Philippine Institute of Certified Quantity Surveyors (PICQS), Inc.

About PICQS

The founding of the Philippine Institute of Certified Quantity Surveyors (PICQS), Inc. is one
that started from the vision of its Founder to make the Quantity Surveying trained Filipinos
achieve a chartered status with internationally recognized QS professional bodies.

PICQS, Inc. is an all Filipino organization comprised of Members of the Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Members of the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors
(AIQS), Student and Trainee Members of the RICS, Chartered members of internationally
recognized QS professional bodies, QS-trained Engineers who are working towards their QS
Study, Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) and Assessment of Technical
Competence (ATC) towards Chartered Membership.

It is an organization open to Filipino Citizens who are QS trained Engineers. Currently, it has
about 428 members worldwide with Chapters in UK, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, KSA, North
America, Singapore, and the Philippines. It was incorporated in the Philippine Securities and
Exchange Commission with its base territory being the Philippines.

PICQS is an Associate Member of the PAQS (Pacific Asia Quantity Surveyors) as the QS
representing body of the Philippines. Other member organizations of PAQS are AIQS
(Australia), CIQS (Canada), HKIS (HK), SVIV (Singapore), ISM (Malaysia), CECA (China),
BUJ (Japan), IQSSL (Sri Lanka) and PUJA (Brunei).

Majority of the incorporators are MRICS and the members are MRICS and Assoc RICS and
student members who are already working towards their APC/ATC. This is the first Filipino
organization that aims to help Filipino QS trained Engineers become chartered following the
standards of RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).

RICS President See Lian Ong and the Chair of the RICS Philippines Working Committee Alan
P. Hearn has expressed their support to PICQS and is willing to collaborate with PICQS in the
development of the QS profession in the Philippines

Since the organizations launching, we now have 1 Fellow of RICS, 2 MRICS, 1 AAIQS, 1
PQS (CIQS), 1 MNZIQS, 2 MCInstCES , 24 Assoc RICS, 46 AIQS Affiliate, 1 CCE (CIQS), 1
AIQS Technician, 1 TCInstCES and 1 CIQS Associate.

For more information, please visit the website www.picqs.org.

Membership Admission

As a reputable and responsible professional organization, PICQS has always maintained

vigorous assessment standards for entry to the Institute. Membership applications are
screened and professional interviews are conducted by PICQS. Once members are admitted
to PICQS, they are given appropriate membership grades and are immediately invited to
participate in the various structured training programs and professional development facilities
that aim to guide members in their professional development in order to achieve membership
with relevant international QS professional bodies. For applicants who have not effectively
answered the questions during the interview, which can be due to the usage of unfamiliar
terms or possibly the want of words to adequately explain the idea, they will be admitted as a
Provisional Member to the PICQS and this does not diminish the applicants capacity in any
way or form. The Provisional Members will be allowed to attend CPDs and structured
trainings (P3T) that would allow them the opportunity to learn more and improve on their
professional competence and re-appear for interview and move towards attaining
membership to the PICQS.
Grades of Membership, Guidelines to membership and membership fee structure are show
on the website (www.picqs.org)

PICQS Programs

To support PICQS in its drive for excellence, PICQS programs primarily to meet the target
objectives in order to fulfill the PICQS vision. PICQS programs have been developed not only
to help members become professional members of international QS bodies but most
importantly, to establish a reciprocity agreement with these international QS bodies. Through
these programs, PICQS endeavor to get recognized by RICS, AIQS and the rest of the
international QS bodies. We have been recognized by PAQS and this is an important
milestone for PICQS and it marks the beginning of establishing a QS course in the Philippines
accredited by international QS bodies.

CPDs

PICQS conducts a minimum of 4 Continuous Professional Development (CPDs) in each

Chapter. The CPD topics are primarily focused on various APC Competencies such as core,
optional and mandatory competencies so members will be prepared in their APC journey,
improve the members professional competence. Undertaking CPD is an essential part of
being a professional and PICQS Members need to undertake and record appropriate CPD
and provide evidence of having done.

Topics include Design Economics and Cost Planning, BQ Quantification and Costing of
Works, Tendering and Procurement, Contract Practice, Project Control and Financial
Reporting and Construction Technology and Environmental Services, Contract Administration
and Commercial Management. Each CPDs is comprised of 2.5 hour credit units which
contributes to members professional development.

PICQS prescribes a minimum of 16 hours of CPD/learning learning activities per year.

CPD fees are prescribed by the Chapter CPD Committee. In normal cases, members are
charged a fee of AED 50 while non-members pay AED 75.

P3T (PICQS Think Tank Trainings)

P3T (PICQS Think Tank Trainings) is the newest product of PICQS, which will specifically
cater to Technical Members and Provisional Members. The P3T will be conducted by
nominated Trainers under the guidance of the Corporate Members. Topics are pre selected
and are mostly based on APC Competencies and the RICS Black Book Guidance Notes
and will run on an every other month basis. There will be 12 topics in a one year period. The
P3T will specifically address the concern of RICS over the Level 1 qualifications of those who
have no RICS accredited degree. The major challenge that most candidates will face is how
to satisfy Level 1 condition and pass the pre assessment stage of the Professional
Experience Route (PER). In areas outside the UK, RICS has no facility to conduct face to
face training sessions to help those without an RICS accredited degree acquire Level 1
qualification and what they do offer is the RICS Online Academy, which is expensive
(approximately AED 3,000 for 5 months). PICQS has secured permission from RICS to
conduct its own training and RICS is glad to hear that PICQS is working hard with providing
guidance and professional development to the members and have no objection to the P3T. All
trainings (P3T) are to be conducted in paid venues. Schedule of topics, dates and trainers will
be posted in the Calendar of Activities section of the website. P3T fees would be AED 50 per
topic or an equivalent AED 600 for 12 topics. For exact fees relvant to your Chapter, please
contact your Chapter Knowledge Committee Head.
GaMP and PAP

GaMP

In support of more members pursuing APC as a result of this route, PICQS has set up two (2)
separate yet complementary programmes namely GAMP (Guidance and Monitoring Program)
and PAP (PICQS APC Program).

When a member declares his/her intention to pursue RICS membership through APC
(whether through PER or other routes), he/she will be guided through GAMP and PAP. GAMP
generally aids the member with his/her preparation of written submissions such as the critical
analysis, case studies, and experience and CPD records against competencies while PAP is
generally designed to prepare the member for the final assessment interview.

GAMP is an eleven-week program where participants are guided in their self-assessment

against the RICS core competencies for the practice of quantity surveying. The process
consists of participants seriously attempting one competency statement each week and this
continuing on for seven weeks; whilst the remaining four weeks would be dedicated to
completing the case studies or critical analysis. This generous timeframe was purposely
intended to discourage the habit of cramming at the same time provide the applicant a gauge
of any further CPDs or experience he needs to be able to achieve the required levels in each
competency. This service is

PAP

PAP is a five-month program immediately following the GAMP. This program aims to develop
APC candidates confidence prior to their APC interviews. This program was launched to help
the candidate to gain more knowledge and experience through their fellow reviewers or
classmates as each group members vary from client, consultant and contractor. It is more
interactive in that it would compel participants to discuss the competencies before an
audience. This process aims to further integrate knowledge of the competencies with actual
experience, as well as develop the oral presentation skills that are necessary for the actual
interviews. Progress in these programmes will be monitored by assigned leaders per Chapter,
with the PICQS Chairman overseeing. This program culminates with a mock interview to be
conducted by the PICQS Chair and invited external RICS assessors.

In order for members to realize the value of their APC undertaking, APC candidates will be
charged a fee of AED 500 for their participation in the GaMP and PAP + the PICQS Mentor
scheme for a period of around 6 8 months. The GaMP, the PICQS Mentor Scheme and
PAP are conducted by PCIQS Program Heads for free. However, food, venues for review,
time and administration costs have to be covered by the fee. The generating income from
these activities will be allocated for the PICQS Sponsorship Program. Refer to the PICQS
Directory for the list of of GaMP Leaders, PAP Leaders and Sub Group Leaders.

PICQS Mentor Scheme

Another program that will be launched this year is the PICQS Mentors Scheme comprised of
11 Corporate Members. The PICQS Mentor Scheme is a program that will involve a Mentor (a
Corporate Member) and a Mentee (the APC Candidate). There will be a mentor and mentee
relationship and open line communication between the two is encouraged. The Mentor will
check the Critical Analysis, Competency Statements and the APC presentation of the Mentee.
The Mentor will honestly communicate honestly with Mentee regarding the shortfalls so the PEG Sub
Group Leader can help the candidate address the deficiencies. Mentors shall give advice on preparing
for the final assessment presentation and interview. This service will have a minimal fee, which is
already covered by GaMP and PAP charged at AED 500 per applicant.
Career Plan Monitoring

When admitted as members of PCIQS, they are required to declare their career plan by giving
specific timeline on when they intend to achieve their chartered membership. This career plan
will be reviewed and monitored by the Chapter Knowledge Committee members on an annual
basis. The Career Plan Monitoring Program of PICQS will be intensified especially with the
introduction of the new membership application structure. This service is free to all members.

ATC Guidance and New Members Orientation on APC Competencies and Routes to
Membership

The ATC guidance to members (guidance on AIQS Affiliate and Assoc RICS and Technical
CICES applications) is currently on going and many members are benefitting from this. An
orientation on Routes to Membership and APC Competencies are conducted 2x a year to all
members. Visit the website for the Routes to Membership. These services are all free to
members.

PICQS Weekly

As a start, the organization has begun publishing 'PICQS Weekly' on its website
www.picqs.org. As the name implies, this bulletin will be issued on a weekly basis featuring
pre-selected topics taken from the APC competencies namely Design Economics and Cost
Planning, Quantification and Costing of Construction Works, Construction Technology and
Environmental Services, Tendering and Procurement, Contract Practice, Project Financial
Control and Reporting, Conflict Avoidance and Management, Contract Administration,
Insurance, Sustainability, Conduct Rules, Ethics, and Professional Practice, Client Care,
Business Planning, Health and Safety, and Data Management. Inspired by and similar in style
as the Daily Bread or Didache or Daily Drucker, it is envisaged that PICQS Weekly will
provide a reading to be studied further on by the member and so build up his/her knowledge
on Quantity Surveying.

PICQS Weekly also provides an opportunity for members to share their knowledge and
experience. Members from the Affiliate Level are assigned to research and write about a
corresponding topic. These contributors will then submit their articles to the facilitators as
appointed by the PICQS Chairman. The facilitators will then liaise with the Communication
Committee for publication on to the website. Prior to publication, each article will be reviewed
and checked by the founding Chairman, Julie Dela Cruz (FRICS) to ensure the accuracy and
conformity to the professional standards. Visit the website for more information. This service
is free to all members.

Forum Discussion

Another banner program for PICQS for 2012 is the PICQS Forum Discussion. It is an online
discussion where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged in the form of
posted messages. This will provide a great venue for members to drop in their questions,
clarifications, experience and knowledge on construction and QS scenarios/topics being
discussed.

The Forum is a section on the PICQS website and the Chairman, Julie Dela Cruz (FRICS),
has assigned members (from the Probationer Grade) a pre-selected topic to be posted. The
selected topics will revolve around the competencies. Topics are to be posted on the Forum
and each topic will be discussed fortnightly before proceeding to another topic. The
Centralized Communication Committee will act as administrators of the forum and shall
manage the technical details required in running the section on the website. Grace
Mamaradlo (MRICS) will act as the moderator and will screen all questions and comments
before it can be posted. She will answer every members concern on the forum and give the
replies to questions with the help of other corporate members.
The main goal is to have a meaningful exchange of thoughts and experience in Quantity
Surveying, in a dition to providing opportunities for members to enhance their communication
and writing skills, that is through constructing/organizing ones thoughts and posting them
online.

This year, since we will launch the P3T, there will be discussions that will evolve on these
topics and we will ask the participants to submit their questions to the Centralized
Communication Committee so it will be published in the website Forum Discussion section.
The Chairman, the Forum Discussion Manager and Forum Discussion Facilitators will also
initiate discussions as necessary. This facility is free to all members.

FoQuS

In order for some articles that need not necessarily be published on the website and in order
to convey the current news and other events that are happening to PICQS on a regular basis,
the Chair and Founder decided to create a Newsletter called FoQuS. FoQuS is an acronym
for Filipino Organization of Quantity Surveyors and is a homophone of the word FOCUS,
which means PICQS members, are all focused to the vision of becoming chartered and they
have a motivation (focus) towards achieving an end goal.

The newsletter is issued quarterly and each chapter will host one article for inclusion in the
Newsletter. The Newsletter contains headline news, chapter news (PICQS across the globe),
a success corner, PICQS by the numbers, Your Corner, announcement of CPDs and Events
(External and PICQS events) and a corner for the announcement of new members. The
FoQus is managed by the Editor in Chief, Grace Mamardlo (MRICS) and the Editorial Board
is comprised of the Centralized Communication Committee Head Salvador Gamboa and the
committee members under the supervision of the PICQS Chair Julie dela Cruz (FRICS).

PICQS Yearbook

The PICQS Yearbook is an annual report that details the work that PICQS has accomplished
for the year. The Yearbook will include the Chairmans Message, the Chapter Presidents
Report, the Financial Report of the National Board Treasurer, the PICQS programs, the
various CPDs and trainings, a gallery of social, charitable and educational activities of PICQS,
CPDs sponsored by PICQS, CPD sponsored by other QS organizations which are supported
by PICQS.

PAQS Board within PICQS

As an Associate Member of PAQS, PICQS actively participates in the PAQS programs and
activities which include the involvement in the Young Group of Quantity Surveyors, the
contribution to the PAQS-YGQS newsletter and the participation in the PAQS Congress which
is held annually in July.

For further queries on how to be involved in the PAQS activities, please contact Nila Dimaano
(ndd.unl@gmail.com), Centralized Membership Committee Head and Secretary of the PAQS-
YGQS.

RICS Menea QS and Construction Professional Sub Group within PICQS

The PICQS Chair and Founder is a member of the RICS Menea QS and Construction
Professional Group Board and one of the responsibilities of the Board is to review the RICS
Black Book Guidance Notes. As part of the review, RICS suggested that each member of
the Board form their own sub group to help in the review of the Guidance Notes. PICQS
members namely Aileen Lopez, Grace Mamaradlo, Roland Seprado and Jofer Magsi have
been nominated by the PICQS Chair to be part of the RICS Menea QS and Construction
Professional Sub Group. The involvement of these key members will play an important aspect
in the development of PICQS.

PICQS Sponsorship Program (PSP)

PICQS recently launched the PICQS Sponsorship Program (PSP), which aims to send at
least 5 PICQS members (1 from PAP, 1 from GaMP, 1 Founder Member, 1 Technical
Founder Member and 1 Technical Regular Member) to Prof Sams Sound Contract
Administration Courses + Advanced Class on Contract Administration at 50% sponsorship
(Full cost of the course is AED 5,000). Guidelines are to be set out by the Sponsorship
Program Head to be determined in due course.

In addition to the 50% scholarship, PICQS will also sponsor the attendance of one (1)
delegate each year to the PAQS Congress.

PICQS Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Being a responsible professional organization has a significant impact at everything we do at

PICQS. Our institutes values and standards, guided by the members integrity, skills,
expertise and excellence in carrying out duties, provide the foundation for our commitment to
corporate responsibility which internally we call 'The Responsible QS, the PICQS'.

The PICQS CSR projects include sending donations of cash and in kind to calamity victims in
the Philippines through ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya and providing pro bono cost estimates to
Sagip Kapamilya projects.

PICQS Annual Circle of Excellence (ACE) Awards

On our road to sustained success, people are the KEY. In fact, people have been the major
reason why PICQS have gained acceptance by more established QS organizations like AIQS,
PAQS and RICS, and the tremendous expressions of interest from potential members.

As a way of motivating everyone to continue achieving best results, to develop ourselves into
better individuals and to create an even stronger organization, the PICQS Chair and Founder
has launched the Annual Circle of Excellence Awards.

The PICQS Annual Circle of Excellence (ACE) awards aims to recognize the outstanding
performance of individuals.

Every PICQS member takes pride for every achievement PICQS attains. By the dynamic
efforts exerted by the Chapter Officers and Heads and members, this has largely contributed
to the realization of the PICQS vision. Our efforts to achieve our objectives provide fulfillment
to attain our vision, which are all key to our quest to become future Chartered QS
Professionals.

PICQS Giftware

The PICQS Giftware collection is a range of quality gifts bearing the PICQS logo. The PICQS Chapter
CPD Committee is delighted to contribute 10% of the net price of all items sold to the PICQS
Sponsorship Program (PSP) and the PICQS CSR projects.