A.

Graduating your Civil

Engineering Course
Civil Engineering is no easy profession. To improve your likelihood of graduating as a
Civil Engineer, follow these tips:
 

 Get over yourself

You have to accept the fact that you have to endure hardships to attain your goal of
graduating

 Pay attention in class

Always read and try to understand every module provided

 This is a full time job

Learn to give time to your studies

 Do your homework

Homework is a major part of your grade

 Obtain books

Books or e-books are very helpful as you go through with your subjects

 Do not rely on class learning alone

Youtube videos and Google are helpful tools in understanding things and concepts

 Grasp fundamental concepts

Do not take for granted your early subjects now, it is bad to think that the subjects you
take early on are a 1 time thing that you forget after passing the subject

 Stay organized

Organizing your notes in your early subjects will make your notes as easy
understandable references for your higher year subjects
  Learn to share your knowledge

Teaching to others what you know is also a form of learning

 Consult your teachers

Do not be afraid or embarrassed to consult teachers

 Learn to operate with and without your calculator

You should obtain a calculator as early as possible

 Do not be discouraged in failure

Many Civil Engineers failed many times before succeeding

 Get involved in engineering organizations

Organizations are a good source of information and opportunity

 Seek out internships and co-op

Learn from other peoples learning’s and experiences

 Get good food and enough sleep

A healthy body will help you go through your studies

B. History of Civil Engineering

The following is a brief history of Civil Engineering:

 It is difficult to determine the history of emergence and beginning of civil

engineering, however, that the history of civil engineering is a mirror of the
history of human beings on this earth.
 The following are major innovations for Civil Engineering:
o It is around 4000 and 2000 BC in Egypt when transportation gained
such importance that it led to the development of the wheel.
o Pyramids were constructed in Egypt during 2800-2400 BC 
o Great Wall of China that was constructed around 200 BC
o The Romans developed extensive structures in their empire,
including aqueducts, bridges, and dams
  Civil engineering is considered to be the first main discipline of engineering,
and the engineers were in fact military engineers with expertise in military and
civil works.
 It was in the 18th century that the term civil engineering was firstly used
independently from the term military engineering.
 Until the recent era, there was no major difference between the terms civil
engineering and architecture, and they were often used interchangeably.
 In 1818, world’s first engineering society, the Institution of Civil Engineers was
founded in London

 
History of Civil Engineering in the Philippines

 During Spanish Era in the Philippines there were no civil engineering schools
in the country at that time and the only architects/engineers with academic
degrees were Spaniards.
 It was only during the 18th and 19th centuries, Filipino engineers appeared
and were assigned the task of maintaining, repairing and/or remodelling
infrastructure systems
 It was in 1868 when the Bureau of Public Works and Highways and Bureau of
Communications and Transportation were organized under a civil engineer
known as “Director General”
 The Organic Decree of the Philippine Revolutionary Government on June 23,
1898 issued by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo provided for the creation of four (4)
Departments in the government, one of which was the DEPARTMENT OF
WAR AND PUBLIC WORKS.
 In 1899, when Apolinario Mabini was replaced by Pedro Paterno as President
of the Cabinet, among the seven departments set up was the Communications
and Public Works Department. Maximo Paterno was appointed as Secretary
of Public Works and Communications.
 In 1900, foundation of the Liceo de Manila, the first private school to offer an
academic title for architecture/engineering
 In 1902, the Philippine Commission passed Act Nos. 222 and 268 creating the
Department of Commerce and Police which gave birth to the Bureau of
Engineering and Construction of public works and the Bureau of Architecture
and Construction of public buildings
 In 1907, University of Santo Tomas was the first to give Master of Science in
Civil Engineering
 In 1910, first appearance of vehicles in the Philippines
 The Engineers and Architects Law (Act No. 2985) passed on February 23,
1921
 In 1928, Philippine Society of Civil Engineers (PSCE) which was the first civil
engineering organization was formed with Engr. Marcial Kasilag as its first
 president thereupon received the honor of holding PRC Registration Number
1 for Civil Engineers
 In 1931, Department of Commerce and Communications renamed as the
Department of Public Works and Communications
 On August 2, 1935, Act Number 4211 was enacted – permitting under-aged
persons to take the board exam on condition that they will not practice their
profession until they attained the required age of 21
 In 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
 In 1941, all schools closed due to Japanese Invasion
 On June 17, 1950, the Architects (Philippine Institute of Architects) prepared
and lobbied the passing of the first Architect’s law (RA 545) while the Civil
Engineers (Philippine Association of Civil Engineers), the Civil Engineering law
(RA 544, through the efforts of PACE President Alberto Guevarra) was also
passed the same year.
 In 1951, Department of Public Works and Communications (DPWC) was
reconstituted as The Department of Public Works, Transportation and
Communications (DPWTC)
 On June 1973, President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Presidential Decree 223,
creating the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) regulating all
professions and accrediting only one organization to represent each
profession
 On December 11, 1973, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued
Registration Certificate No.53896 to the PHILIPPINE INSTITUTE OF CIVIL
ENGINEERS, INC. (PICE). This was the culmination and fulfilment of a vision to
merge two separate organizations of civil engineers in the country, the
Philippine Society of Civil Engineers (PSCE) and the Philippine Association of
Civil Engineers (PACE).
 On February 1974, the first election of officers of PICE was held and Engr.
Cesar Caliwara became its first president
 The first International convention was held in the Philippines on May 20 to 24,
1975 with the theme “Civil Engineering in Disaster Prevention Control."
 In 1975, President Ferdinand Marcos, by a Presidential Decree, the System
Internationale (SI) system of units was mandated in the Philippines
 In 1976, Department of Public Works, Transportation and Communications
(DPWTC) became Ministry of Public Works, Transportation and
Communications (MPWTC) & Department of Public Highways (DPH) as
Ministry of Public Highways (MPH).
 The National Building Code of the Philippines (the “NBCP”) signed by then
Pres. Ferdinand Marcos on 19 February 1977 and its Implementing Rules and
Regulations
 1979 under Executive Order No. 546, MPWTC was again restructured into
two (2) Ministries – the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) and the Ministry of
Transportation and Communications (MOTC)
 In 1981, MPW and MPH were merged to become The Ministry of Public
Works and Highways (MPWH)
 AFTER EDSA REVOLUTION 1987 Finally, by virtue of Executive Order No.
124, dated January 30, 1987, the Ministry of Public Works and Highways
(MPWH) is now known as the Department of Public Works and Highways
(DPWH)
 In 1991, for the first time, a "Civil Engineering Week" for the period
November 3 to 9, 1991 was declared by Malacañang thru Proclamation
No.799 issued on September 20, 1991 by President Corazon C. Aquino. The
C.E. week was celebrated nationwide thru coordinated activities of all PICE
chapters
 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
 In 2001, Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc. (PICE) has been awarded
by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) as the Most Outstanding
Accredited Professional Organization
 In 2003, The United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) and the Philippine
Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) signed a joint resolution supporting the
passage of Architecture and Civil Engineering bills delineating their respective
scope of practice and to strengthen their collaborative efforts in common
goals.
 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
 In 2013, Republic Act 10609 or the Protection of Students' Right to Enroll in
Review Centers Act of 2013 was signed into law
 Recently, Philippine Civil Engineering Board Examination is divided into 3
subjects with 80 questions per subject all under Multiple Choice questions