Tomas Mapua

Tomas Mapua (1888 to 1965) holds a foundational place in Philippine architecture as the country's first registered architect. Educated at Cornell University in New York, he returned home to join the Bureau of Public Works, rising to supervising architect before building an independent practice.

His designs bridged the Beaux-Arts formality of the era with the needs of a growing city. Notable works include St. La Salle Hall at De La Salle College, completed in 1924, and the Manila Central Post Office of 1928, which he designed alongside Juan M. Arellano. His earlier public work included the Aduana de Iloilo, the Iloilo customs house.

Beyond his buildings, Mapua's lasting legacy is institutional. In 1925 he founded the Mapua Institute of Technology, now Mapua University, one of the leading engineering and architecture schools in the Philippines, and he helped establish the Philippine Institute of Architects.