Saint Mary’s University

School of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

PART I. ENGINEERING LAWS

EXTRACTS FROM REPUBLIC ACT NO. 544 – AN ACT TO REGULATE THE PRACTICE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING IN THE
PHILIPPINES.

(Enacted by the Second Congress, Republic of the Philippines, First Session from House Bill No. 162. Approved June 19,
1950)

TITLE OF THE ACT: “This Act shall be known as the Civil Engineering Law”

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

(a) The practice of Civil Engineering within the meaning and intent of this act shall embrace services in the form
of consultation, design, preparation of plans, specifications, estimates, erection, installation and supervision
of construction of streets, bridges, highways, railroads, airports and hangars, port works, canals, river and
shore protection and shore improvements, lighthouses, and drydocks, buildings, fixed structures of irrigations,
flood protection, drainage, water supply and sewerage works, demolition of permanent structures and tunnels.
The enumerations of any work in this section shall not be constructed as excluding any other works requiring
Civil Engineering knowledge and application.

Note: Heto yung mga scope ng trabaho ng Civil Engineering. Take note of the last sentence na nagsasabing kahit hindi
nabanggit sa itaas basta’t nangangailangan ng Civil Engineering knowledge and application ay sakop pa rin ito ng CE
practice.

(b) The term “Civil Engineer” as used in this act shall mean a person fully registered with the Board of Engineers
for Civil Engineers in the manner as hereafter provided.

Note: A Civil Engineer must be a REGISTERED. A student who graduate BSCE is not yet a Civil Engineer.

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD

The Board of Examiners for Civil Engineers is vested with authority, conformable to the provisions of this Act to:

1. Administer Oaths

2. Issue certificates of registration for the practice of Civil Engineering.

3. Issue certificates of recognition for Civil Engineer already registered under this act for advance studies,
research or highly specialized training in any branch of Civil Engineering, subject to the approval of the
Secretary of Public Works and Communications (now Public Works and Highways).

4. Investigate such violation of this act and the regulations, thereunder as may come to the knowledge of the
Board and for this purpose.

5. Issue subpoena duces tecum to secure appearance of witnesses in connection with the charges presented to
the Board.

1|CE – 318 Prepared By: Engr. Juniffen I. Tacadena

 Saint Mary’s University
School of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

Note: subpoena duces tecum means that the court may summon someone for the production of evidence in connection
with charges.

6. Inspect at least once a year educational institutions offering Civil Engineering courses, Civil Engineering works,
projects or corporations established in the Philippines and for safeguarding of life, health and property.

Note: they need to inspect institutions para maiwasan ang pagooffer nila ng CE course illegally. Later on, para
mapayagan kang magtake ng Board Exam, you must be a graduate of CE from a RECOGNIZED and LEGALLY
CONSIDERED school, institution, college or University.

7. Discharge such other power and duties as may affect ethical and technological standards of the Civil
Engineering profession in the Philippines.

For the purpose of this act, the Director of Public Works and Communications (now DPWH) or his authorized
representatives in the provinces and chartered cities shall be ex-officio agents of the Board and such it shall be their
duty to help in the enforcement of the provision of this Act.

QUALIFICATION OF BOARD MEMBERS

Each member of the Board shall at the time of his appointment:

1. Be a citizen and resident of the Philippines.

2. Be at least 30 years of age and of good moral character.

3. Be a graduate of Civil Engineering from a recognized and legally considered school, institute, college or
university.

4. Be a registered Civil Engineer duly qualified to practice Civil Engineering in the Philippines, as such for a period
of not less than 10 years prior to his appointment.

5. Have practiced Civil Engineering with a certificate as such for a period of not less than 10 years prior to his
appointment.

6. Not a member of a faculty of any school, institute, college or university where Civil Engineering is taught, nor
have a pecuniary interest in such institution.

7. No former member of the faculty of any school, institute, college or university where Civil Engineering is taught
can become a member of the Board unless he has stopped teaching for at least three consecutive years.

Note: Importante yung no. 6 and 7 qualification para maiwasan ang “favoritism” at “leakage” pagdating ng Board
Exam. The Board has the duty to prepare questionnaires in the Board Exam.

EXAMINATION REQUIREMENT

All applicants for the practice of Civil Engineering shall be required to pass a technical examination as hereinafter
provided.

2|CE – 318 Prepared By: Engr. Juniffen I. Tacadena

 Saint Mary’s University
School of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

HOLDING EXAMINATION

Examination of candidates desiring to practice Civil Engineering in the Philippines shall be given in the city of Manila
beginning second Monday of February and August of each year, provided that such days do not fall on official holidays,
otherwise, the examinations shall be held on the following days. (Now on May and November in NCR, Baguio, Cagayan
de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legaspi, Lucena, Pagadian, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga PRC Offices conducting
it simultaneously)

SUBJECTS OF THE EXAMINATION

Applicants for certificates of registration as Civil Engineers shall be examined in the discretion of the Board on the
following subjects:

a. Mathematics including algebra, plane and spherical trigonometry, analytic and solid geometry, differential and
integral calculus, rational and applied mechanics and engineering economics and accounting.

b. Hydraulics including water supply, sanitary engineering, irrigation engineering and hydraulics engineering.

c. Surveying including elementary surveying, topographic and hydrographic surveying, highway and railroad
curve surveying, earthworks and advanced surveying.

d. Design and construction including highways and railroads, masonry structures, wooden and reinforced
concrete buildings, bridges, towers, walls, foundations, piers, ports, wharves, aqueducts, sanitary engineering
works, water supply systems, dikes, dams and irrigation and drainage canals.

Note: Now the examination subjects are (1)Mathematics, Surveying and Transportation, (2)Hydraulics and
Geotechnical Engineering and (3)Design and Construction

QUALIFICATION FOR EXAMINATION

Any person applying for admission for Civil Engineering Examination as herein provided shall, prior to the date of the
examination, established to the satisfaction of the Board that s/he has the following qualifications:

a. Be at least 21 years of age

b. Be a citizen of the Philippines

c. Be of good reputation and of moral conduct

d. Be a graduate of a Four Year (old curriculum is Five Year) course in Civil Engineering from a school, institute,
college or university recognized by the government or the State wherein it is established.

Note: The present curriculum for CE is again back to Four (4) years because of K-12 Program of the Government.

3|CE – 318 Prepared By: Engr. Juniffen I. Tacadena

 Saint Mary’s University
School of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

OATH OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

All successful candidates in the examination shall be required to take professional oath before the Board of Examiners
for Civil Engineers or other Government officials authorized to administer oaths prior to entering upon the practice of
the Civil Engineering profession.

Note: Oath of Civil Engineers are usually held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City

SEAL AND USE OF SEAL

All registered Civil Engineers shall obtain a seal of such design as the Board shall authorize and direct, provided,
however, that the serial number of the certificate issued by the board shall be included in the design of the seal. Plans
and Specifications, prepared by, or under the direct supervision of a registered Civil Engineer shall be stamped with
the said seal, during the life of the registrant’s certificate, and it shall be unlawful for anyone to stamp or seal any
document with said seal after the certificate of the registrant’s named thereon has expired or has been revoked, unless
said certificate shall have been renewed or re-issued.

Note: at present, the Certificate has no expiration and need not to renewed. The license is to be renewed every 3 year.

EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION:

A. Registration shall not be required to the following persons:

1. Officers and enlisted men of the United States and Philippine Armed Forces and civilian employees of the
Government of the United States stationed in the Philippines while rendering Civil Engineering Services from
the United States and the Philippines.

2. Civil Engineers or experts called in by the Philippine Government for consultation, or specific design and
construction of fixed structures shall be limited as defined under this Act, provided their practice is limited to
such work.

B. Any person residing in the Philippines may make plans and specifications for any of the following:

1. Any building enlargement in chartered cities or in towns which building ordinances, not exceeding the space
requirement specified therein, requiring the services of the Civil Engineer.

2. Any wooden building enlargement or alteration which is to be used for farm purposes only and costing not
more than ten thousand pesos.

3. Provided, however, that there shall be nothing that this act will prevent any person from constructing his own
(wooden or light material) residential house, utilizing the services of a person or persons required for that
purpose, without use of a Civil Engineer, as long as he does not violate ordinances of the place where the
building is to be constructed.

Note: these are the exempted structures that does not require a Registered Civil Engineer.

4|CE – 318 Prepared By: Engr. Juniffen I. Tacadena

 Saint Mary’s University
School of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

C. Nor shall anything in this act prevent draftsman, student clerk of work, superintendents and other employees
of those lawfully engaged in the practice of Civil Engineering under the provisions of this Act, from acting under
the instructions, control and supervision of their employers.

D. Nor shall anything in this act prevent any person who prior to the approval of this act have been successfully
engaged in the practice of “Maestro de Obras” to continue as such, provided they shall not undertake the
making of plans, supervision for the following classes of work:

1. Building of concrete whether reinforced or not

2. Building of more than two storeys

3. Building with frames of structural steel

4. Building of structures intended for public gathering or assemblies such as theaters, cinematography, stadia,
churches or structure of the like.

E. Nor shall anything in this act prevent professional Architects and Engineers to practice their professions.

REFUSAL TO ISSUE CERTIFICATE

The Board of Examiners for Civil Engineers shall not issue certificate to any person convicted by a court of competent
jurisdiction of any offense involving moral turpitude, or to any person guilty of immoral or dishonorable conduct, or to
any person of unsound mind.

SUSPENSION AND REVOCATION OF CERTIFICATE

Subject to the approval of the Secretary of Public Works and Communications (now DPWH), the board shall have the
power after due motion and hearing, to suspend or revoke the certificate of registration for any cause mentioned in
the preceding section.

Note: The Secretary of DPWH is also the Acting National Building Official

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Unless exempted from registration, no person shall practice or offer to practice Civil Engineering in the Philippines
without having obtained the proper certificate of registration from the Board of Examiners for Civil Engineers.

RECIPROCITY REQUIREMENTS

No person who is not a citizen of the Philippines at the time he applies to take examination shall be allowed to take it
unless he can prove in the law or provided by the rules of court, that, by specific provisions of law in the country of
which he is a citizen, subject or national either admits citizens of the Philippines, the practice of the same profession
without restriction or allows them to practice it after an examination on terms of strict and absolute equality with
citizens, subjects or nationals of the country concerned, including the unconditional recognition of the degrees issued
by institutions of learning duly recognized for the purpose by the Government of the Philippines, provided, that if he
is not a citizen of the Philippines, and was admitted to the practice of profession in the Philippines, after December 8,
1941, his active practice in that profession either in the Philippines or either in the State or country where he was

5|CE – 318 Prepared By: Engr. Juniffen I. Tacadena

 Saint Mary’s University
School of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

practicing his profession, shall have not been interrupted for the period of two or more years prior to July 4, 1946, and
that the country or state from which he comes allows the citizen of the Philippines by specific provision or terms of
strict and absolute equality with citizens, subjects or nationals of the country or state concerned.

Note: in simple words, dapat ay pantay-pantay and trato ng mga Civil Engineers Worldwide. Hindi pwede yung
magprapractice sa ating bansa ang isang Chinese na Civil Engineer kung hindi rin pinapayagan sa bansa ang mga
Filipino Civil Engineers. Sa ngayon, may naisip ang mga ASEAN countries para sa ganitong sitwasyon. We have the
ASEAN Engineer. Pagka ikaw ay isang ASEAN Engineer, maaari kang magpractice ng Civil Engineering sa mga ASEAN
countries which is ang trato sayo is parehas lang sa ibang lahi. Marami kasing nangyayari ngayong hindi patas ang
pagtrato. Halimbawa, mas mataas ang sahod ng isang Singaporean CE kesa sa Filipino CE dahil daw sila ay nagaral ng
mas mahabang panahon or meron silang specialization at iba pa.

6|CE – 318 Prepared By: Engr. Juniffen I. Tacadena