2010 – The year that was…

by JB Larano, Jr Richmond BC Canada

I’m really in no mood to post blogs these days. The reasons are varied and of course I’m asking for your understanding. As I’ve written in the past blogs, the year 2010 was a special year. First, that year was our 25th wedding anniversary and I must say that the celebration year had brought us to nearby and far away places. As a year-long celebration, my wife had planned the details of it, thus visiting San Francisco CA, Denver and Boulder Colorado, Lusk in Wyoming and of course the beautiful Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. The penultimate trip was our dream trip in the Cancun area and Mayan Riviera which was an all-inclusive vacation in Mexico. The travel doesn’t only satisfied our desire to see those nice places, but the experience gave the two of us the opportunity  to be more closer and passionate anew as husband and wife.

Second, the year 2010 brought sad events in my family members back in the Philippines. In May, my second eldest sister passed away due to stroke and complications.  Ate Mercy was an outstanding sister as she used to support my various needs during my college years in Manila taking up Architecture. Not only she used to give allowances but she always gives her time to see to it that I have all the things I needed whether those are school related or personal one. When the news of her death reached me, I immediately arranged my travel to the Philippines. Her wake and funeral date,  however, falls on a date when I will be inducted as a new registered architect in British Columbia. For years, I have waited this special day…to be inducted and to take an oath as a registered architect. With a jest of thought, I decided to skip the induction ceremony and fly home to the Philippines to pay my last respect to my dear sister. In November of the same year my mother who was in her ripe years of 87  passed away. My mother was bed ridden for almost two years as she had a stroke and was partially paralyzed. I traveled to the Philippines to attend in her funeral and to meet some of my siblings who will be coming from abroad to pay their last respect to our mother

United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) chapter to be formed in Vancouver

by Joe Larano Jr.

Vancouver B.C.: A local chapter of the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) is to be organized in Vancouver with the province of British Columbia as its area of jurisdiction. A membership drive and an information meeting is to be held on January 22, 2011, Saturday 2:00-4:00PM to discuss every aspects of the chapter formation. Meeting venue to be announced later.

A group of existing and former UAP members are spearheading this initiative with the  aim of serving the interests of Philippine-registered  architects who have immigrated to British Columbia. The idea of forming a local UAP chapter has been going on for the past few years now and has been strengthened by the clamour of increasing numbers of Filipino immigrants architects who are arriving to British Columbia each year.  Architect Joe Larano Jr., a leading proponent of this initiative and spokeperson of the core group organizing the UAP formation was in Manila recently at UAP National Headquarter in Quezon City to inquire the details of its formation. He is in communication with the UAP Membership Division and currently coordinating with the leadership of UAP Ontario Chapter. The UAP Ontario Chapter is the only existing UAP chapter in Canada and has agreed to become the sponsor and endorser of the UAP B.C. Chapter.

The mission statement of the chapter is to promote the profession of architecture and protect the interest of UAP members in the province British Columbia and its jurisdiction. The goals and objectives of the local chapter rest on three major areas in Professional & Career Development, Social & Community Involvement and Employment & Networking Opportunities.

The United Architects of the Philippines is the Integrated and Accredited Professional Organization of Architects (IAPOA) as recognized by the Board of Architecture of the Professional Regulation Commissions. The UAP chapter, while serving the local needs of members in its jurisdiction  will also serve to promote and execute the national chapter plans and programs as it applies locally.

For more details please contact the following:

Joe Larano

phone: 604- 376- 4158   email:  jlarano@shaw.ca

Melvin Castro

phone: 604-644-8575 email:  mcarkitektura@yahoo.com

Caesar  Pascual

phone: 604-591-6909, 778 858 4463 email:  ctpasc@gmail.com

Felix Tan

phone:  778-858-1422    email: arch.felix.tan@gmail.com

Edna Lim

phone:  604-475-0883    email: ednalim@yahoo.com