Nepomuceno, Vincent Gabrielle R.

CE 512 – CE52FA1
Amendments in RA 544
A ranking member of the House of Representatives sees the urgent need to upgrade
the country's civil engineering law to adapt to new challenges in the practice of civil
engineering in the Philippines.

Assistant Minority Leader Aurelio D. Gonzales Jr. (3rd District, Pampanga) filed House
Bill 4456, which amends Republic Act 544 that was enacted on June 17, 1950.
Otherwise known as the Civil Engineering law, RA 544 was amended by RA 1582 on
June 16, 1956.

"RA 1582, which last amended the engineering law about 55 years ago, has a new role
to play in the light of globalization, cross-border practice and climate change," said
Gonzales, himself a licensed civil engineer.

According to Gonzales, HB 4456 seeks to attune the law to national development

needs, strengthen the profession and enable civil engineers, who now number more
than 100,000, to cope with formidable challenges.

"The civil engineer's role used to be confined to the application of technical knowledge
with a broad range of issues to deal with but now, the civil engineer has to face the
challenges of integrating the socio-economic and environmental issue with the technical
aspects of construction projects," Gonzales said.

"The civil engineer is constantly challenged to design and build developments in a

manner that is environmentally sound, socially acceptable and globally competitive,"
Gonzales added.

Gonzales said the formidable challenges to civil engineering spur its professionals to
"continually upgrade the level of competence of civil engineers through peer recognition
of specialization in civil engineering, continuing professional development including
research, and strengthen the accredited professional organization of civil engineers."

Under the bill, the Board of Civil Engineers shall be authorized to administer oaths,
issue, suspend and revoke, investigate violations of the Act and of regulations, issue
subpoenas, inspect educational institutions offering courses in civil engineering at least
once a year, among other things.

The Accredited Professional Organization of Civil Engineers (APOCE) shall replace the
Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE), which is the official national organization of
all registered civil engineers in the Philippines as accredited by the Professional
Regulation Commission (PRC).

The APOCE's latest edition of the Civil Engineering Code, the manual or the
professional practice of civil engineers and approved by the Board, shall form part of the
implementing rules and regulations.

To encourage the continuing education and development of registered civil engineers,

the APOCE shall be vested by the PRC with the authority conforming to this Act, and
issue a certificate of specialization to a registered civil engineer who has demonstrated
advanced knowledge, experience, education, research and training.

The APOCE shall recognize other specializations and specialists in each branch and
shall have the authority to suspend or revoke a certificate of specialization previously
issued on grounds of violation of any of the provision of this Act.

All registered civil engineers shall take their oath as members of the APOCE. The Board
shall not issue a certificate to any person who is not a member of good standing in the
APOCE.

The House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation chaired by Rep.
Florida Robes (Lone District, San Jose del Monte City) on Wednesday approved three
bills seeking to professionalize Civil Engineering in the country.
Approved were House Bill 3884 authored by Deputy Speaker Evelina Escudero; HB
6836 by Rep. Maximo Rodriguez, Jr. (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City); and HB 7547
by Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, Jr. (3rd District, Pampanga). The measures seek to amend
and update Republic Act 544 or the Civil Engineering Law.
In her explanatory note of her bill, Escudero said the Civil Engineering Law or Republic
Act 544, which governs the practice of Civil Engineering in the Philippines, was
amended 49 years ago and since then, the role of civil engineers has evolved in the
light of globalization and cross-boarder practice.

She said her bill seeks to make the law attuned to national development needs,
strengthen the profession, and enable civil engineers in the country to cope with the
formidable challenges to become globally competitive, and continually upgrade their
level of competence.

Praxedes Bernardo, Chairperson of the Board of Civil Engineering of the Professional

Regulation Commission (PRC) agreed that RA 544 enacted in 1954 is already outdated.
Bernardo said the law needs amendment to encourage civil engineers to upgrade their
level of competence by obtaining certificates of specialization under the profession.
Bernardo believes that the provisions under the Civil Engineering Law should be revised
so that the scope of the profession can be widened.
The PRC and the Board of Civil Engineering fully supports the three measures,
Bernardo said.
United Architects of the Philippines National President Benjamin Panganiban, Jr. for his
part said that the Integrated and Accredited Professional Organizations of Architects
welcomes proposals to update the Civil Engineering Law in consonance with RA 9266
or the New Architecture Act of 2004 which delineates architecture from civil engineering
and other related professions.