CEBU CITY— Four young architects from Cebu are advocating for “Pulido Arkitekto” to build better, efficient, resilient and affordable homes for all Filipinos, especially those belonging to the low and mid-range income groups.
Po with Architects Edmund Samson, Robert Malayao and Nhheil Crisostomo observed that people believe that getting a license architect to design and plan their homes is very expensive and people at the countryside and even at the urban centers would rather personally design and build their homes with local pandays (carpenters) and other builders in the area without an architect’s design and plan.
These four architects, who are members of the UAP-Cebu Chapter realized that the advocacy to build better homes especially for low and mid-range income groups must begin from conversations and listening to architects talking about how crucial home designs and plans are for long lasting homes.
It was a light bulb moment for these four architects to come up with a one-hour advocacy program on radio with them as hosts, talking on anything and everything about building resilient but affordable houses, from designing to planning to buying construction materials and all other nitty-gritty in building that dream house.
The birth of “Pulido Arkitekto, Tambagi Ko”
“Pulido Arkitekto, Tambagi Ko” was born. A weekly radio program aired at 8:00-9:00 a.m every Saturday over a local DYLA-AM 909 kHZ station located at the 2nd Floor, JSU-PSU Mariner’s Court-Cebu, ALU-VIMCONTU Welfare Center, Pier 1, Cebu City.
According to the architects the radio program, “Pulido Arkitekto” was conceptualized after typhoon Odette that hit Central Visayas in 2021 with massive destructions of houses among the low and mid-range income family groups in Cebu and in other provinces in Central Visayas.
“We were then inspired to advocate for “Pulido Arkitekto” (solid or polished architecture) for homes that can withstand heavy rains and typhoons because the Philippines is often visited with more than 20 typhoons a year, according to our local weather bureau,” the architects said.
Arch. Edmund said that the “Pulido Arkitekto” radio program was designed to provide assistance to the public as they rebuild after the typhoon. It was packed with a wide range of topics from building materials, construction methods, up to financing options, in an easy-going like conversations and advises with the hosts and listeners.
According to Arch. Robert that Season 1 of “Pulido Arkitekto…” seemed to just flew by as the program gained some good grounds in listenership from the Visayas and Mindanao areas evidenced by the letters and calls they received from its listeners.
One of the notable strengths of the program is providing access to professional assistance that is free of charge on a radio platform. Experts from the building industry were pooled into the program as co-anchors and aired from April to September 2024. As the year ends, the program continued to push for more collaborations with people, organizations and communities that have similar advocacies as these architects have.
“The most fulfilling aspect of the “Pulido
Arkitekto” radio program for me is the direct impact I have on listeners
through problem-solving and providing practical advice. This sense of
fulfillment likely comes from seeing my guidance effectively address listeners
questions and improve their situations,” Arch. Edmund Samson shared.
The program resonates with the audience because it offers valuable, actionable insights and solutions tailored to their needs. Engaging content, practical advice and personal touch make the program relevant and relatable fostering a strong connection with the listeners, Samson added.
Architect Robert Malayao on the other hand, bared that “Pulido Arkitekto” has grown to not just a regular radio program but a chance for the architects to showcase that their knowledge is not only limited to the production of design but also extends to the construction methods and other methodologies.
“It feels great to be able to slowly educate the Filipinos of the services of the architects and the other professionals in the built environment, and the importance of hiring them for the specific job that they need to perform,” Arch. Robert said.
He feels that the efforts planted at Seasons 1 and 2 of “Pulido Arkitekto” are slowly bearing fruits as the architects are already receiving massive positive feedbacks from its listeners and how the advises have helped them in their renovation and repairs, both planned and current.
“Pulido Arkitekto, Tambagi Ko” is the first and only radio program in the Philippines that gives advises regarding construction related issues to the general public. This radio program won the ‘Best Radio Educational Program’ at the 20th Cebu Archdiocesan Mass Media Awards (CAMMA).
“It is a privilege to be able to make a difference, to help the community and to make an impact in educating and bringing forward the Architectural profession. It fills our heart with so much gratitude that the knowledge we shared and the efforts that we did, made a positive mark,” Arch. Ana Karmela said.
What some listeners say about “Pulido Arkitekto”
Atomz Ybañez, a listener from Tubigon, Bohol: “From Pulido, I learned that building an affordable house is possible. I started tuning in to the Pulido radio program because I have always been a listener of the radio station (DYLA). I was encouraged with the tips provided because I also wanted to build a small but durable house. I have a sibling who is a seaman who had a big house but it got easily destroyed by a typhoon, and I do not want that to happen to me.”
An SMS message from Luis Verana from Cebu: “What I can’t forget from the program is the advice the expert gave me for my home, such as how many windows I should have and what roof design I should use. I also learned more about choosing the right materials for your house, how to build a firewall, how to set up proper distances inside your property for your home, and even about solar-powered homes and how they can be built.
Luis said he is now finalizing the plan for his house and inquired on the materials he needs to be able to calculate how much he needs to spend. Luis is now saving so have enough budget for the construction.
“What I can’t forget about the Pulido program is the episode that talked about roofing, and how the standard thickness of the roof is important when choosing the right materials. Before, I used 0.24mm for my galvanized iron roofing sheets because they were cheaper, but when typhoon Odette hit us, it tore my roofing sheets to shreds as if they were just made of paper. Now, it does not matter anymore if the roofing sheets I buy are more expensive as long as they follow the standard thickness so that my roof is built right and will not get easily damaged. Thank you, Pulido,” Luis added.
From Fely Rosales, who asked advice (on-air) from the architect hosts of PULIDO Season 2 and called back to thank them: “I called back here to thank the architects because in the earlier episode (July 20), I called to ask for help on how I can repair my floor tiles so they won’t continue to get cracked. I followed your advice on using liquid nails and choosing the tiles you recommended. That is why I wanted to thank you now because I am no longer having any problems with my tiles anymore after I applied your recommendation.”
“Pulido Arkitekto” collabs with organizations, business establishments, others
The success of “Pulido Arkitekto, Tambagi Ko” has reached the ears of the Cebu Home and Builders Centre (CHBC), a business establishment that sells all kind of construction materials, lights and bathroom fixtures, and more that led to the collaboration of both parties.
According to Arch. Ana Karmela that the collaboration with CHBC was initiated to provide off-season engagement with the program patrons/listeners while preparing for Season 3 of the program and in time with CHBC’s annual year-end sale. The off-season program was held at CHBC’s main branch in Banilad and in its newest branch in Toledo City.
Here, the radio program is aired live at the CHBC outlets with invited clients and program listeners to participate in an animated conversations and live Q & A from both the live audience and the listeners. “Indeed, people are really hungry for information like these,” said one of the live audiences.
Another collaboration was when other programs, especially national TV programs such as IHeartPh, a showed at GMA 7 were enticed to provide a portion of its program solely for the purpose of educating the Filipinos on the importance of building better to make their houses safer and more resilient from typhoons.
Another was in Business Matters of CNN Philippines where the efforts of the architects for this program and their advocacy of capacitating the Filipinos, were highlighted and emphasized.
A recent collaboration was with Solid Panday where the Pulido Anchors took part in giving a seminar/lecture to more than 50 pandays. They talked about the best practices of construction most especially to topics related to foundation, fire safety and waterproofing.
“Pulido Arkitekto, Tambagi Ko” and Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter (HFH-TCIS) collaboration and partnership is focused on providing quality information about proper home construction and repairs to low-income households who otherwise might not have access to such information.
Arch. Ana Karmela bared that the collaboration with the HFH-TCIS has helped not only the creation of the project but most importantly, push and encourage the architects to go beyond the usual service of the profession.
This has opened new doors for the architect-anchors and the profession itself, on how they can bring their services and technical know-how reach those economic groups that typically veer away from hiring architects because of the stereo-types that they have what the architect does and for whom the architect’s services are for, Arch. Karmela concluded. (Photos: MBCNewman/Pulido Arkitekto FB)
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