Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 9053)
Republic Act No. 9053 is officially known as the "Philippine Landscape Architecture Act of 2000."
The scope includes planning, designing, specifying, supervising, administering, and directing the functional, orderly, and aesthetic arrangement of natural scenery and land areas to produce desirable effects for human use and enjoyment of outdoor spaces including parks, playgrounds, gardens, public spaces, and also protection, conservation, rehabilitation of natural environments, landscape architectural programming, project management, and teaching of landscape architecture subjects.
The Board of Landscape Architecture is composed of a Chairperson and two members appointed by the President of the Philippines from a list of five nominees per position forwarded by the integrated and accredited national association of Landscape Architects in the Philippines.
A Board member must be a natural-born Filipino citizen, at least 35 years old, a registered Landscape Architect with at least 10 years of active practice, holder of a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree or equivalent, must not have been connected with any landscape architecture school faculty or review center for three consecutive years before appointment, and must have no criminal convictions for moral turpitude.
Applicants must be Filipino citizens or foreign citizens from reciprocal countries, graduates of recognized Landscape Architecture degree programs or with equivalent experience and education in related fields like Architecture or Horticulture with specific unit requirements, and must not have any conviction involving moral turpitude.
The examination covers Landscape Architectural Design and Planning; Ecology and Nature Conservation; Landscaping Technology and Materials; Planting Design and Interior Plantscaping; Professional Practice and Ethics; and History of Landscape Architecture and Theory of Design.
A candidate must obtain a weighted general average of at least 70% with no grade lower than 60% in any subject. If a candidate scores below 60% in any subject but achieves an average of 70%, the candidate must retake those subjects within two years and attain at least 70% in those.
Yes, those who took at least 60 academic units of Landscape Architecture and practiced for 10 years prior to the Act's effectivity, and architects or environmental planners who have practiced landscape architecture for 10 years prior, may register without examination if they apply within two years from the Act's effectivity and get approval from the Commission.
Penalties include a fine ranging from Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000) to Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000), imprisonment from six months to three years, or both. If the violator is an alien, immediate deportation follows payment or service of sentence.
A licensed Landscape Architect must affix the official seal on all plans, drawings, specifications, and contract documents prepared or supervised by them. Unauthorized use or failure to use this seal is subject to administrative or criminal penalties.
The PRC exercises administrative supervision of the Board, acts as custodian of its records, provides secretariat and support services, and serves as the enforcement agency for implementing the provisions of the law and investigating complaints.
Grounds include neglect of duty or incompetence, violation or tolerance of violations of the Act or Code of Ethics, final judgment of any criminal offense, and manipulation or rigging of licensure examination results or tampering of grades.
All plans, specifications, reports, or documents used for construction, renovation, or refurbishing of landscape works where the cost is more than Three hundred fifty thousand pesos (P350,000) must be signed and sealed by a licensed Landscape Architect.
Foreign nationals can practice only if their country permits Filipino Landscape Architects to practice reciprocally, they are legally qualified in their own country, their expertise is necessary for the project, they secure a temporary/special permit approved by the Board, Commission, and DOLE, and work with a Filipino counterpart.
Members serve for a term of three years, with the possibility of reappointment for one full term of three years. Initial appointments are staggered with terms of one, two, and three years to allow rotation.