with focus on disaster resilience.

Jo Jerico Manalang is an Architect from Naga City, Camarines Sur. He finished his undergraduate degree in BS Architecture from the University of Nueva Caceres and his Master’s Degree in Architecture from UP Diliman. He placed 8th on the 2015 Architecture Board Exam. His experience from being a Junior Architect for ADCE Builders Corp and Jonathan O. Gan and Associates, Design Architect for Visionarch, and Senior Architect in Nordheim Development, Inc., gave him extensive experience in designing subdivision masterplans, office buildings, and high-rise condominium developments. In pursuit to form a business, he, together with his partner, established their private practice called Arch83 in 2019. Currently, he is a Senior Lecturer for UP College of Architecture.

JOHN ARVIN R. MANALOTO graduated with three bachelor degrees in Engineering namely: BS-Geodetic Engineering, BS-Civil Engineering and BS-Sanitary Engineering from the University of the Philippines-Diliman and National University. Completed his MS-Civil Engineering (Structures) and his PhD-Civil Engineering (Geotechniques) from the National Graduate School of Engineering (NGSE), College of Engineering, University of the Philippines-Diliman. He is a holder of nine Professional Licenses from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), an active member of different local and international professional organizations and currently a Faculty Member of the Building Science Studio Laboratory of the UP College of Architecture in Diliman and an Affiliate Faculty of the UP Institute of Civil Engineering also in Diliman. He holds a portfolio of being an Engineering Consultant and Advisor from big different construction and development companies in the country right now. As a Planner and Design Engineer, he founded J.A.R. MANALOTO & Associates Co., MANALOTO + Verceles and Associates, and GEOTEKNIKA Surveying and Mapping Services as his own Engineering Planning and Design Consultancy Firm. He is a part owner and the Senior Executive Vice President for Construction and Project Management of HAWKSTOW Construction & Development doing and managing small to large scale horizontal and vertical construction management and supervisions both for private and public infrastructure projects.

Sarah M. Moussavi is an Architect by profession. She received her BS in Architecture from the University of Santo Tomas and earned her Master in Tropical Landscape Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines (Diliman Campus) and currently, she is taking her Ph.D. at the University of the Philippines College of Architecture under Environmental Landscape Studio laboratory. She is a senior lecturer, and member of the Architectural Communications Studio Laboratory in the College of Architecture, University of the Philipines. She is a registered architect in Iran and has practiced in Tehran. She is also a member of the Tehran-Iran Construction Engineering Organization. Her research interests lie on Indigenous knowledge systems and practices as sustainable forest resource management.

Cathe Desiree Nadal, PhD is an Assistant Professor (UP College of Architecture) and a Landscape Architect (PALA, IFLA-APR) with a demonstrated history of working in the academe, landscape research, and landscape architecture practice. A Landscape-based strategy planning volunteer and workshop facilitator who spearheaded some PALA projects and events including the PALA-NCCA Luntiang Pook Project as its coordinator from 2013-2015. Also doing landscape research as a PhD candidate (University of Edinburgh) evaluating the peri-urban landscape as the venue of a proposed landscape characterization system for the Philippine planning framework.

Nappy L. Navarra is from Mambusao, Capiz, Philippines. He finished both his BA Political Science, and B in Landscape Architecture from the University of the Philippines (Diliman Campus). He completed his Master in Tropical Landscape Architecture degree in the same institution. He proceeded to take his Doctor of Engineering Major in Environmental Planning and Design from the University of Tokyo. He currently serves as a Professor in the College of Architecture, University of the Philippines (Diliman Campus). Aside from handling teaching loads, he is the present Coordinator of the Integrated Graduate Program and the head of the Environmental Landscape Studio-Laboratory, sitting as member of the Executive Board of the said college. Aside from his practice in the academe, he is involved in design consultancy and projects in landscape planning and design that aim to create positive impact to the environment and to the people.

GRACE C. RAMOS is an architect and environmental planner. She obtained her Doctor of Philosophy in City Planning from Seoul National University, her Master Science in Urban Development Planning from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, and her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of the Philippines Diliman. She also underwent training on Urban Development Housing at the University of Lund. She has been in the academe since 1992 and has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in the fields of housing, urban design, architectural design, infrastructure technology and public space management. She has served various administrative posts in the college and in the university. Professional experience covers national and city-level plans and policy development projects of local government units and international organizations. She led the Sustainable Sites group in the updating of the National Building Code of the Philippines to incorporate disaster risk reduction management and climate change adaptation; led the ADB’s advisory team in the preparation of an Urban Resilience Framework for the Reconstruction of Post-conflict Marawi City; and wrote the framework for the Assessment of Urban Renewal Areas, as Urban Planner for the Pasig River Rehabilitation Program.

Richard Martin E. Rinen graduated from the University of the Philippines in 1998 with a B.S. Architecture Degree and became a registered architect in 1999 by placing 5th highest in the Architecture Licensure Examination. In 2013, he finished his Master of Architecture, Major in Architectural Design (Healthcare Design) and Minor in Architectural Science at the University of the Philippines. He is currently a PhD in Architecture and Architectural Engineering Candidate at Kyoto University in Japan under the Disaster Prevention Research Institute. He has worked on Residential, Commercial, Institutional, Religious and Healthcare (Hospital) projects. He is currently the Managing Architect of HAN Architectural Design Studio and the Vice President of AMC International Administrative and Construction Services Corporation, a Taiwan based company, while teaching full time at the University of the Philippines College of Architecture as an Assistant Professor.

Edric Santos graduated with a BS Architecture degree (Cum Laude) from the University of the Philippines in 2002 and became a licensed Architect in 2003. In 2007, he earned his Master in Business Administration degree from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States and upon returning to the Philippines in 2011, started a company with his wife concentrating on design and build services. Teaching various Design, Architectural Communications, Building Science, and Practice & Governance courses in the UP College of Architecture since 2013, he is currently the Architectural Communications Studio Laboratory Coordinator of the College. Interests include Architectural Education and Human Behavior.

Michaela Rosette M. Santos – Tayag received her Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture at the University of Santo Tomas in 1994 and her Master of Architecture degree in Architectural Heritage Conservation at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2017. She’s a registered Architect since 1998. Rosette actively promotes environmental protection as a Climate Reality Leader, trained through the Climate Reality Project Leadership Corps. She is part of the Philippine Green Building Initiative (PGBI), an organization that promotes a Philippine-based green building rating system known as GREEEN (Geared for Resiliency and Energy Efficiency for the Environment). She is a pioneering GREEEN Accredited Design Professional and Accredited Assessor (GREEEN ADP+AA) and serves as the Director for GREEEN Certification System. She is also a LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional for Building Design and Construction (LEED AP BD+C) by the US Green Building Council. Rosette juggles her time being a sustainability consultant for various LEED and GREEEN projects in the country, an architectural heritage conservation advocate, an assistant professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman, College of Architecture, and a lecturer at Atlas Career Development Center, where she helps prepare aspiring architects to become registered professionals.

Olivia Sicam earned her Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees at the College of Architecture in the University of the Philippines, Diliman. She is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in the Designed and Built Environment in the same institution. Her professional experience in the field of architecture includes residential design and construction. For the past ten years, she has been part of the faculty at the University of the Philippines College of Architecture, handling courses in architectural design, construction, urban design, and social housing. She has also served as thesis adviser, with advisees in the undergraduate program winning the best thesis awards in 2019, 2022, and 2023. Beyond her academic experience, she has also been involved in the humane and sustainable management of stray animals on campus. Her advocacy for animal compassion and responsible pet ownership led to her active role in Trap/Neuter/Vaccinate/Return and Anti-Rabies initiatives for stray dogs and cats inside the Diliman campus as a member and later chair of the Committee on Campus Animal Management under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs between 2018 and 2023. She also promotes the value of public service and community architecture in her leadership roles within the University, serving as the Director of the Extension Program from 2017 to 2020 and as the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Coordinator until 2023 at the College of Architecture.

Maria Faith Y. Varona is an Architect and Environmental Planner by profession. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of the Philippines-Diliman and her master’s degree in Urban Management and Development (Housing Specialization) from the Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies – Erasmus University, the Netherlands, and Housing Development and Management – Lund University, Sweden. She is a founding member of TAO-Pilipinas, Inc., a women-led technical service non-government organization that works with poor communities on housing and security of tenure issues using participatory community development processes. She has been into urban poor housing and community development work for more than a decade before she joined the academe. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in the University of the Philippines (Diliman Campus), and is pursuing a PhD in the Designed and Built Environment from the same institution.

Jose Dan V. Villa Juan is an Assistant Professor, handling both undergraduate and graduate courses of the Landscape Architecture program in the UP College of Architecture. He finished his degrees in Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master of Tropical Landscape Architecture from the same college and is currently doing his PhD studies in the UP School of Urban and Regional Planning.  His research interests revolve around vegetation analysis and the impact of the geomorphology of riverine-riparian systems on the design of adjacent landscape spaces. As a licensed Landscape Architect and Environmental Planner, he has provided consultancy services to corporate clientele as well as public service through various institutions and agencies.  

Norman June V. Brito recently completed his Master of Tropical Landscape Architecture degree at the UP College of Architecture, the same institution where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2011. He is a registered Landscape Architect and has served as an elected board member of the only accredited professional organization of Landscape Architects for six years. He is an advocate of LGBTQ+ inclusivity and currently exploring the intersections of sexuality and geography with particular emphasis on the psychology of gender appropriated urban spaces.

Jesus Apolinarion C. Bulaong Jr. or Jun to his close friends and colleagues obtained his B.S. Architecture degree U.P., Diliman. He passed the licensure examination in Architecture in June 1990 with a ranking of 14th place among the Top 20 awardees at that time. He considers one of his most notable work experiences is his work in Singapore as a Project Coordinator in Changi Terminal I CIP Complex and Dayrooms Renovation Project. It shaped and influenced his career towards the design and construction of residential houses and related projects. To date, Arch. Jun has to his credit close to 40 houses designed and built. Arch. Bulaong considers teaching not only as a way of sharing his little knowledge and skills acquired through years of practice to young aspiring architects, but also as a means of improving himself through interaction with co-mentors and practitioners in the field of architecture.

Duchess Aleksei B. Duque is a registered and licensed architect and is also a member of the Philippine Bar. She graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture in 2013. In 2019, she earned her Juris Doctor degree from the same university and was recognized as one of its Distinguished Law Interns. Prior to entering law school, she was a member of a highly respected architecture firm, assisting in the design and development of residential and commercial buildings. As a legal and building professional, one of her main practice areas is construction arbitration. Her other fields of legal practice include Intellectual Property Law, Corporate Law, Family Law, Civil Law, Building Laws, Commercial Arbitration and Mediation, and Litigation. She currently teaches Practice and Governance: Building Laws and Architectural Research in the University of the Philippines, College of Architecture.

Duchess Aleksei B. Duque is a registered and licensed architect and is also a member of the Philippine Bar. She graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture in 2013. In 2019, she earned her Juris Doctor degree from the same university and was recognized as one of its Distinguished Law Interns. Prior to entering law school, she was a member of a highly respected architecture firm, assisting in the design and development of residential and commercial buildings. As a legal and building professional, one of her main practice areas is construction arbitration. Her other fields of legal practice include Intellectual Property Law, Corporate Law, Family Law, Civil Law, Building Laws, Commercial Arbitration and Mediation, and Litigation. She currently teaches Practice and Governance: Building Laws and Architectural Research in the University of the Philippines, College of Architecture.

Franklin S. Fontanoza Jr. is a licensed landscape architect. He took his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master in Tropical Landscape Architecture from the College of Architecture, University of the Philippines. He previously worked for a local design firm and developer companies before transferring to the University to work as a University Research Associate 2 in the Research Office of the College of Architecture. He was also given the opportunity to assist the College as a lecturer, a mental health focal person and a member of the iAADS team. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor and is the Assistant Dean of the college. His research interests involve green spaces that promote fitness and wellness.

Zenaida C. Galingan belongs to the first batch of graduates of Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) from the University of the Philippines. She joined the faculty of the UP College of Architecture right after she finished her Master of Landscape Architecture from the same university in 1994. She served as associate professor and landscape architecture program director for several years and is currently a professorial lecturer. Her professional knowledge covers more than thirty years of professional practice aside from teaching. She was involved in numerous landscape development projects and had published and co-authored several papers and theses on different aspects of the profession. She’s a founding member and past president of the Philippine Association of Landscape Architects (PALA). She’s a recipient of 9th Philippine Federation of Professional Associations (PFPA) Distinction Award 2022 for the Landscape Architecture Profession (Academe/Research Development Category), the Professional Regulations Commission’s Most Outstanding Professional in Landscape Architecture in 1996 and was elevated to Fellow by PALA in 2010. She is presently chair of CHED’s Technical Committee for Landscape Architecture, member of PRC Career Progression and Specialization Program and Credit Accumulation and Transfer System Committee on Landscape Architecture, and head of NCCA’s National Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts.

Michael Angelo Liwanag is a Trustee at the Museum Foundation of the Philippines and the Philippine Green Building Initiative, a former Trustee at ICOMOS Philippines, and a member of ICOMOS’ International Scientific Committee on the Theory and Philosophy of Conservation and Restoration. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of the Philippines and a master’s degree in Peace Studies from International Christian University in Tokyo. He also has certificates from the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region in Shanghai, the International Peace and Security Institute Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, and the World Heritage Sites Management and Conservation Program of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research in Hiroshima. He worked at the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Paris and, as a Rotary International Peace Fellow and Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs Ethics Fellow for the Future, developed conflict prevention policy for the World Heritage site inscription process. He also co-authored the Philippine Heritage Charter. Miko is currently a Partner at Liwanag & Liwanag Architecture and Interior Design, and the President of St. Francis de Sales Hearing Impaired Foundation.

Mr. Palarca is a professional Landscape Architect and Environmental Planner and is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of the Philippines Diliman and Miriam College Katipunan. For more than 25 years, he was a National Programme Officer with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and served as Chief Technical Adviser/Specialist/Expert tasked to design and/or manage its technical assistance programmes in the Philippines, in South and Southeast Asia, South Pacific and Africa. He worked in various forms of governments and in cross-cultural settings, and applied local level planning, employment creation and livelihood recovery initiatives through rural infrastructure development. He managed early recovery interventions in calamity-hit areas to help the affected population cope with the impacts of the disaster. He supervised community-led domestic water supply development, rural road construction and maintenance, rehabilitation of damaged communal irrigation systems and other public infrastructure and facilities. He acts as resource person in various international conferences, workshops and seminars as a specialist on employment intensive investment programmes, and on the use of local resource-based approaches and labor-based methods for community infrastructure development. He has authored publications on post-calamity response experiences, local level planning and community infrastructure operation and maintenance.

Marc Angelo Virtucio is an Attorney, an Architect, and a Master Plumber. He is an International Associate in American Institute of Architects (AIA), and a Fellow in Royal Institute of Architects Singapore (RI). He obtained his degree of B.S in Architecture in U.P. Diliman in 2010, where he graduated cum laude, was awarded Best in Thesis (100% rating), and became a recipient of the Philip Recto Design Excellence Award. He obtained his apprenticeship in Architects 61 (Singapore). And in 2012, together with 3 other colleagues, he co-founded Emerging Architects Studio (EAST), which for about 10 years, continues as one of the youngest multi-awarded architectural design consultancy firms in the Philippines. He obtained his degree of Juris Doctor in U.P. Diliman College of Law in 2019, and passed the Bar Examinations held on the same year. In 2020, he became a Partner in Poa Sacramento Himala and Virtucio Law Offices in Makati, and focuses on litigation, architecture and construction laws, corporate and commercial laws, and alternative dispute resolution. In 2021, he became one of the United Architects of the Philippines’s legal counsels, a spokesperson for its Special Committee on Anti-Illegal Practice, and its Official Representative to DPWH’s National Building Code-Board of Consultants.