Rañoa, Vincent A.

BSCE – 3 16/02/22

[Link] 544 - The Civil Engineering Law

As stated in the Article 1 Section 2, 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 the
construction of streets, bridges, highways, railroads, airports and hangars, port works,
canals, river and shore improvements, lighthouses, and dry docks; buildings, fixed
structures for irrigation, flood protection, drainage, water supply and sewerage works;
demolition of permanent structures; and tunnels. The enumeration of any work in this
section shall not be construed as excluding any other work requiring civil engineering
knowledge and application.
The term “civil engineer” as used in this act shall mean a person duly registered
with the Board for Civil Engineers in the manner as hereinafter provided.
2. Guidelines and Regulations for the CE Board Exam
In Article 3 Section 8, all applicants for registration for the practice of civil
engineering shall be required to pass a technical examination as hereinafter provided. Also
in Section 9, examination of candidates desiring to practice civil engineering in the
Philippines shall be given in the City of Manila of each year, provided that such days do
not fall on official holidays, otherwise the examinations shall be held on the days next
following. Furthermore, according to Section 10, applicants for certificate of registration
as civil engineer shall be examined, in the discretion of the Board, on the following
subjects: mathematics, including algebra, plane and spherical trigonometry, analytics,
descriptive and solid geometry, differential and integral calculus, and rational and applied
mechanics; hydraulics; surveying, including highway and railroad surveying; plane,
topographic and hydrographic surveying, and advance surveying; design and construction
of 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.
3. Members of CE Board, their qualifications and terms of office
TERMS OF OFFICE
Based on Article 2 Section 3, within thirty days after the approval of this Act there
shall be created a Board of Examiners for Civil Engineers, hereinafter referred to as the
Board, to be composed of a chairman and two members who shall be appointed by the
President of the Philippines, upon recommendation of the Commissioner of PRC. The
members of the Board shall hold office for a term of three years after appointment or until
their successors shall have been appointed and shall have qualified. The first members of
the Board appointed under this Act shall hold office for the following terms: One member
 for one year; one member for two years; and one member for three years. Each member of
the Board shall qualify by taking the proper oath of office before entering upon the
performance of his duties. Any member of the Board may be removed by the President of
the Philippines, upon recommendation by the Professional Regulation Commission for
neglect of duty, incompetency, malpractice, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, or
dishonorable conduct, after having been given opportunity to defend himself in a proper
administrative investigation: Provided, That during the process of investigation, the
President of the Philippines, upon the recommendation of the PRC, shall have the power
to suspend such member under investigation and shall appoint a temporary member in his
place. Vacancies in the Board shall be filled for the un expired term only.
QUALIFICATIONS OF BOARD MEMBERS
In addition, pursuant to Section 5, each member of the Board shall, at the time of
his appointment:
a. Be a citizen and resident of the Philippines;
b. Be at least thirty years of age and of good moral character;
c. Be a graduate of civil engineering from a recognized and legally constituted
school, institute, college or university.
d. Be a registered civil engineer duly qualified to practice civil engineering in the
Philippines;
e. Have practiced civil engineering, with a certificate as such, for a period of not
less than ten years prior to his appointment.
f. Not be a member of the faculty of any school, institute, college, or university
where civil engineering course is taught, nor have a pecuniary interest in such
institutions;
g. No former members of the faculty of any school, institute or university where
civil engineering is taught can become a member of the Board unless he had
stopped teaching for at least three consecutive years.
4. Legal and academic requirements for a CE Board Exam Applicants
BS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
NSO / PSA Birth Certificate
NSO / PSA Marriage Contract (for married female applicants)
Transcript of Records with scanned picture and Remarks "For Board Examination
Purposes"
Valid NBI Clearance (First Timers & Repeaters)
 Two (2) Certificates of Good Moral Character from any 2 of the following:
 Barangay
 Church
 School
 Employer
All applicants for registration for the practice of civil engineering shall be
required to pass a technical examination as hereinafter provided.
5. Importance of sustainable development and public welfare in any civil engineering work
As future civil engineers, we play a critical role in sustainable development, and it
is also our responsibility to ensure that information about emerging and novel technologies,
as well as any implications, potential benefits, drawbacks, and risks, is clear and well-
defined for the public's benefit. When a civil engineer is tasked with designing a new
project, he or she must instantly engage in a multi-discipline process that may include
representatives from several business sectors as well as law enforcement organizations. It
is our obligation to ethically blend the interests of all disciplines to create a design that
satisfies the client's objectives.
As an engineer, you must be familiar with and understand many disciplines in order
to properly combine these needs. The notion of Sustainable Development is based on the
integration of this information in which it meets the demands of the present without
compromising the ability of the future to meet their own needs. Other disciplines cannot
be discounted as civil engineers, and you must always be aware of how they may affect
your job.
6. Professional Practice for Civil Engineers
The practice for civil engineers is the procurement of civil engineering services for
a quality project. It is meeting both the expectations of the client or employer and the
requirements of the project. It requires professional dedication, effort, adequate for
investigation, planning and innovation, fair compensation, and appropriate authority and
responsibility. It cannot be achieved only by effort at the beginning or end of a project.
These efforts must be conscious, continuous and consistent throughout all phases of a
project.
7. Professional Responsibility of Civil Engineers and the client-civil engineer relationship
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
The standard of practice is for Civil Engineering to be given
responsibility for studying, conceiving, designing, observing, construction, and assisting
in the programming for operating and maintaining engineering works. Other services that
are unforeseen initially may be required of the Civil Engineer during the evolution of
 a project. The health, safety, well-being and comfort of the public in using a
facility, and the ultimate facility cost, all depend to a considerable extent on how
well members of the project team fulfill their professional and contractual
responsibilities. The Civil Engineer, therefore, has obligations as trustee to the public
interest as well as faithful to the private interests of clients. Successfully
fulfilling these responsibilities require candor, mutual trust, and effective communication
and understanding between the Civil Engineer and the client. Only in this way can a
professional relationship be established and a successful project implemented.
Civil Engineers shall conduct themselves in a highly Professional Manner and
Serve as Faithful Trustees or agents of their client or employers.
Civil Engineers are therefore bound by the Foundational Canons and Ethics
contained in this manual.
Care and protection of the environment is paramount in the Civil Engineer’s work
engagement.
Civil Engineers must always strive to maintain the highest standard of Ethical
Professional Practice in their dealing with Client employees, competitors and the
community.

CLIENT-CIVIL ENGINEER RELATIONSHIPS

Many engineering works are conceived, designed, and constructed through the
efforts of Civil Engineers employed in governmental agencies or in industry. Other
engineering projects come to fruition through the efforts of civil engineering firms engaged
for a specific project or program by public agencies or private clients. Many public and
private entities, of necessity rely on Civil Engineers as their employees. Independent
civil engineering firms are also relied upon to accomplish projects which require
special expertise beyond the normal capabilities of the client. More recently clients have
been utilizing new concepts, such as program management and design-build, to
implement projects.
8. Different Civil Engineering services
 Design, Consultations and advice
 Feasibility studies
 Field investigations and engineering data collection
 Environmental assessments, impact statements or Engineering reports
 Opinions of probable cost
 Preliminary and final designs, drawings, specifications and construction bidding
documents
 Assistance in securing construction bids and in awarding contracts
 Construction administration and observation
  Arrangements for or performance of testing of materials and equipment
 Assistance in start-up, assessment of capacity, and operations of facilities
 Preparation of operation and maintenance manuals
 Appraisals and rate studies
 Value engineering
 Expert testimony
 Assessment of risks
 Structural remediation or rehabilitation
 Project Management and controls
 Teaching
9. Basis, Procedure and methods in the selection of civil engineers
BASIS FOR SELECTION
The client should establish administrative policy and criteria for the selection of qualified
Civil Engineers for particular projects. The client’s first step is to define the proposed scope
of the project. In some cases, this may be a general statesmen of the performance
requirements of the project. At the other times, the tasks to be performed maybe
individually identified and defined. By clearly defining the services which the Civil
Engineer is to furnish, the client can accurately judge whether or not the Civil Engineer is
best equipped to provide them.
Some of the factors that should be considered in the selection process are:
1. The professional and ethical reputation of the Civil Engineer and his staff as determined
by inquiries to previous clients and other references.
2. Responsible Civil Engineers and its employees and must be registered professional
Civil Engineers.
3. Civil Engineers should have demonstrated qualifications and expertise, performing the
services required for the country.
4. Civil Engineer should be able to assign qualified engineering staff who will be in
responsible charge of the project and will be able to provide and complete the required
services within the time allotted.
5. The Civil Engineer should have the necessary financial and business resources to
accomplish the assignment and provide continuing service.
PROCEDURE FOR SELECTION
1. Provide a statement of:
 General Nature of the Project
 Services Required
 Request Statement
 CE qualifications and experience
 Request for general qualifications in a selected area of expertise
 Request for Proposals
 2. Prepare a Budget expected from the potential civil engineers
3. Evaluate statements. Select the best three civil engineers or firms
4. Correspondence with the chosen engineers
 Describe the project in detail including the Scope of the project and Services
required.
 Proposal for the engineer to describe like Plan for managing, Plan for
performing the required services, Assigned Personnel, proposed schedule,
experience with similar project, Office location where services will be
performed, financial standing, Present workloads, and References.
5. Interview and Discussions
6. Check with recent clients of each engineer about the performance and services
7. List the engineers of preference
8. The best qualified engineer is invited to develop a detailed scope
9. The engineer’s proposed compensation should be taken into account.
10. If the negotiations fail, inform the first civil engineer or firm through writing about
termination of negotiation and then proceed to the second engineer.
11. When an agreement has been reached, a written contract is finalized.
10. Total Project Cost
Probable total cost is a major concern of the client throughout the planning design,
and construction phases of a project. The probable total cost, often used to establish budgets
for a typical project is made up of;
1. Professional engineering costs.
2. Construction cost.
3. Legal and land costs.
4. Owner’s costs, including project administration, staffing, financing, and other
overheard.
5. Contingency allowance for unknowns.