The NCCA joins the nation in mourning the passing of architect and foremost heritage and conservation advocate Augusto F. Villalon.

Known as Toti to friends and colleagues, Villalon has been an esteemed and beloved figure for many cultural workers, heritage advocates, artists, academicians, and students. He is known for his pioneering, monumental and indefatigable efforts in heritage conservation and promotion. He has also mentored many heritage workers, who still continue to preserve part of our national patrimony and identity. His writings have made us realize the need for conservation, have deepened our appreciation for heritage and continue to inspire us.

Villalon has been part of the NCCA, being with the National Committee on Monuments and Sites of the Subcommission on Cultural Heritage.

He was also among the first Filipino to be part of ICOMOS International and became president of ICOMOS Philippines. He was instrumental in the inscriptions of Philippine sites into the UNESCO World Heritage list, including the Rice Terraces of the Cordillera and the four Baroque churches.

The NCCA honored him with a Dangal ng Haraya in 2002 for his invaluable contributions and achievements. Villalon has also received many accolades and awards. More importantly, he left behind many heritage monuments and structures salvaged and numerous lives touched and inspired. He has been a leading light of culture in general, and we are continually enriched by his legacy.