What is the convention about?
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In the face of the ASEAN integration this year, the Philippine Association of Landscape Architects (PALA) sees that it is high time to consolidate the talents and resources of its members while at the same time develop the linkages of its members with other allied professions to strengthen its position in the region and in the world.
The organization will be holding its Fourth National Convention (NatCon) on 18 and 19 November 2015. Aside from forging a stronger camaraderie among members of the organization, the two-day event is a gathering of all Landscape Architects from all over the Philippines and the world to convene as a body to highlight the role of Filipino Landscape Architects in the different issues faced by the profession and the environment and discuss the possible intervention of the profession to the different challenges. PALA is intent on developing stronger ties with the community, particularly those that have yet to benefit from the practice of Landscape Architecture. The following objectives was purposely identified for the event: (1) foster greater level of interaction among PALA members and the various disciplines of the built environment; (2) promote better understanding of the profession as an integral part in the discourse of issues faced by the built environment; (3) highlight the practice as competent, dynamic, multi-disciplinary, and prepared to face the challenge of globalization and borderless practice. The organization has prepared a myriad of activities that aims to address these objectives. In line with this, the event will also be opened to practitioners and professionals from other disciplines, particularly of the designed and built environment, local government representatives, policy makers, and community leaders. Participants from other professions, sectors and government agencies will be important in providing different perspectives in the discussion of issues of the community and the environment, governance and policy-making, infrastructure support, and socio-economic aspects that pose as a challenge to the present and will also be given the opportunity to collaborate with the Landscape Architect participants in formulating multi-dimensional approach in proving feasible solution to the issues affecting the community during the workshop. The event has two main tracks which cater to the different interests and capacities of PALA members and other participants of the NatCon. The main track is the seminar regarding the different Landscape Architecture interventions in various environmental issues and challenges. The activity will have several papers that have been accepted to national and international conferences to be presented to the body in which an open forum will be held to foster an exchange of ideas and offer solutions to the issues raised. Another track is the workshop wherein the participants will be allowed to deal with real-life challenges through Landscape design and planning. The participants will be briefed about the issues of the site and the possibility of the discipline in offering solution to the issues raised. The participants will also get to immerse themselves in the community by exposing them to the site wherein they will be given the chance to interact with the residents of the community and see for themselves the site issues. From here, the participants will be given the opportunity to draw up possible solution(s), which will be presented to the general body of the NatCon at the end of the workshop. Other sidelights of the event are: GantimPALA; a recognition night of all exceptional projects of PALA members and Local Government Units (LGU), Fellowship Night; a celebration of the triumphs of the profession for the past year and taking in the challenge of the the years to come. |