We tend to think of Philippine heritage as obviously old. Intramuros, ancestral houses, stone churches and prewar buildings immediately register as historic. Modern architecture, with its elevators and contemporary functions, may not be exactly what one comes to mind when discussing heritage. 

A concrete office building from the 1960s or 1970s can simply look dated but upon a closer look it can reveal how the country was modernized. That is what makes the posthumous proclamation of Gabriel “Gabby” Formoso as National Artist for Architecture and Allied Arts particularly interesting. 

Named under Proclamation No. 1414 earlier this month, Formoso was recognized by the government as a central figure in the development of postwar Philippine architecture.  His architectural practice began in 1939, when he became one of the country’s first 100 licensed architects.  

To this day, Formoso’s designs remain part of ordinary Metro Manila: The Asian Institute of Management, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas complex, the Bank of America–Lepanto Building, the Manila Peninsula and the former Manila Garden Hotel, now Dusit Thani. 

Formoso once said that “no other art form is as closely interwoven with society as architecture.” In keeping with the saying, perhaps we should take a moment to examine his work through both its design and context. It could offer one a different perspective of history and the times since then.  

Formoso worked precisely during that transformation. His architecture embraced the modernist emphasis on clarity and function but adapted it to local conditions. Accounts of his work point to deep eaves, overhangs, recessed windows and natural ventilation that responded to tropical sun and rain. Concrete and steel were also paired with materials such as adobe and hardwood.  

These buildings tell the story of a nation rebuilding after the Second World War, expanding its institutions and embracing a more modern economy. Their significance lies not only in their architectural design but also in the chapter of Philippine history they continue to embody.

The timing of Formoso’s recognition also gives the question practical weight. Works by a National Artist are presumed Important Cultural Property. In other words, the architecture of the postwar generation, during the 1950s to the 1970s has now reached the point where we have to decide how it should be remembered. 

The office towers, hotels and institutional buildings that once represented the country’s aspirations for the future are now more than half a century old. Many Filipinos still encounter and think about them as ordinary parts of the city rather than as cultural landmarks. 

That does not mean every old office building must be preserved. Cities change. Buildings become obsolete. Land acquires new demands and new uses. With that said, the effort of preservation should hopefully begin with recognition. 

That may be the wider value of Formoso becoming a National Artist. The honor adds another name, and their body of work, to the country’s cultural canon. It asks us to see familiar parts of Metro Manila differently: Not simply as hotels, schools, banks or aging concrete buildings, but also as records of the Filipino ambition to become modern.