City planner wins PRC award

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu City planner Archt. Joseph Michael “Yumi” P. Espina added another feather to his cap after being recognized in the just-concluded 2024 Professional Regulations Commission’s Outstanding Professionals of the Year Awards at the Conrad Manila Hotel in Pasay City.

Espina was awarded under the technology cluster for environmental planning.

Cebu City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. took pride in Espina’s accolade as he announced it after the flag ceremony on behalf of acting Mayor Raymond Garcia and the City Council yesterday.

“Hatagan nato og pasidungog … our very own architect … Yumi, atong garbo nga nakadawat og award gikan sa PRC… Among gihatag ang mainitong congratulation sa atong amigo, architect Yumi Espina,” said Alcover.

The PRC is the licensing and regulatory agency of the national government for the practice of regulated professions and is mandated to enhance and maintain the country’s professional and occupational standards and ethics.

The City’s PIO said that the conduct of the annual awards manifests the results of its interventions towards continued professional development, recognizing those who excel in their respective regulated professional field.

This year’s edition saw 37 awardees spread in the categories of engineering, health, business, education and social, and technology, with each category having awardees in different fields.

The awardees automatically become members of the Foundation for Outstanding Professionals, Inc. that organized the awarding with PRC from nomination, thorough screening, and final selection.

Espina is an architect, a civil and geodetic engineer, and licensed environment planner after he earned his master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning in UP Diliman.

Aside from that, Espina also a Master in Business Management and co-managed the distinguished Espina, Perez-Espina & Associates and served as president of Espina, Perez-Espina Realty Corp. and leasing company Espina Ivory Properties, Inc.

Espina had also served as dean of the University of San Carlos School of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design.

Espina was also identified as the land use planner who worked on the Metro Cebu Land Use and Transport Study from 1979 to 1982 and took part as land use planning consultant of the Metro Cebu Roadmap Study in 2015 that the Japan International Cooperation Agency funded while also serving as a member of the sub-committee on planning of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board from 2015 to 2019 and has served as private sector representative in the Regional Development Council-7 in its land use committee from 2016.

Later, Espina joined the National Economic Development Authority for its regional development pursuits in Regions 6 to 8.

In 2014, Espina was recognized by President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III for the conceptualization of the Green Loop for the country and was recognized as a fellow by the United Architects of the Philippines in 2000.  The Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners also honored him in 2016.

Espina nodded to Mayor Mike Rama’s invitation to join the City Hall and man the City Planning and Development Office in 2022.

Aside from serving the city of Cebu, Espina is also chairman of the Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Adults and Children with Handicap Foundation, Inc. that assists children with autism.