TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
25 JUL 17 P3:51
SENATE
Ri;cEr..oii:
S. No.
Introduced by Senator MANUEL "LITO" M. LAPID
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR MANDATORY APPOINTMENT OF BUILDING OFFICIAL IN 
PROVINCES, CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991, AS AMENDED
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Building officials, as public officers, have the primary authority and 
responsibility to enforce the National Building Code (Presidential Decree No. 1096) 
within their respective jurisdictions. They are in charge of conducting building 
inspections to determine if the construction complies with the safety standards and 
regulations, and shall receive applications, review construction documents and issue 
permits for the erection, alteration, demolition and moving of buildings and structures.
Previously, the Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways 
(DPWH) has designated incumbent Public Works District Engineers, City Engineers and 
Municipal Engineers to act as building officials in their respective areas of jurisdiction 
pursuant to the National Building Code of 1977 (NBC). Then in 1991, Republic Act 
No. 7160, or the 'Local Government Code' (LGC), was enacted providing for the 
mandatory appointment of an engineer for the provincial, city and municipal 
governments. However, it further provided that the city and municipal engineers shall 
also act as the local building officials.
Read together, pertinent provisions of the LGC and the NBC created a situation 
where engineers of local government units (LGUs) juggle with the dual role of


engineers with their responsibilities under the LGC, and as building officials with 
another set of functions mandated by the NBC. This dual role of a singular official 
proved to be too overwhelming for many engineers of local government units. In fact, 
some LGUs have tried to remedy the situation by creating, through an ordinance, a 
separate office of the local building official.
The objective of the NBC is to safeguard life, health, property, and public 
welfare, consistent with the principles of sound environmental management and 
control, and to provide for all buildings and structures a framework of minimum 
standards and requirements to regulate and control their location, site, design quality 
of materials, construction, use, occupancy, and maintenance. Since, the strict 
implementation of the NBC falls on the shoulder of building officials, it is necessary to 
create a separate office of the local building official in LGUs to relieve local engineers 
of their excess burden and allow the former (local building officials) to focus more on 
the implementation of the NBC. In the process, we are also able to synchronize the 
provisions of the NBC and the LGC.
In view of the foregoing, early passage of this bill is earnestly requested.
MANUEL "LUO" M. LAPID
Senator


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TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
25 JUL 17 P3 :5l
SENATE
S. No. 694
RKiI
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR MANDATORY APPOINTMENT OF BUILDING OFFICIAL IN 
PROVINCES, CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991, AS AMENDED
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:
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SECTION 1. Section 443(a) of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the
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"Local Government Code of 1991", as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:
Section 443. Officials of the Municipal Government. -
(a) There shall be in each municipality a municipal mayor, a municipal 
vice-mayor, sangguniang bayan members, a secretary to the 
sangguniang bayan, a municipal treasurer, a municipal assessor, a 
municipal accountant, a municipal budget officer, a municipal 
planning and development coordinator, a municipal engineer[/], A 
MUNICIPAL building official, a municipal health officer, and a 
municipal civil registrar.
(b) xxxxx


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SECTION 2. Section 454(a) of the same Code, as amended, is hereby amended
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to read as follows;
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Section 454. Officials of the City Government.
(a) 
There shall be in each city a mayor, a vice-mayor, sangguniang 
paniungsod members, a secretary to the sangguniang 
paniungsod, a city treasurer, a city assessor, a city accountant, a 
city budget officer, a city planning and development coordinator, 
a city engineer, A CnY BUILDING OFFICIAL, a city health 
officer, a city civil registrar, a city administrator, a city legal 
officer, a city veterinarian, a city social welfare and development 
officer, and a city general services officer.
(b) 
xxxxx
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SECTION 3. Section463(a)ofthesameCode, as amended, is hereby amended
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to read as follows:
Section 463. Officials of the Provincial Government
(a) 
There shall be in each province a governor, a vice-governor, 
members of the sangguniang paniaiawigan, a secretary to the 
sangguniang paniaiawigan, a provincial treasurer, a provincial 
assessor, a provincial accountant, a provincial engineer, A 
PROVINCIAL BUILDING OFFICIAL, a provincial budget 
officer, a provincial planning and development coordinator, a 
provincial legal officer, a provincial administrator, a provincial 
health officer, a provincial social welfare and development officer, 
a provincial general services officer, a provincial agriculturist, and 
a provincial veterinarian.
(b) 
XXX


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SECTION 4. Section 477 of the same Code, as amended, is hereby amended
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to read as follows :
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Section 477, Qualifications, Powers and Duties.
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(a) No person shall be appointed engineer unless he is a citizen of the
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Philippines, a resident of the local government unit concerned, of good
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moral character, and a licensed civil engineer. He must have acquired
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experience in the practice of his profession for at least five (5) years in
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the case of the provincial or city engineer, and three (3) years in the
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case of the municipal engineer.
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The appointment of an engineer shall be mandatory for the provincial,
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city and municipal governments. [The city and municipal engineer shall
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also act as the40cal-building official.]
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(b) XXX
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SECTION 5. A new Article XXII and a new Section 490-A are hereby
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incorporated in Title V of the same Code, as amended, to read as follows :
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ARTICLE XXII - THE BUILDING OFFICIAL
SECTION 490-A. - QUALIFICATIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES - 
NO PERSON SHALL BE APPOINTED AS BUILDING OFFICIAL 
UNLESS HE / SHE IS A FILIPINO CITIZEN, A RESIDENT OF THE 
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT CONCERNED, OF GOOD MORAL 
CHARACTER, AND A LICENSED ARCHITECT OR CIVIL 
ENGINEER. HE / SHE MUST BE A MEMBER OF GOOD STANDING 
OF THE DULY ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION 
FOR NOT LESS THAN TWO (2) YEARS, AND SHOULD HAVE AT 
LEAST FIVE (5) YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN 
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.


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THE APPOINTMENT OF A BUILDING OFFICIAL SHALL BE 
MANDATORY FOR THE PROVINCIAL, CITY AND MUNICIPAL 
GOVERNMENTS.
THE BUILDING OFFICIAL SHALL BE PRIMARILY 
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROVISIONS 
OF THE NATIONAL BUILDING CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AS 
AMENDED, REFERRAL CODES, THE IMPLEMENTING RULES AND 
REGULATIONS ISSUED THEREFOR, AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF 
ORDERS AND DECISIONS MADE PURSUANT THERETO, WITHIN 
THE TERITORRIAL
THE BUILDING OFFICIAL SHALL KEEP A PERMANENT 
RECORD AND ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF ALL FEES AND CHARGES 
FIXED AND AUTHORIZED TO BE COLLECTED AND RECEIVED 
UNDER THE NATIONAL BUILDING CODE. SUBJECT TO 
EXISTING BUDGETARY, ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING RULES 
AND REGULATIONS, THE BUILDING OFFICIAL IS AUTHORIZED 
TO RETAIN NOT MORE THAN TWENTY PERCENT (20%) OF THE 
COLLECTIONS FOR THE OPERATING EXPENSES OF THE OFFICE. 
THE REMAINING EIGHTY PERCENT (80%) SHALL BE 
DEPOSITED WITH THE PROVINCIAL, CITY OR MUNICIPAL 
TREASURER AND SHALL ACCRUE TO THE GENERAL FUND OF 
THE PROVINCE, CITY OR MUNICIPALITY CONCERNED.
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SECTION 5. Separability Clause-If any provision of this Act is held invalid or
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unconstitutional, the other provisions not so declared shall remain in force and effect.
SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, orders, and rules and 
regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed or amended accordingly.


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SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause —This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
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its complete publication in in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,