Archival Turnover of the I.P. Santos Heritage Collection
On March 5, 2026, the Philippine Association of Landscape Architects (PALA) formally turned over archival materials documenting the professional works of the late L.Ar. Idelfonso P. Santos, Jr., National Artist for Architecture, to the UP Asian Institute of Tourism (UP AIT). The turnover was conducted in the interest of archival safeguarding, documentation, and preservation of Philippine landscape architectural heritage.
L.Ar. Santos, widely recognized as the Father of Philippine Landscape Architecture, made significant contributions to the country’s cultural and tourism landscape. These include landmark works such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Nayong Pilipino, Rizal Park, and the landscape and courtyard of the UP AIT building.
The UP AIT is currently pursuing partnerships with the UP College of Architecture and the University Archives to establish a collaborative framework for the joint care, management, and preservation of the I.P. Santos Collection.
This initiative also aligns with the objectives of the proposed AIT Tourism Heritage Complex, conceived as both a physical place and institutional space within the university to serve as a repository of heritage archives, arts, and cultural expression in support of tourism development.
Present at the turnover ceremony were PALA President L.Ar. Holtzjosip Abbu, National Secretary L.Ar. Christel Hannah Go, and members Marco Ortiz and Jose Roman Abad; UP College of Architecture Professor Nappy Navarra; AIT Dean Giovanni Legaspi, AIT Asst. Prof. Carmela Ibañez; AIT Head Librarian Ms. Jen Bagares; and Ms. Suzy Santos-Aquino, heir of L.Ar. I.P. Santos.



