The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance mandating the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), City Engineering Office (CEO) and the City Human Resource Management Office (CHRMO) to strictly implement the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9266 or the Architecture Act of 2004.
The proposed ordinance authored by Councilors Maria Mylen Victoria G. Yaranon and Betty Lourdes F. Tabanda stated that it will be a declared policy of the city government to recognize the vital role of architects in nation building and development, thus, it shall lend its assistance to the Professional Regulatory Board of Architects through the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), to fully implement and enforce the provisions of RA 9266 through its 2004 implementing rules and regulations.
The ordinance shall be enforced within the jurisdiction of the city government where the CBAO and CEO shall assist the Professional Regulatory Board of Architecture through the PRC to fully implement and enforce the provisions of RA 9266.
In essence, it shall ensure the preparation, signing and dry-sealing of all architectural plans, designs, drawings, specifications, estimates and architectural documents related to the construction of a building or habitable structure to be signed and sealed only by registered and licensed architects and assist in bringing before the board cases of illegal practice or violations of the law committed by any person or party.
The ordinance tasked the CHRMO to ensure that all existing and proposed positions in the city government, whether career, permanent, temporary or contractual and primarily requiring the services of an architect, shall be filled up only by registered and licensed architects.
The ordinance stated that the city is fast developing into an economic center with numerous public and private infrastructure projects being undertaken to sustain its development and to this effect, the required architectural plans, designs, drawings, schedules, specifications, estimates and other documents relating to buildings and similar habitable structures are being prepared continually.
Further, it stipulated that there is a clear need to effect the soonest the implementation and enforcement of the provisions of RA 9266 and its implementing rules and regulations, particularly the multiple sections that limit the preparation, signing and dry-sealing of all architectural plans, designs, drawings, specifications, estimates and architectural documents relative to the construction of buildings, habitable structures only to registered and licensed architects.
The law provides that the practice of architecture shall be the exclusive domain of licensed architects and no other professional, and all positions of architecture in the national and local governments, shall be filled up by licensed architects.
Moreover, all architectural plans, documents and appurtenant papers, which shall serve as ancillary requirements for the approval of a local building permit, shall be prepared and signed only by licensed architects to safeguard and ensure safety of infrastructures and to ensure the proper planning and design of buildings and similar habitable structures.
