First things first…

By: Arch.  Eric L. Demingoy

ON BEHALF of our professional organization, the United Architects of the Philippines-Capiz Chapter, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the publisher for giving us space where we could connect to the community with regards to the essence of our profession as an architect, the role that we play in the building industry especially to the built-up environment.

Flashback… I could not say no to my friend Mr. Ariel Inocencio, our longtime family friend whom I knew when I was mentored by his brother Arch. Alex Inocencio during my apprentice year in the early 1990s. Back then Arch. Inocencio was an associate partner of my other boss, but now colleague Arch. Julio “July” Alabot. Connecting the dots, here I am getting back to working on one of my passions, writing articles and opinions.

Call it an act of “fate” when Nong Ariel (Mr. Ariel Inocencio), as I fondly call him out of respect him being more senior than I, when he offered me to be a columnist. He himself was looking for a regular writer/contributor at that time and me being the editor in chief of our architects’ journal, The Capiz Architects (which we last published almost five years ago and planning to revive but have some difficulty in sustaining it) considered the offer too difficult to ignore or reject.

A few days after that meeting I got a text message from Nong Ariel that I need to submit my write up as early as possible as it was scheduled to be published .

Why Post and Lintel? It is one of the four ancient structural methods of construction, as an architect, I thought that it is fitting for a column ID.

Simple, straightforward knowledge, and opinion about the building industry, professions and any matters that relate to architecture, this is what we want to connect to our readers, especially the laymen.

This column envisions to give knowledge and information to the community for them to know us more, the profession of architect, and what we can do for them in a way that we could assist them from simple residential constructions and renovations to multi-million-peso projects.

This column will feature different writers, expressing their opinion while discussing subjects relevant to current events with different “perspectives” on every different concern.

We don’t promise the best but we will deliver our earnest. This is our “mantra” when we accepted this opportunity to be a contributor to this newspaper. We know this acceptance comes with a “twin” responsibility not only to our readers but also to our colleagues in the profession. A big responsibility that we must carry on and we will make ourselves responsible in what we are sharing on this platform.

With limited space to go deeper and tackle a certain subject, I will conclude this maiden article and we look forward to our next article where we introduce readers to the profession of an Architect and what we can do for the community.

Until the next issue…