Republic Act No. 10350: Philippine Interior Design Act of 2012

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, legal requirements, timelines, and penalties established under Republic Act No. 10350 (Philippine Interior Design Act of 2012).

Philippine Interior Design Act of 2012

Official title of Republic Act No. 10350, an act passed to regulate and modernize the practice of interior design in the Philippines, repealing Republic Act No. 8534.

Interior design

The science and art of planning, specifying, selecting and organizing the surface finishes and materials including furniture, furnishings and fixtures and other interior design elements for the purpose of the interior space allocations to suit, enhance and meet the intended function, movement and character for which the interior of the building is designed.

Professional interior designer

A natural person who holds a valid certificate of registration and a valid professional identification card issued by the Board and the Commission pursuant to Republic Act No. 10350.

Commission

Refers to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

Professional Regulatory Board of Interior Design

The regulatory board under the administrative control and supervision of the PRC, composed of a Chairman and two (2) members appointed by the President of the Philippines.

Board Member Practice Qualification

Requirement that a registered interior designer must be an active practitioner of interior design for not less than ten (10) years prior to appointment to the Board.

Board Member Term Limit

Members hold office for a term of three (3) years and may be reappointed, provided that no member shall hold office for more than six (6) years in total.

Licensure Examination Passing Average

To qualify as having passed the Board examination for interior designers, a candidate must obtain a weighted general average of seventy percent (70%).

Report of Ratings Timeline

The Board shall submit candidate ratings to the Commission within twenty (20) days after the examination unless extended for just cause.

IDr.

The official appendage title that a registered interior designer may use once registered.

Certificate Reissuance Period

The Board may reinstate or reissue a revoked certificate of registration upon petition on meritorious grounds after two (2) years from the date of effectivity of the revocation.

Nonpayment Suspension Threshold

Nonpayment of annual registration fees for five (5) consecutive years from the last year of payment results in suspension from the practice of the profession.

Foreign Reciprocity

Policy stating that no foreign interior designer shall be issued a certificate of registration unless their home country allows Filipino interior designers to practice within its limits on the same basis.

Filipino Counterpart Requirement

Foreign interior designers working under a temporary/special permit must collaborate with a licensed Filipino counterpart who has been in continuous practice of interior design for at least ten (10) years.

Penalties for Illegal Practice by Local Practitioners

Punishable by a fine of not less than Three hundred thousand pesos (Php300,000.00) but not more than One million pesos (Php 1,000,000.00), or imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than three (3) years, or both.

Penalties for Foreign Illegal Practice

Fine equivalent to thirty percent (30%) of gross fees plus back taxes, imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than three (3) years, or both, as well as a permanent ban from practice in the Philippines.

Project Defect Liability Period

The interior designer assumes full responsibility for contract work and defects for a period of one (1) year from final acceptance by the client, except for damage caused by force majeure.

Notification Repair Window

The timeframe within which an interior designer must undertake required repair works at their own expense, set at forty-five (45) days from client notification.

Republic Act No. 8534

The prior law titled 'An Act Regulating the Practice of Interior Design in the Philippines', which was explicitly repealed by Republic Act No. 10350.