Laws Governing Civil Engineering and Architecture in the Philippines

Laws and Regulations in the Philippines

• The law that exclusively governs the practice of Civil Engineering in the Philippines is not specified.
• The law specifically related to the practice of architecture in the Philippines is R.A.No. 9266.
• PD1096 is focused on the National Building Code (NBC).

Involvement of Architects and Civil Engineers

• Architects are exclusively involved in the application of permits for certain documents, including Vicinity Map/Location Plan, as per the revised IRR of the NBC.
• Section 302 of the Revised IRR of the NBC centers on the exclusive involvement of Architects in certain documents.
• Architects are granted the exclusive privilege to prepare, sign, and seal architectural documents according to R.A.No. 9266.

History and Timeline

• At the end of World War II in 1945, there were 270 Architects and 2,000 Civil Engineers in the Philippines.
• Before June 1950, Civil Engineers and Architects practiced under 17 laws.
• R.A.No. 9266, the new architecture law, took effect in 2004.
• P.D.No. 1096, signed by President Marcos in 1977, distinguished the professions of Architects and CEs.
• In 2003, the UAP (United Architects of the Philippines) entered into an agreement with the Ph Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) to clarify the roles of Architects and CEs.
• In mid-2004, PICE caused a legislative action to amend the law.

Implications and Consequences

• The implication of P.D.No. 1096 for CEs and the practice of Architecture was that CEs could no longer practice architecture.
• From the 1950s to the late 1970s, CEs desirous of entering the practice of Architecture had to obtain a separate license.
• The main purpose of R.A.No. 9266 was to clarify the roles of Architects and CEs.
• The UAP initiated a campaign to fully disseminate public information on the practice of architecture in the Philippines in the early 1980s.