THE College of Fellows, or COF, is an institution within the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) composed of members who hold the title of Fellow UAP or FUAP. To be bestowed such a title, one must have rendered notable and outstanding contributions to the architectural profession, community and society, as well as having rendered exceptional service to the organization.

However, becoming a Fellow is no mean feat. To be one, an architect, after being nominated by his peers, must undergo a tedious selection process and hurdle strict qualification criteria. Right now, there are only 287 members of the COF out of the more than 42,000 members of the UAP. That is less than 1 percent of the total membership of the UAP.

Since 2006, the College of Fellows has paid tribute annually to its members who have distinguished themselves for their lifelong contributions to the UAP and for the individual roles they played and continue to play as lifetime achievers. This year, the COF honored six of its members with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the Balik-Tanaw 2023 held on Oct. 7, 2023, at the UAP Headquarters in Quezon City.

The six honorees are Emmanuel Cuntapay (UAP Cagayan Valley Chapter), Antonio Sangrador (UAP IloiloMarikudo Chapter), Eusthenes Lu (UAP Manila-Metro Chapter), Avelino Pastor (UAP Leyte West Chapter), Vicente Duran (UAP Manila Sampaloc) and Alexander Balce (UAP Maharlika Chapter).

Architect Cuntapay served as the 13th National President of UAP, whose administration made constant efforts toward the advancement of the profession, the well-being of the professional, and the growth of the professional organization.

Architect Sangrador was the charter president of the Iloilo-Marikudo Chapter and later its chapter president from 1997 to 1999. He helped establish the Iloilo City Cultural Heritage Conservation Council and served as its chairman.

A founding chapter officer of UAP Manila-Metro, Architect Lu also served as chapter vice president for programs from 1985 to 1986. He was part of the Metro 14k group that solicited funds for the purchase of the lot where the UAP National Headquarters now stands.

Architect Pastor, together with six other architects, led the chartering of the UAP Leyte Samar Chapter in 1978. In 2000, he was awarded as the first architect of Palompon, Leyte, and as an outstanding alumnus of Northern Leyte College.

Architect Duran has celebrated seventy years of unwavering passion for design and still continues his private practice. He is the founder and first chapter president of the UAP Manila Sampaloc Chapter and was conferred as a Member Emeritus of the UAP for his 35 years of remarkable service to the organization.

A hospital architect specialist, Architect Balce has designed numerous health care facilities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Parallel to the medical practitioners’ objectives, he aims to save lives through his work.

These six architects have proven themselves to be among the crème de la crème of the UAP. While being accepted into the College of Fellows is already an outstanding achievement, being selected from among the few to be bestowed with the Lifetime Achievement Award is all the more remarkable. Indeed, this year’s awardees definitely serve as inspirations for other architects to emulate and to be motivated to strive to become lifetime achievers themselves.