UST alumna Aida Cruz del Rosario, one of the first licensed female architects in the Philippines, died on May 20 due to pulmonary heart failure. She was 101.
Del Rosario’s death was confirmed to the Varsitarian by her son, Butch.
“She was a loving mother who frets and worries about her children when they do not come home at the expected time,” he said. “She was meticulous in everything she did, a perfectionist in every sense of the word.”
“She was very active in her professional practice all her life,” he added. “Even at the ripe old age of 95, she was still engrossed in renovating her house, which she loved so dearly, improving to accommodate the ever-growing number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
Del Rosario was born on July 5, 1922.
She graduated from the now-defunct UST College of Architecture and Fine Arts in 1947, becoming one of the first female completers of the architecture program at the University.
Del Rosario became the ninth licensed female architect in the country after placing seventh in the board examinations for architects.
As a female trailblazer in the field of architecture, Del Rosario was a “headstrong woman” who “shaped the trajectory of her career through industriousness,” said her daughter Tess.
“She also trailblazed the field of architecture and opened the doors of the University to other women who wished to pursue architectural studies,” she told the Varsitarian.
“Indeed, she (and my father) bestowed on us, her children, a strong work ethic. She left behind this legacy to us, one that we wear with utmost pride and honor,” she added.
Along with her late husband Jose, a civil engineer, Del Rosario was credited with designing various structures around the country, including parts of the original University of Baguio campus and over 120 homes, edifices, and hospitals.
Del Rosario’s wake was held at Santuario de San Antonio Capilla de la Virgen in Makati. A thanksgiving and farewell Mass was held on May 23.
