Just a quick recap, the national building code of the Philippines also known as RA 6541 were enacted on

august 26, 1972 to regulate building and structural design, construction and maintainance for the public
safety, health, and welfare.

Chapter 6 of RA 6541 which focuses on fire resistive requirements in construction this ensures that the
buildings are equipped with materials and features to withstand fire.

(first of all, why do fire resistant homes and buildings matter? Why do we have to build this kind of
construction. BECAUSE in an unprepared-areas a small flame can turn into a disaster within just minutes.
Electrical problems, cooking mishaps, and malfunctioning appliances can ignite a fire and swiftly
engulfing unprepared buildings. Fire resistant materials do not only slow down the spread of fire this
allows extra time for firefighters to respond and for the residents to evacuate safely but also, it prevent
massive damages and loss. And aside from saving lives, it also protects neighboring properties as it break
the cycle on a chain reaction of fire on tight packed communities

So lets break it down

Fire resistive rating or section 601 – this is a measure of how well a material can withstand fire
determined through standardized testing methods . so some third party organizations responsible for
testing firestopping assemblies are: (AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS)

a. ASTM E-814 standard used in testing through penetration firestopping.

b. ASTM E-1966 standard used in testing construction joint firestopping.
c. ASTM 2307 standard used in testing curtain wall joint systems for durability during movements
before being subjected to fire.

Fire resistive time period rating or section 602 – this refers to the duration material can endure being
burned so usually measure to by hours just like section 403 of NBCP through penetration firestop system

-(exterior doors and windows shall have 1hr fire rating,

-fire resistive rating on interior walls shall have 1hr,

-LOAD bearing walls shall have 3hr fire resistive rating

-one hour for vertical openings, structural frames shall have one hour,

(so example they will place the materials in a furnace for hours to measure its performance for load-
bearing and fire-retardant properties.)

Fire resistive standards or section 603 – construction materials must be classified based on their ability
to resist fire and determined by accepted testing methods by the secretary.

CLASS A MATERIALS

-INCLUDE INHERENTLY NON-COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS LIKE BRICK, CONCRETE, AND GYPSUM

WALLBOARD. PROVIDE EXCELLENT FIRE PROTECTION
COMBUSTIBLE (MATERIALS LIKE UNTRATED WOOD THAT VULNERABLE AND CAN EASILY FUEL FIRE) VS
NON-COMBUSTIBLE (MATERIALS LIKE STEEL AND REINFORCED CONCRETE WHICH ARE INHERENTL
RESISTANT TO FIRE AND USE IN HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS.

WHY CLASSIFICATION MATTERS?

PROPERLY CLASSIFIED MATERIALS ENSURE OCCUPANTS TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO EVACUATE DURING
FIRE AND MINIMIZE PROPERTY DAMAGE.

Fire resistive regulations or section 604 – the secretary is responsible for setting standards and
regulations regarding various aspects related to fire safety construction this includes testing procedures
for materials, installation of fire doors and windows , and protection of structural elements.

CHALLENGES (NON-COMPLIANCE)

A. LIMITED COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PASSIVE FIRE SYSTEMS

B. MOST OWNERS ARE AWARE OF THE STANDARDS, HOWEVER LESS PRIORITIZED
C. INCORPORATED AT THE LAST STAGE OF THE PROJECT, WHEREAS IF LIFE SAFETY IS THE PRIORITY
IT SHOULD BE INTEGRATED DURING THE PLANNING STAGE.

CONSEQUENCE

A. MAJOR RISK ON EVACUATION OF OCCUPANTS

B. COMPROMISED INTEGRITY OF THE BUILDING
C. MORE EXPENSIVE REPAIR COST
D. HIGHER COMPENSATION ON DAMAGES
E. HIGHER NUMBER OF CASUALTIES

Chapter 8 of the building code of the Philippines which focuses on light and ventilation

So the general requirements of light and ventilation or section 801 – building must be design to provide
enough light and ventilation. It should face a street or public alley and cannot be altered in a way that
reduces room size or window area and enlarging a building must not compromise required court or yard
dimensions. (THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL STANDARD FOR COURTYARD DIMENSION, HOWEVER IT DEPENDS
ON THE BUILDINGS HEIGHT, LOCAL BUILDING CODE, AMD INTENDED USE OF THE SPACE. EXAMPLE: A
MINIMUM 3M BY 3M COURTYARD FOR BUILDINGS 16M HIGH

And measurement of site occupancy or section 802 – the site occupancy is measured at ground level and
excludes courts, yards, and light wells and these areas are measured without projections from enclosing
walls except for specific exceptions. (like steel fire escapes not exceeds 1.20 meters in width. (WHEN WE
SAY SITE OCCUPANCY IT REFERS ON THE MAXIMUM PERCENTAGE OF LOT THAT CAN BE COVERED BY
BUILDINGS. EXAMPLE A DWELLING MIGHR BE LIMITED TO OCCUPYING NO MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF
A CORNER LOT OR 80 PERCENT OF INSIDE LOT SPECIFIED IN REGULATIONS LIKE THE 2016 DPWH )
For percentage of site occupancy or section 803 – the minimum site occupancy depends on factors like
building use construction type and site characteristics, local zoning requirements, and regulations set by
the secretary further govern this. (WHEN WE SAY SITE OCCUPANCY IT REFERS ON THE MAXIMUM
PERCENTAGE OF LOT THAT CAN BE COVERED BY BUILDINGS. EXAMPLE A DWELLING MIGHR BE LIMITED
TO OCCUPYING NO MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF A CORNER LOT OR 80 PERCENT OF INSIDE LOT
SPECIFIED IN REGULATIONS LIKE THE 2016 DPWH )

In section 804 we cover the size and dimensions for different parts of buildings for courts – the minimum
size and dimensions depend on factors like use construction type building height, but all must have
minimum horizontal dimension of 2 meters. And inner courts need a connection to a street or yard
either through a passageway at least 1.2 meters wide or a door through a room. (EXAMPLE NBA AND
COLLEGE COURTS ARE 29M BY 15M.

Then moving on to section 805 ceiling heights - habitable rooms with artificial ventilation should have a
ceiling at least 2.4 meters high. And for buildings with more than one story the first story must have a
minimum height of 2.7 meters. And subsequent stories need a clearance of 2.10 meters above the
finished floor. And rooms with natural ventilation should have ceilings at least 2.7 meters high. And
mezzanine floors need a clear ceiling height of at least 1.8 meters above and below them.

Lastly we discuss the size and dimensions of rooms in sections 806 – the rooms for human habitation
should be at least 6 square meter with a minimum dimension of 2 meters and then for kitchens it need
to be at least 3 square meter with at least dimension of 1.5 meters and for bathroom and toilet they
should be at least 1.2 square meters with at least dimension of 0.9 meters

Lets dive into key regulations regarding airspace, window openings, and vent shafts

So sections 807 lets address air space requirements – and for school rooms a minimum of 3 cubic meters
of air space, per person is mandated along with one square meter of floor area per person and for
workshop factories and offices They must provide 12 cubic meter of air space per person and for
habitable rooms it requires 14 cubic meters of air space per person.

Moving on to section 808 window openings – each room not equipped with artificial ventilation system
must have windows totaling at least 10 percent of the floor area of the room, and these windows must
open directly to a courtyard, public streets or alley and for also open water courses

Now lets discuss section 809 vents shafts – ventilation shafts must have a horizontal cross—section area
of at least .10 sq. m. for every meter of shaft height with a minimum total area of 1 sq m. And no vent
shaft can have its small dimension less than 600mm. And skylight Covering vent shafts must provide a
net free area to the maximum requires shaft area

and air ducts must open street or court through a horizontal duct or intake with a minimum cross-
sectional area of 0.3 sqm, and minimum dimension of 300mm

Section 810 focuses on ventilation skylights – stating that they must have a glass area or at least as large
as the window they replace, they should also have movable sashes or louvers providing an aggregate net
free area equivalent to that the opening parts of the replaced window, or they should be equipped with
approved artificial ventilation of similar effectiveness
Moving on to section 811 artificial ventilation – it addresses the need for artificial ventilation in various
types of rooms or spaces. Industrial or heating equipment must have an artificial ventilation to prevent
the build up hot or polluted air. Different occupancy types have A specific air change requirements. For
example:

1. For office or administrative retail and factory spaces above must have at least three air
changes per hour.
2. For areas like kitchens, boiler rooms and laundries require higher rates such as 10 changes
per hour.
3. For assemble rooms need certain amount of air supply per person as specified WHICH IS
0.3 CUBIC METER PER MINUTE EACH PERSON.
4. Institutional buildings must provide a NOT LESS THAN 0.45 CUBIC METER PER PERSON.
specific air supply per person in wards and dormitories.
5. And for rooms not covered explicitly in the section, the Philippine Mechanical engineering
code provides applicable provisions.
WHILE STANDARD RESIDENTIAL AREA SPACES TYPICALLY REQUIRES 1-2 ACH

And to follow, we are now diving into chapter 9 of national building code which focuses on Sanitation

Section 901 - underscores the importance of ensuring that all buildings constructed or modified for
human habitation prioritize the health and well-being of occupants and neighboring communities. This
includes provisions for cleaning and a safer water supply, effective plumbing system, wastewater
treatment or disposal, storm water drainage, pest control, NOISE REDUCTION, and other measures vital
for public health.

Moving to section 902 it highlights the requirements for water supply system in building – potable water
should meet the national standards for drinking water if using meteoric sources or surface water or lakes
reservoirs or groundwater sources such wells or aquifers. regulation outline in the water code of the
Philippines must adhere to. JUST LIKE THE PH LEVEL OF THE WATER SHOULD BE WITHIN 6.5-8.5 AND
SHOULD BE FREE FROM ODOR AND PATHOGENS. And for private housing subdivisions or industrial states
with independent waterwork system. Compliance with local water works laws is essential. Lastly the
insulation of water piping inside buildings must adhere to the national plumbing code of the Philippines.

Regarding waste water disposal or say section 903 – buildings are required to direct sanitary sewage into
the municipal sewage system or utilize septic tanks if such systems are unavailable so industrial waste
water must meet specific criteria That are established by environmental management bureau EMB in the
Philippines to protect public health and its environment. THIS INCLUDES THE PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AMD
BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DISCHARGED WATER.

While for the storm drainage system or section 904 – it is crucial to prevent rainwater from mixing with
sewage emphasizing the need for separate drainage systems BECAUSE IT WILL CONTAMINATE THE RAIN
WATER THAT WILL RECHARGE THUE GROUNDWATER. and buildings must also ensure adequate drainage
to prevent water accumulation.
And moving on to pest and vermin control section 905 – buildings specially those with hollow or wood
construction must implement rat proofing measures. Garbage bins should be designed to prevent pets
entry. And dining areas need proper screening to keep insects out.

Next in noise pollution control or section 906 – industrial establishments are mandated to install noise
reduction devices SOUND ABSORBING PANELS AND CEILING TILES to maintain acceptable noise level as
per government regulations.

Lastly in terms of pipe materials section 907 – all pipes used in the building must meet the standard
sPecified by the Philippine standard council ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENCIAL DECREE 1096 OF NBCP
TO ENSURE THAT ALL PLUMBING INSTALLATION MEET THE NECESSARY REQUIREMENT FOR HEALTH,
SAFETY AND WELFARE.