Paulo Alcazaren

Paulo G. Alcazaren (born 1955, Cebu) is a Filipino landscape architect, urban designer, environmental planner, writer, and editor. He is the principal of PGAA Creative Design, a multidisciplinary practice involved in landscape architecture, urban design, and environmental planning. His projects include the Iloilo River Esplanade, a riverfront linear park in Iloilo City.

In addition to his design practice, Alcazaren has written the City Sense column for The Philippine Star and served as editor-in-chief of the Philippine architecture and design publication BluPrint from 2002 to 2012. He returned to the position in February 2026.

Early life and education Alcazaren was born in Argao, Cebu, and moved to Quezon City before he was two years old. He completed degrees in architecture and landscape architecture at the University of the Philippines Diliman and earned a master's degree in urban design from the National University of Singapore.

Alcazaren later established the practice's Singapore and Kuala Lumpur offices in 1989 and 1992, respectively. Its Philippine operations subsequently continued as PGAA Creative Design, with Alcazaren as principal. Iloilo River Esplanade Alcazaren designed the initial phase of the Iloilo River Esplanade as part of the rehabilitation of the Iloilo River. The first section consisted of a 1.2-kilometre pedestrian promenade and was inaugurated on August 18, 2012. Subsequent extensions developed the esplanade into a linear park extending for more than nine kilometres along the river.

In 2018, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts recognised the esplanade with a Haligi ng Dangal award for landscape architecture. Writing, publishing, and exhibitions Alcazaren began writing the City Sense column for The Philippine Star in 1999. The column covers architecture, heritage conservation, urban history, parks, and city planning. His articles and public commentary have frequently addressed the conservation of historic buildings and districts and the provision of public open spaces in Philippine cities. Public service Alcazaren has served as chairperson of the Professional Regulation Commission's Board of Landscape Architecture. PRC records list him as chairperson from 2016 through 2022, and the commission's announcement of the July 2024 landscape-architect licensure examination also identified him as chairman of the board. Awards and recognition In 2001, Alcazaren received an Alab ng Haraya award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in the category covering published articles on culture and the arts, cultural journalism, and documentation.

In 2015, he received the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining for architecture. The award is the highest distinction conferred by the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Filipino artists and cultural workers. Selected works