RA 544 (As Amended by RA 1582): An Act to
Regulate the Practice of Civil Engineering in the
Philippines
– Enacted by the Senate and House of the
Representatives
– Approved: June 17, 1950; Amended: June 16,
1956
Article 1: Title and Definition of Terms
1. Title: Civil Engineering Law
2. Definition of Terms
• Civil engineering: consultation, design,
preparation of plans, specifications,
estimates, erection, installation and
supervision of construction
• Demolition of permanent structures
• Civil engineer: a person duly registered
with the Board of Civil Engineers
Article 2: Board of Examiners for Civil Engineers
3. Composition of Board
• Within 30 days after approval, a Board of
Examiners for Civil Engineers (Board) shall
be created – chairman and two members
appointed by the President, recommended
by PRC Commissioner.
• Members hold office for 3 years
• First members: 1 for one year, 1 for two
years, 1 for three years
4. Powers and Duties of the Board
• Administer oaths, issue, suspend and issue
and revoke certificates of registration
• Inspect at least once a year educational
institutions
• Director of Public Works or his
representatives will help reinforce this act
5. Qualifications of Board Members
• Filipino citizen and resident
• At years 30 y/o and of good moral
character
• Graduate of civil engineering
• Registered CE qualified to practice CE
• Have practiced CE, with certificates, for not
less than 10 years
• Not a faculty member of any university, no
pecuniary interest in such institutions
• No former members of faculty of any
university, or stopped teaching at least 3
years
6. Fees and Compensation of Board
• 100 pesos application for examination, 50
pesos for each certificate of registration
• Each member of the Board will receive 15
pesos as compensation for each applicant
examined in addition to his salary
7. Annual Report
• Submit a report at end of each fiscal year
Article 3: Examination and Registration
8. Examination Requirement: All applicants should
pass a technical examination
9. Holding of Examination: Examination will be
given in Manila of each year; if fell on holidays,
it will be given on the days next following
10. Subjects of Examination
• Mathematics: algebra, plane and spherical
trigonometry, analytics, descriptive and
solid geometry
• Differential and integral calculus, and
rational and applied mechanics
• Hydraulics
• Surveying: highway and railroad surveying
• Plane, topographic surveying and advance
surveying
• Design and construction of highways and
railroads
11. Executive Officer of the Board
• Commissioner of PRC will be the executive
officer of the Board
12. Qualifications for Examination
• At least 21 y/o
• Filipino citizen
• Good reputation and moral character
• Graduate of a 4-year course CE
13. Oath of Civil Engineers
14. Seal and Use of Seal
• All registered CE will obtain a seal,
included of the serial number of the
certificate
• It is unlawful to stamp/seal documents
when the seal has expired
15. Exemption from Registration
• Registration is exempted to:
a. US and Philippine Armed Forces,
employees of US government in PH
who rendered CE services
b. CE or experts called for consultation
• Any Filipino may make plans for:
a. Building in chartered cities wit building
ordinances, not exceeding the space
requiring services of CE
b. Wooden building enlargement or
alteration for farming purposes only,
not exceeding 10,000 pesos
 c. Wooden or light material residential
house, as long as he does not violate
local ordinances
• Draftsmen, student clerk-or-work could
engage in practice of CE under the control
or supervision of their employer
• Lawfully engaged in the practice of
“maestro de obras”
a. Building of concrete, reinforced or not
b. More than 2 stories
c. With frames of structural steel
d. Public gathering or assemblies
16. Refusal to Issue Certificate
• Convicted by court
• Guilty of immoral or dishonorable conduct
• Unsound mind
• The Board will give a written statement
setting forth the reason of the refusal
17. Suspension and Revocation of Certificates
18. Re-issue and Replacement of Certificates: The
Board may do so after the expiration of 1 year
from when the certificate is revoked
19. Transitory Provisions
• Be required to obtain a certificate of
registration
• All CE licensed under Act 9285 will
automatically be registered
• CE graduates who passed the civil service
examination for senior CE and have been
practicing in the government as such during
5 years are exempted in the examination
Article 4: Enforcement of Act and Penal Provisions
20. Enforcement of the Act by officers of the law
21. Registration required: No person is allowed to
practice CE without having obtained proper
certificate registration
22. Penal provisions
• Guilty of misdemeanor will be sentenced to
a fine of not less than 50,000 pesos nor
more than 200,000 pesos, or suffer
imprisonment of not less than 6 months
and not more than 1 year
Article 5: Miscellaneous Provisions
23. Preparation of plans and supervisions of
construction by registered civil engineer
24. Practice of civil engineering is a professional
service
25. Reciprocity requirements
26. Roster of civil engineers: A roster of registered
CE will be prepared by PRC periodically but at
least once a year
27. Repeal
28. Construction of Act
29. Effectivity
RA 4566: An Act Creating the Philippine Licensing
Board for Contractors, Prescribing its Powers,
Duties and Functions, Providing Funds Therefor,
and for Other Purposes
– Approved: June 19, 1965
1. Title: Contractor’s License Law
Article 1: Administration
2. Composition of the Board
• Philippine Licensing Board for Contractors
3. Qualifications of members
• Recognized standing in his branch for 10
years
• Filipino citizen and resident for at least 8
years
• At least 35 y/o and possessed of a good
moral character
4. Term of office
• Three years
• First members: chairman for 3 years, one
member for 1 year, the other for 1 year
• Any member may be removed by the
President for neglect or dereliction of duty
5. Powers and duties of the Board
• Issue, suspend and revoke licenses of
contractors
• Issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum
to secure appearance of witnesses
6. Board meetings: At least once a month
7. Compensation: For every meeting, the
Chairman will receive a per diem of 50 pesos,
members a per diem of 25 pesos each
8. Annual report: Submit to the President and the
Congress a report at the end of each fiscal year
Article 2: Application of the Act
9. Definition of terms
• Persons – individual, firm, partnership
• Contractor – builder, who undertakes or
purports to have the capacity to bid
• General engineering contractor – fixed
works requiring specialized engineering skill
• General building contractor – structure built,
being built, or to be built
• Specialty contractor – performance of
construction work requiring special skill
10. Public personnel: Not apply to authorized
representative of the Republic
11. Finished products: Not apply to sale or
installation of finished products that do not
become permanent part of the structure
12. Personal property: Not apply to construction of
personal property
13. Minor work: Not apply with an aggregate
contact price less than 10,000 pesos
14. Architects and engineers: Not apply to
registered CE or Arki
15. Material men: Not apply to any person who only
furnishes
Article 3: Classifications
16. Classification
• General engineering contracting
• General building contracting
• Specialty contracting
17. Power to classify and limit operations: Adopt
reasonably necessary rules and regulations
18. Incidental work: Do not prohibit a specialty
contractor from taking a contract involving 2 or
more crafts
Article 4: Licensing
19. Examinations required: The Board may
investigate for contractor’s licenses by written
and/or oral examination
20. Qualifications of applications for contractor’s
licenses: At least 2 years experience
21. Notice of disassociation required: The licensee
shall notify the Board in writing 10 days from
cessation
22. Failure to notify in case of disassociation: If he
fails to notify within 10 days, his license would
be ipso facto suspended
23. Issuance of licenses: Upon paying, the Board
within 15 days shall issue a license
24. Death: A surviving member shall be entitled to
continue the business until the expiration date,
if an application for permission is made to the
registrar within 30 days after the death
25. No examination required: Licensees for the last
5 years may be issued licenses without
examination
Article 5: Records
26. Publication of list: The Board will publish at
least once a year the list of contractors
27. Changes: Be reported within 30 days after the
changes are made
28. Causes of disciplinary action
• Willful and deliberate abandonment without
lawful excuse
• Willful material and substantial departure
from plans without the consent of the owner
• Willful misrepresentation of a material
• Aiding or abetting an unlicensed person to
evade this Act
• Failure to comply the provisions of this Act
• Fraudulent act as a consequence of which
another is injured
• Participation in any partnership of which he
is a managing partner, employee
Article 7: Disciplinary Proceedings
29. Jurisdiction
30. Prescription
• All accusations will be filed within 1 year
• Except violation of subsection c of section
28, accusation may be filed within 2 years
31. Restoration or renewal of licenses: Suspension
may be lifted upon proof of compliance
• After revocation, it should be renewed with
a period of 1 year
32. Jurisdiction
Article 8: Enforcement and Penalties
33. Enforcement by officers of the law
34. Enforcement by the Board: Right to institute
proper action in court and secure writ of
injunction without bond
35. Penalties: Pay a fine of not less than 500 pesos
but not more than 5,000 pesos
36. License required in biddings
37. Individual License: Unlawful to individually
engage in the constructing business without
having a license
38. Joint licenses: Unlawful for two or more
licenses, each whom has been issued a license
separately, to jointly submit a bid
Article 10: Fees
39. Fee
• 50 pesos for original license
• 60 pesos for examination
• 50 pesos for annual renewal
Article 11: Renewal and Licenses
40. Renewal: May be renewed not later than June
13 of each fiscal year
41. Non-renewal of licenses: When suspended for
more than 1 year, renewal is not immediate
Article 12: Special Provisions
42. Separability Clause
43. Repeal
44. Effectivity