How To Get Certified as an Interior Designer in the Philippines
A career in interior design in the Philippines can be lucrative and rewarding. You get an opportunity to work with different kinds of customers. As an interior designer, you get to exercise your artistry and creativity in designing commercial property and house spaces. Your range of masterpieces will include paintings, sculptures, houses, and even towering skyscrapers.
As an interior designer in the Philippines, your typical earnings will range from PHP22,000 to as high as PHP76,300, according to figures from salaryexplorer.com. The salary range will depend on your years of experience. The more experienced you are, the higher will be your pay scale. There is a lot of opportunities as an interior designer in the Philippines.
However, to ensure your success in the interior design industry and get more clients, you need to consider getting certified as an interior designer. Here are the steps on how to become a certified interior designer in the Philippines:
Obtain a Degree in Interior Design
Several colleges and universities offer a degree in Interior Design. Some schools are solely devoted to interior designing. From these schools, you will learn various concepts like building interiors, knowledge of furniture and home accessories, architecture, and engineering. A degree in Interior Design usually takes four years to complete. However, in schools following the trimester curriculum, it will take less than four years.
Obtain Expertise By Internship
To become a successful interior designer, you will need to undergo a practicum. It will give you firsthand experience in the actual interior design work. Most internships will run for 150 hours and will provide you with a glimpse of the procedures and processes of interior design.
For your internship, you can apply to local design firms and organizations involved in interior design practice. Take advantage of your on-the-job training to develop your portfolio, which you can use further to apply for employment in the industry.
Pass the Interior Design Licensure Examination
After completing your BS in Interior Design degree, you need to pass the Interior Design Licensure Exam administered by the Board of Interior Design under the supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
The examinations will cover topics in Interior Design, Furniture Design and Construction, Material Design and Decoration, History of Arts and Interior Design, Interior Construction and Utilities, Color Theory, and Professional Practice and Ethics. You need a weighted general average of 70% to pass the exam and gain your license.
To keep your license, you need to fulfill the requirement of the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID), the accredited integrated professional organization of interior designers. Effective March 15, 2019, licensed interior designers should fulfill the PIID’s 15-point requirement of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for every cycle (3 years per cycle) and 6 General Membership Meeting (GMM) attendances.
