Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 10350)
The official title of Republic Act No. 10350 is the "Philippine Interior Design Act of 2012."
The primary policy objective is to promote the sustained development of professional interior designers with globally competitive standards recognized by honest and credible licensure examinations and regulatory measures.
Interior design is defined as the science and art of planning, specifying, selecting, and organizing surface finishes, materials, furniture, furnishings, fixtures, and other design elements to meet the intended function, movement, and character of interior building spaces.
A professional interior designer is a natural person holding a valid certificate of registration and professional identification card issued by the Board and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
Activities include consultation, evaluation, design development, preparation of interior design plans, interior construction administration, supervision, and teaching of interior design subjects among others.
The Board is composed of a Chairman and two members appointed by the President from recommendees submitted by the PRC and nominees recommended by the accredited professional organization of interior designers.
They must be Filipino citizens and residents, have a relevant interior design degree, be registered interior designers with 10 years practice, not connected to any interior design school or review center, be members in good standing of the accredited organization, and have no conviction involving moral turpitude.
A candidate must obtain a weighted general average of at least seventy percent (70%).
Violators can be fined between Php300,000 to Php1,000,000, imprisoned for six months to three years, or both, at the discretion of the court.
Foreign interior designers may practice only if their home country affords reciprocity to Filipino interior designers, holds valid registration in their own country, secures a temporary/special permit from the PRC through the Board, and works jointly with a licensed Filipino counterpart with at least 10 years practice.
Members serve three-year terms and may be reappointed for another term but cannot hold office for more than six years consecutively.
Interior designers have proprietary rights over their drawings, specifications, original concepts and designs; no one can reproduce, alter, or modify their work without written consent unless it is a commissioned work duly paid for, in which case the client may alter or revise it.
Grounds include violation of this Act or related ethical codes, fraud in obtaining registration, gross incompetence causing damage, refusal to maintain membership in the accredited organization, nonpayment of fees for five years, aiding illegal practice, practicing during suspension, drug addiction impairing practice, unsound mind, and noncompliance with continuing education requirements.
They must secure a temporary/special permit from the Board and the Commission and work with a licensed Filipino interior designer with at least ten years of practice.
Registered interior designers must affix their Board-approved seal on all plans, specifications, and contract documents that they prepare or supervise during the validity of their certificate of registration.