Architect Villalon receives Ang Gawad Diwa ng Lahi award

MANILA, Philippines - Architect Augusto Villalon, was recently honored with the Ang Gawad Diwa ng Lahi, the highest distinction given by the City of Manila, during its 440th Araw ng Maynila celebration.

Villalon was conferred the Ang Gawad Diwa ng Lahi award for his valuable contributions to Philippine architecture, his impact on the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage, and his advocating the preservation and restoration of Manila’s heritage structures.

Villalon has been recognized by the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Conservation Awards, the National Commission for Culture and Arts (he is a Dangal ng Haraya Lifetime Achievement awardee), the United Architects of the Philippines, and academic institutions including Far Eastern University and De La Salle University in the Philippines, and University of Notre Dame in the US.

Among the books he has authored, Lugar: Essays on Philippine Daily Cultural Heritage and Architecture won the National Book Award, and the Alfonso T. Ongpin Award for Best Art Book in 2002. 

Aside from being an architect and cultural hertage planner, Villalon is president of Cebu-based property developer Genvi Development Corporation leading its flagship project Monterrazas de Cebu, an integrated mixed-use township development inspired by Cebuano culture and heritage but executed using global design and technological standards.