History of Civil Engineering in

the Philippines
Dindo Mojica, CE M.Eng.
During Spanish Time

• Three and half centuries of spanish subjugation, there

were no Filipino Civil Engineers.
• The indio builders called themselves as Maestro de
Obras(Master Builders)
• Master Builders – Construction Foreman
• Only SPANIARDS with academic degrees are engineers.
• Intramuros – established by the Spaniards as a model
community.
1846
• The Pasig River Light House was the
first lighthouse(Masonry-Built) erected
in the Philippines.
• “Parola” means lighthouse.
 1852
Puente Colgante which is the term for a
suspension bridge in Spanish; a hanging
bridge. Owned by Ynchauste y Compania.
The bridge was first named Puente de
Claveria.
The suspension bridge measured 110
m(360ft) long and 7 m(23ft) wide and had
two lanes that allowed passage of horses
and carabao-drawn carriages. Opened for
pedestrians traveling on foot between
Quiapo and Intramuros.
 1867 1868

The project for public supply of The Bureau of Public Works and
fresh water to the city dates Highways(Obras Publicas) and
from the early 18th century. Bureau of Communications and
Transportations
 1878 - 1918
Don Francisco Carriedo y Peredo –
his will for the building of a Manila
Water System

Francisco Carriedo y Peredo

(November 7, 1690 – September 1743)
was a Basque military officer,
politician, and philanthropist. He was a
Carriedo is known for being the benefactor of
general of the Santa Familia galleon
Manila's pipe water system. As a retired Spanish
and served as Capitán General of the Captain General in December 1733, he donated ten
Philippines. thousand pesos drawn from his fortune from the
Acapulco-Manila investments.
 1875

King Alfonso XII of Spain

Promulgates the Royal Decree
directing the Office of the Inspector
of Public Works of the Philippines to
submit a general plan of railroad in
Luzon.
 1876

The General Plan for Railways

was drawn up in 1876 for the
island of Luzon.
The most outstanding works
carried out on the railway
system were the bridge over
the great Pampanga River and
the building of Tutuban station
in Tondo district.
 1880

• School for Maestro de Obras

called Excuela Practica y
Artes Oficios de Manila was
founded.
• Its first Filipino graduates
were Julio Hernandez(1891),
Isidro Medina(1894), Arcadio
Arellano(1894) and Juan
Carreon(1896)
1883 1887
The study of the first Construction of the
railroad project between Manila-Dagupan railroad
Manila and Dagupan done was started.
by Antonio dela Camara
was approved.
18th and 19th Centuries

Filipino Engineers were assigned the

task of maintaining, repairing and/or
re-modelling infrastructure “pueblos”
or towns including churches,
convents and government buildings.
Two types of construction(Spanish
regime)
• 1. Pavement of cut
• 2. rubble-stone pavement
 First Philippine
Republic(Aguinaldo) - 1898

• Created Department of War and Public Works

• Ceded from Spaniards to US
 During American Regime

• Drastic changes in our engineering culture.

• Focused on English education
• 1899 – Bureau of Engineering was placed under the
supervision of American military engineers.
• 1900 – Liceo de Manila, a private institution offering
academic course for maestro de obras and headed by
Leon Ma. Guerrero offered Maestro de Obras(formal
education for achitecture/engineering)
Early 1900’s 1901

• Transportation in the
Philippines was depended Act No. 83 passed by the Philippine
largely on trails, Commission(Collecting taxes,
waterways, railroad, earth maintaining municipal properties and
undertaking necessary construction
roads and partially –
projects)
gravelled roads.
• Highway – more than a
dream to most Filipinos
 1902
• Bureau of Engineering and
Construction of Public Works and
Bureau of Architecture and
Construction of Public Buildings –
were created by Act. Nos. 222 and
268
• The first Railroad legislation
Act(Act 554)
1907
• The Faculty of Engineering of
UST is the oldest engineering
school in the Philippines.
• Established on May 18, 1907;
offered – BSCE and MSCE(1912
graduates)
 1919 - 1954 1921
Metropolitan Water District • The Engineers and Architects Law
was founded. (Act No. 2985) passed on February 23,
1921. The law created separate Board
of Examiners for Civil Engineering and
Architecture.

• Filipinos were allowed to practice as

Architects and Engineers because of
their experience as Maestro de Obras
 1928 1930’s
• A group of civil engineers from the
government sector formed the • Puente Colgante Bridge was
Philippine Society of Civil replaced by a modern steel arch
Engineers(PSCE) which was the first bridge during early 1930’s.
civil engineering organization in the
• It was renamed Quezon Bridge
Philippines with Engr. Marcial
Kasilag as its first president. after Mauel L. Quezon(President
that time)
• Engr. Kasilag received the honer of
holding PRC Reg. No. 1 for Civil
Engineers.
 Commonwealth
1931 Government - 1935

Department of Commerce and

Communication renamed as • Department of Commerce and
the Department of Public Communication renamed as the
Works and Communications Department of Public Works and
Communications

• Act Number 4211 permitting under-

aged persons to take the board exam
 1937
The Philippine Association of
Civil Engineers(PACE) was
formed from a group of civil
engineers in the private sector
with Engr. Enrique Sto. Tomas
Cortes as its first president.
1940
Highway 54 was the former name of the
Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA).
Stretching some 54 kilometers,
Highway 54 serves as a lifeline for
hundreds of thousands of Filipinos
passing or doing business in Metro
Manila.
During Japanese Continuation of
Commonwealth Government
Occupation(World (After the War)
War II)

Philippine government continued the

Department of Public Works and rehabilitation and construction of roads,
Communications(DPWC) was bridges, buildings and other
abolished. infrastructures.
Third Republic 1949

Resuming DPWC started Laws separating statutes

with limited human between architects and
resources, funds, engineers passed
materials and equipment.
 1951 1955 - 1970

• DPWC to
DPWTC(Transportation) National Waterworks and Sewerage
• 1954 – RA 1192 Bureau of System Authority(NAWASA) was
Public Highways was created through RA 1383.
created
• RA 1080 – making bar and
board exam(passers) are
equivalent to First-Grade
Civil Service eligibility.
 1956 1960

On June 16, 1956, the Civil Philippines had created one of

Engineering Law was further the top countries in the world
amended by RA No. 1582. that produces architects and
engineers since the 60’s.
 1963 1964

On June 20, 1964, republic Act

RA 3597 was approved on
No. 4156 is enacted. It changes
June 22, 1963(NAWASA
the corporate name of Manila
act)
Railroad Company (MRRCo) to
Philippine National
Railways(PNR)
 During Martial
Law(Marcos Era) 1973
– 1970’s
• Pres. Marcos, issued PD 223, creating the
Professional Regulation
The 70’s is commonly Commission(PRC) regulating all
known as Martial Law profession.
Years. • On Dec 11, 1973, the securities and
Exchange Commissions(SEC) issued
registration certificate No. 53896 to the
Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers,
Inc.(PICE) – merging the PSCE and PACE
(S – Society and A-Association)
 1975 1977
• The first international convention
was held in the Philippines on May 20
to 24, 1975. PD 1096 – the National Building
• NHA(National Housing Authority) – it Code of the Philippines(NBCP)
was created under PD 757 to oversee
housing development on a national
level.
• PPA(The Philippine Ports Authority) –
it was created under PD 505.
• The Sytem Internationale(SI) system
was mandated in the Philippines.
 After Edsa
1980’s Revolution - 1987
Major highways and E.O. No. 124 - Ministry of
expressways were constructed Public Works and Highways
through the financial is now known as the
assistance and loans from Department of Public Works
foreign bank and Highways(DPWH)
 1993
The Board of Civil Engineering
(at PRC) held its first fully
computerized (board)
examinations on May 29, 1993
and released the results on
November 9, 1993.
1995
Feb. 28, 1995, the syllabi for the
subjects in the Civil Engineering
licensure examinations were
promulgated.
 2001 2003

PICE has been awarded by the RA 9184 “An act providing for the
professional Regulation Modernization, Standardization
Commision(PRC) as the Most and Regulation of the
Outstanding Accredited Procurement Activities of the
Professional Organization Government and for other
Purpose was enacted by Pres.
Arroyo
 2006

Since November 2006 CE Since November 2006 CE Board

Board Exam, the PRC Exam, the PRC releases only Top 10
releases only Top 10 Board Board Exam Performers under E.O.
Exam Performers under No. 566 by Pres. Arroyo
E.O. No. 566 by Pres.
Arroyo
 2007 2010 up to
present
• Senate Bill No. 2109” An act
further amending republic
November 2007 CE Board Exsm was act no. 544, as amended or
invalidated (retake last January the Civil Engineering
2008) for Hydrualics and Law”(introduced by Sen.
Geotecnical Engg) Escudero)
• Civil Engineering Law of 2011
 March 2012

The Board of Civil Engineering wrote to Philippine Institute of

Civil Engineers (PICE) that the board exam questions will be
increased from 30/35(per subject) to 100 problems per subject
effective for May 2012 CE Board Exams.