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The accredited professional organization for architects, United Architects of the Philippines is in the process of revising the Standards of Professional Practice covering UAP Documents 201-208. The Architects Code of Ethics (UAP DOC 200) was the first to be revised and was approved by the PRC almost two years ago and revision to the other documents governing professional practice is also in the process of discussion and completion.
During the recent UAP Area B Assembly last Feb 1-4 on-board Negros Navigations' MS San Paolo, spearheaded by the VP for Area B Domingo Ll. Tablizo, Jr, FUAP, a presentation on the proposed revisions was conducted by the head of the special committee on revisions. Immediate Past President of UAP, Edric Marco Florentino, FUAP enlightened member architects of area B into the draft revisions and encouraged members to provide inputs to get a more responsive standards Filipino architects will follow.
The revisions committee started with Doc201 and at this time the different sub-committees handling each of the documents have already more or less completed their draft and are to be submitted for further comments. The last document 208 is still in the early stage of revisions and the committee is soliciting ideas from member architects. The assembly is the first of such round-table discussions to be conducted all over the country.
The existing Doc208 provides the standards for professional fees to be charged to different types of projects. It classifies the complexity of projects undertaken and the type of services which architects normally provides to clients. It lists down 9 categories for architects services and the corresponding minimum professional fee. This is the most controversial document since many architects are violating the provisions of this part of the Architects National Code.
Here are some of the initial reactions/proposals given during the presentation:
a) Can the category for residential projects be subdivided into simple, medium and complex same as other structures?
b) How would you properly define category 1(simple), category 2(medium), and category 3(complex projects)?
c) Structural designing in the old law was changed to structural conceptualization. Is this a service which architects should also charge?
d) Why not separate architectural component from engineering and charge only for architectural? -so client will understand that not all that is paid to the architect goes to their pocket.
I provided this forum to get more responses from Filipino architects who are familiar with Doc 208 and to get more insights into what should be done and how it is to be done, as well as how much should be charged for the particular category of projects and services. Please feel free to provide your comments.
(related article: A simplified guide to architects fees in Austria and Germany)
In addition, I have provided a poll below to determine what should be the rates for the first 4 categories.
Group 1: What should be the minimum basic fee for Type 1 Projects (simple-minimal or no interior wall partitions)?
Group 2: Min. basic fee for Type 2 projects (medium-complex)?
Group 3: Min. basic fee for Type 3 projects (complex projects-with special equipments/requirements inside)?
Group 4: Min. basic fee for residential projects?
PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW.
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Just a suggestion, why not make a schedule of rates based on the cost of the project plus the type of design/construction to be made ? It is how government agencies do it. Like here in the National Housing Authority, we provide design and supervision fees although not received directly by the architects working on the project but are considered cost/expense items chargeable to the projects. We have such a schedule that we use in the preparation of our project feasibility studies. Maybe this is a more practical approach than making a straight percentage cost if for example for residential development we charge 10% in our present code. A specific bracket gets a certain percentage of the direct and indirect costs, like if it were a Php50.00 Million peso project, maybe only 3% should be charged, as you we go up the less the percentage of costs is applied. For your consideration.
ReplyDeleteLet us remember that the rates for architectural fee of an architect is i believe not mandated by law...One guest speaker said during one of our GMMs,
ReplyDelete"An Architect may charge a fee of 10% or less,it depends on the agreement of the owner and the architect. A fee of 5% is ideal".
An Architect may charge a lump-sum fee as others do because our fee is not regulated....
Can we deal on the matter of regulations rather than making amendments that has no power?
The PRC BOA under the RA 9266 has the following powers:
ReplyDeleteArticle II Section (g) Prescribe and/or adopt the Code of Ethical Conduct and Standards
of Professional Practice; and
(h) Hear and decide administrative cases involving violations of this
Act, its implementing rules and regulations, the Code of Ethical Conduct
and Standards of Professional Practice...
These documents upon final completion are to be officially adopted by the PRC as part of the Architects National Code, and once made into an administrative order (or PRC circular/memorandum),the BOA then will have a legal mandate to prosecute violators in its administrative aspect only.
@overload
ReplyDeleteHi, I have a question: Prior to that "final completion" and implementation, those currently not conforming to the minimum basic fees stated in the UAP Documents technically cannot be prosecuted or perhaps have their license revoked at the moment? Because yeah, the problem right now is that most clients or potential clients tend to refer you to those architects offering a lower rate (way below UAP Docs Standards), and as a result you lose those clients to those people offering very cheap services.
To Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe no one is being prosecuted or losing their licenses at the moment for non-conformance with the minimum basic fees (I haven't heard of anyone). Many architects would agree that the prevailing rates are really below the minimum basic fee as prescribed in the standards of practice. That's precisely the reason why there is really a need to come up with a solution to this problem now that we have RA 9266 to bank on.
I'm just curious. Why are the answers to the poll majority still in favor of the old MINIMUM fees? If already many are not following, then why should we stick to it as the minimum? (The existing fees are the highest among the choices)
ReplyDeleteWe agree any percentage charge to the owner but 5% percent is minimum and ideal rather than those architect receives Php 500.00 pesos for signed & sealed only.
ReplyDeleteTo regulate our fees, architects should be registered to B.I.R and has an Official Receipt Issued to the Client/Owner for Services Offered as per schedule of fees as per UAP Document.
Schedule of Fees can not be implemented as long as we hide to the public our fees and no agency of the government concern for implementation. Since in Building industry we the architects are the only professional has set schedule of payments for professional services compare to engineer(s) whose our allied professionals in this business. from Butuan City
i think kaya inaabuso ang profession ng mga architects, licensed specifically, dahil di naiimplement ang law ng maayos sa sarili natin... yan ang mali... walang implementation, kung meron man ang batas ( ang ganda ng nasasaad sa batas, kelan mo huling binasa yun IRR9266?)ikaw mismo di mo kayang sundin. ikaw na licensed nagpapirma sau ung hindi licensed, bakit ka pumayag? di mo ba ininsulto ang sarili mo nun bilang isang propesyonal? natawag ka ngang LISENSESYADONG arkitekto pero di mo kayang ipagmalaki yun kasi ikaw mismo di mo kayang sundin ang batas sa kung ano ang nararpat sayo. isipin nyo na lang, kung lahat strict sa paggawa ng contracts at pagsunod sa compensation due, mauumpisahan natin na sundin ang batas. technical people nga tayo pero pagdating sa law and standards bakit parang ang hirap natin umintindi. pera-pera na lang ba ang usapan... nasan na yung pride na pinaglalaban natin. ayaw natin payurak sa mga inhinyero pero nagpapa-under ang iba sa mga di lisensyado... bakit di nyo tulungan ang PRBOA sa gawain nila. di ba bilang isang arkitektong nanumpa sa batas, nangako ka na iiwasan mo ang kabuktutan at ipagbubuyi mo ang nararapat ayon sa batas, sa bansa, sa tao at sa mga kapwa mo propesyonal.
ReplyDeleteSana balikan nyo at isa puso ang oath nyo at mission and vision ng propesyon na pinagmamalaki nyo. at sa tingin ko walang lisensyado ang mawawalan ng project basta maayos na susundin at ipapatupad ang batas. Nag-uumpisa yan sa sarili natin at sa pagtutulungan na maalis ang ganitong klaseng katiwalian.
bakit mo kailangan ibaba ang fee mo kung di naman naayon sa batas... siguro mas maganda bigay mo na lang ng libre and pay the other professionals out from your own pocket. kaya nga kawawa ang mga apprentices kasi sa sobra baba ng hingi nyong fee na wala naman sa code at law, not to mention other deductables pa. bakit di sinama sa 9266 un, ang arkitektong magbaba ng presyo na wala sa batas ay papatawan ng parusang pagkabilanggo ng 20 years dahil sa panglilinlang sa kapwa arkitekto at di marunong magbasa ng batas.may nakita nga akong ad ng isang pundasyon ng architecture dito sa pinas tungkol sa murang fee nila sa budget na ganitong milyon sila na gagawa lahat (sana false advertisement yun, dahil kung totoo un nakakapanghinang isipin naman un)... sana noh lahat din ng licensed architects yearly may exam to check kung binabasa ba nila ang UAP docs, RA9266, civil code at Code of ethics. ang bumagsak, tanggalan ng license for a year:D kasi hindi mgandang halimbawa yan sa mga magiging bagong arkitekto. di ba ninyo naisip un ang ginagawa ng mga naunang arkitekto ay nagiging tama sa mata ng mga bagong cute na arkitekto...at nagtataka ako sa mga bloggers na kahit dito professed na alam nila mga kabuktutan na bawal sa batas at parang ok lang sa kanila... (minsan nga maririning mo nagtatawanan pa na nakamura sila kay architect ganito kasi ala naman project eh matching hahahhaha....) when will you start realizing what you're talking about.. when will you start acting people!!!
ReplyDelete@ anonymous, totoo po yang sinasabi nyo, sana yung mga veteran architects natin dyan, mauna silang maging mabuting halimbawa...ako bagong pasang arkitekto lang po in fact ngayong June 2010 lang. Alam nyo sa totoo lang nalilito ako kung alin ang dapat kong sundin. Ang pinag aralan namin sa school and even sa review palagi sinasabi sa amin na ganito yung minimum basic fee etc. and nireremind na kung ano man yung natutunan sa labas while nag gi-gain ng experience eh out muna sa picture..for the sake of the exam ang isaksak sa isip eh yung nasa UAP Documents. Bakit ba kasi kailangan pang mangyari na iba ang nasa libro at iba ang nangyayari sa totoong kalakaran? Bakit gumawa pa ng mga rules na yan, ng mga laws na yan kung hindi lang din ipapatupad?? Sana po dun sa mga nagrerevise ng UAP Documents, at sa mga kinauukulan, gawin nyong malinaw ang lahat and make a strict implementation. Bigyan naman natin ng dignidad ang ating propesyon.
ReplyDeletesa dalawang anonymous ako ay sumasang-ayon sa inyo. siguro panahon na maihayag natin ito sa kina-uukulan. kung kaya't nanawagan ako sa mga batang arkitekto na may pakialam at pagpapahalaga sa ating propesyon. tandaan natin na tayo ang hinaharap. kung ano man ang nakikita nating kamalian at kakulangan sa ating propesyon, ituwid at punan natin ang mga ito. at ngayon na.
ReplyDelete