Arch.

ROBERT SAMOY SAC, FUAP

Principal Architect, Robert Sac Architectural Design
Chairman and President, RSAC & Associates, Inc.
Chairman and President, Supra Steel Corp.

Robert S. Sac is an architect by profession.

But he is defined by more than that.

Robert S. Sac is a character like no other.

Early years

When Robert was younger, he actually dreamed of becoming a lawyer. But with ten
siblings in a less than modest home, he knew that his parents could not afford to send
him to college, let alone law school. Their clan was just as poor, so he had no rich
uncles or aunties who could pay for his education.

The proverbial silver spoon was nowhere within the reach of Robert as a child. As a
student at Bagumbayan Elementary School, a government-funded institution in a small
town in Cagayan Valley, he had to sell pan de sal every morning before attending his
classes. He would then turn over all the proceeds to his mother to help with the upkeep
of their big household. And in the afternoons, it was his task to feed the meager
livestock they had in their backyard.

His situation was far from ideal, but Robert pulled through. Actually, to say that he
“pulled through” is an understatement, because did more than that. He excelled.
Naturally intelligent, he was consistently at the top of his class throughout elementary
school, and as a result, he was offered a full scholarship to attend high school at the
prestigious Lyceum of Lal-lo, a private Catholic institution. It was an education that the
family could not afford to pay for, one that he had to earn for himself. He graduated
valedictorian in 1973, after which he packed his bags and left the small town with his
older brother.

For a while, he considered joining the clergy. Having excelled in high school, he was
offered yet another scholarship in a prestigious seminary in Baguio. But life had other
plans for Robert. He found himself in Manila with his older brother. Although the big city
was a far cry from Cagayan Valley, he did not have a difficult time adjusting. His older
brother, who at the time was employed with a real estate company, encouraged him
to become an architect.

Becoming an architect

At that time, architecture was about as foreign to Robert as the Russian alphabet. He
had an appreciation for buildings and other structures, but other than that, he really did
not have a solid background that could have helped him through school and
eventually the profession. But at his brother’s prodding, he eventually enrolled in
Adamson University to earn his degree in architecture.

In an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), he and one of his peers, Arch.
Ed Florentino, were asked if the talent for architecture is something that people were
born with. Arch. Florentino answered that it is. Architecture is largely about drawing,
and he believed that the talent is inborn. Robert, on the other hand, believes that the
skill can be acquired, with hard work, patience, and sheer determination.
Robert is living proof of that.

He was a gifted public speaker and declaimer, on top of being an exemplary student,
hence the initial vision of becoming a lawyer. But the brilliance he was born with could
not have prepared him for architecture, so he struggled at the beginning. He earned
such low scores when he started in free hand drawing that the Dean of Architecture at
the time, Arch. Godofredo Santos, tried to convince him to shift to another course
because he was “not meant to become an architect.”

But the young man believed that shifting meant accepting failure, and it was not in him
to do that. He believed that if he was not good at something, then he need only work
harder to get better at it. So he persevered. Every night after his classes, he would stay
at home and practice drawing. With the firm resolve to overcome what was pointed
out to be his weakness, he drew anything and everything. He bought magazines like
Readers Digest, and for hours on end, he would try to draw the images he saw from the
advertisements. By the end of the term, he not only earned the highest marks in his
drawing class, his plate was even displayed at the lobby of the architecture building in
Adamson University.

From that point on, there was no stopping Robert from becoming one of the most
distinguished and most decorated architects of his generation.

Master of all trades

Immediately after earning his degree, he worked in E. A. Aguila Architects, but he later
devoted more of his time to Stainless Steel Industries, Inc. (SSI), a licensee of Tajima
Junzo Seisaksho, a leading architectural metal works firm with affiliates in Malaysia,
Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, USA, and Japan. His 22 years of solid experience with
the company, starting out as a Designer and eventually making his way up the ladder
to become Vice President for Operations, earned him specialized knowledge in metal
designs for buildings.

As a result of his specialization, he was elevated to the United Architects of the

Philippines (UAP) College of Fellows, an elite circle composed of about 300 individuals,
or just a little over 1% of the best architects in the country. This is the ultimate validation
for any architect, for it is peer recognition that raises one to this level.

But the distinctions did not stop there. He was recognized by the Philippine Federation
of Professional Associations (PFPA), the private umbrella organization of all professional
associations recognized by the Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC), as one of the
Ten Outstanding Professionals in 2009. The PFPA oversees more than 50 groups of various
professions, and as of 2013, Robert’s nomination was the last time that an architect was
included in the top ten.

In 2000, he was recognized as the Most Outstanding Alumnus in the Arts by his alma
mater, Adamson University, and was later given the Adamsonian Award, the most
prestigious honor that the institution could grant an alumnus, during the university’s 75th
foundation anniversary celebration. The Lyceum of Lal-lo, where he spent his high
school days, also recognized him as its Most Outstanding Alumnus in 2004. He was the
very first graduate to have been given the prize.

Being incredibly driven, Robert also had other businesses on the side. He is, after all, as
gifted an entrepreneur as he is an architect. He had as many as ten small and medium
enterprises specializing in the design and building industry, which he eventually
consolidated into three companies. In 2002, the Province of Cagayan awarded him
with the Outstanding Cagayano Award for Leadership and Excellence in Business.

One of the businesses he started, Supra Steel Corporation, is a natural move given his
strong background in architectural metal works. He currently functions as Chairman
and President of this venture. Robert also found the time in his already overwhelmingly
busy schedule to start two firms, Robert Sac Architectural Design (RSAD), for his
architecture and construction management practice, and RSAC & Associates, for
general construction. He is Principal Architect and Owner, and Chairman and
President, respectively.

His many projects with RSAD and RSAC & Associates include small to medium-sized
structures all over the country, such as multi-storey mixed-use buildings, multi-storey
commercial buildings, a five-storey hotel, single-level and multi-storey school buildings,
an industrial plant, training centers, and showrooms. He also designed and built a parish
church, as well as chapels, convents, and retreat houses. RSAD also handles housing
and residential developments.

When asked about his trademark style as an architect, Robert claims that he does not
have one. He said that he is not the type of architect who imposes his vision on his
clients. Rather, he interviews his clients to ask them what it is that they want. He talks to
them to understand their needs and their aspirations, and he believes that it is his job as
the architect to interpret, to turn his client’s vision into a reality.

Despite the numerous projects, RSAD is still considered a “small-practice firm” by

industry standards, with less than ten employees each. Close to 90% of architects in the
Philippines fall in this category, but ironically, they were not as well-represented in the
UAP. Throughout the association’s history, the elected top leaders hailed from big firms
with high-profile projects. After holding several positions in the association’s hierarchy,
Robert became the first National President of the UAP to come from a small firm, and
during his two consecutive terms, he advanced the interests of architects who, like him,
maintained a modest practice.

It was in his two terms as National President of the UAP, with the full cooperation of
other industry associations such as the Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA), the
Architects Advocacy International Foundation (AAIF), and the Council of Deans and
Heads of Architecture Schools in the Philippines (CODHASP), that Republic Act 9266,
more commonly known as the Architecture Law of 2004, was passed into legislation.

The act stipulates that only licensed architects could sign and seal architectural plans,
giving the profession the respect that it deserves. It also helped give small-practice
architects a better fighting chance at the acquisition of projects. The law required all
licensed and registered Filipino architects to become the member of an Integrated
and Accredited Professional Organization of Architects (IAPOA). The UAP later became
the IAPOA after a resolution was passed by the PRC.

Debt was an issue that the UAP faced at the time Robert assumed the position of
National President, and as such, his management and entrepreneurial skills truly came
in handy. Partnering with then-National Treasurer Arch. Ana Mangalino-Ling, it was in his
term that the association was finally able to settle the millions of pesos in debt to the
suppliers that were tapped for the construction of the UAP Headquarters.

Together with his Metro Chapter members Arch. Jose Siao Ling, Arch. Wilson Sioco, and
Arch. Alex Cua, Robert pioneered the UAP Golf Tournament, and the UAP CONEX (an
exhibition for the latest trends in construction materials), both of which have since
become annual events. Raking in millions of pesos in income for the association, these
events are often referred to as the bread and butter of the UAP.

After his two terms as National President, Robert was elected Chairman of the UAP
Foundation, Inc.

His extensive experience in local and international trade relations, matched with his
exemplary entrepreneurial and management skills, were further recognized with his
appointment as a member of the Philippine Monitoring Committee of the Asia Pacific
Economic Council (APEC) from 2003-2004. The following year, he was named Honorary
Secretary of ARCASIA, the council overseeing all architectural organizations in Asia. He
also served as Treasurer and Vice President for Internal Affairs with the Philippine
Technological Council (PTC) in 2005 and 2006, respectively, as well as a Director for the
Philippine Movement for Good Governance.
Giving back

Aside from being an architect and entrepreneur, Robert is a philanthropist. From the
moment he started working, he automatically set aside 10% of his income for various
charities, and this commitment stands firm to this day. He confesses that he has a soft
spot for Church workers, because when he was in high school, these people were the
ones who pitched in to help him out financially. So for more than 30 years now, he has
been steadily supporting scholars in the Lyceum of Lal-lo. Whenever he visits his
hometown, random people approach him to introduce themselves as his scholars. They
thank him for helping them realize their dreams.

He served as the inspiration for his formerly poor clan to go beyond the limits of their
financial situation. At the moment, the Sac Family in Cagayan Valley is known for
having produced a lot of professionals, and that is due not in small part to Robert. He
sent his five younger siblings to college, as well as the children of his four older brothers
and sisters, all while providing for his own four children. He strongly believes that
education is the only way out of poverty. After all, it was education that paved the way
for him to become the accomplished man that he is now.

Robert is also active in several socio-civic groups, the most notable of which is the
Rotary Club of Cainta East. He is a Paul Harris Fellow, and he was accorded the Rotary
International Presidential Citation as Outstanding Club President. During his term, his
chapter garnered the award for Outstanding Rotary Club. On top of that, he was
concurrently the President of the Saturday Civic Club of Cainta, and President of the
Village East Executive Homes Homeowners Association. He won the Outstanding
President Award for the latter.

Driven by an unbelievably strong desire to give back, he ran for mayor of Cagayan
Valley in the last elections, under President Noynoy Aquino’s Liberal Party. Although he
did not win, his yearning to help the poor remains intact. When asked what makes him
want to give so much, he said that it’s all about paying it forward. “Maraming
tumulong, kaya tutulong din ako” (I received help from a lot of people, so now I’m
going to help others, too). He further emphasized that his commitment to help is not to
people, but to God.

Family life

Robert juggled a prolific career with a wonderful family life. He is married to Layda Sac
(nee Divinagracia), and they have been blessed with four children. Rolyn and Mary
Jane, who are both involved Supra Steel Corporation, earned their degrees in Business
Administration from Miriam College. Abbiegail graduated from Ateneo de Manila
University with a degree in Economics, after which she took up law, also in Ateneo. She
is now a member of the Philippine Bar Association, and she is currently connected with
a top-tier commercial bank after a brief stint with one of the leading law firms in the
country. His only son, Robert John, followed his footsteps and became an architect. He
earned his degree from the University of Santo Tomas, graduating Cum Laude in 2008.
Robert John is now a partner architect with RSAD.