REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

u.NdDgO8

Introduced by Rep. AURELIO "DONG" D. GONZALES, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

As stated no less in the preamble or explanatory clauses of the National Building Code of the
Philippines, the country’s accelerating economic and physical development coupled with
urbanization
and population growth, makes imperative the formulation and adoption of a national building code
which shall embody up-to-date and modem technical knowledge on building design, construction,
occupancy and maintenance. Section 2 of the Building Code also declares that it is the policy of the
State to safeguard life, health, property and public welfare, consistent with the principles of sound
environmental management and control; and to this end, make it the purpose of the Code 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,

It is sad to note however. that the noble intentions of the Building Code and the valuable
technical information embodied in the law and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, which I
understand is in the stage of amendments to make them tonform to changing conditions, especially
on climate change, are not properly conveyed and inculcated in the minds of the students in the
academe in whose hands the future of our country on matters concerning the design and
construction of buildings be it a one storey, medium rise or high rise depend. This is due to the fact
that the Building Code is not prescribed as one of the subjects in courses in civil engineering,
electrical engineering. mechanical engineering, sanitary engineering and mechanical engineering
which are the professional disciplines primarily concerned in building design. construction,
occupancy and maintenance.


Casualties arising from calamities such as the Manila Resort World casino building could have
been avoided or at least minimized had there been strict compliance to the requirements of the
Building Code.

It is therefore absolutely necessary that the State in the exercise of its police power enact a law
through the legislature to make mandatory the integration of the National Building Code of the
Philippines as one of the subjects in the course of civil engineering, electrical engineering, sanitary
engineering, mechanical engineering and architecture.

REP. Al ” D. GONZALES, JR.
3" District, Pampanga


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

H.NOQRDR

Introduced by Rep. AURELIO "DONG" D. GONZALES, JR.

AN ACT MANDATING THE INTEGRATION OF THE NATIONAL BUILDING CODE OF
‘THE PHILIPPINES AS ONE OF THE SUBJECTS IN BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN.
CIVIL ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING,
SANITARY ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

WHEREAS, Section 102 — Declaration of Principles of the National Building Code of the
Philippines provides that it is hereby declared the policy of the State to safeguard life, health,
Property and public welfure, consistent with the principles of sound environment management and
control, and to this end, make it the purpose of this Code to provide for all buildings and structures,
4 framework of minimum standards and requirements to regulate and control their location, site,
design, quality of materials, construction, use, occupancy, and maintenance:

WHEREAS, Section 103 of the Code-Scope and Application, provides that the provisions of this
Code shall apply to the design, location, sitting. construction, alteration, repair, conversion, use,
‘occupancy, maintenance, moving. demolition of, and addition to public and private buildings and
structures, except traditional indigenous family dwellings:

WHEREAS, recent events, the most prominent of which is the fire in the Manila Resort World
casino building, clearly demonstrate that the loss of human lives from the ensuing fire could have
been prevented or at least minimized had the designer and constructor of the building strictly
complied with the requirements of the Building Code:

WHEREAS, the designers, construction supervisors/managers and building constructors are
professionals who are graduates of either civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical
engineering. sanitary engineering and architecture;


WHEREAS, it therefore becomes highly imperative that these professionals be made fully
aware 0 of the provisions of the Philippine National Building Code and its Implementing Rules and
Regulations during the formative years in the pursuit of their chosen profession which has to do
With building construction;

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

Section 1. Title — This Act shall be known as the Integration of the National Building Code
of the Philippines as One of the Subjects in the Curriculum for Bachelor's Degree in Civil
Engineering, Electrical Engineering. Mechanical Engineering, Sanitary Engineering and
Architecture.

Section 2. Starting school year 2018-2019 the Commission on Higher Education is hereby
directed to include the National Building Code of the Philippines as one of the subjects in the
curriculum for Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical
Engineering, Sanitary Engineering and Architecture.

Section 3. Separability Clause — If any provision or part hereof is declared unconstitutional
or invalid for any reason, the same shall not affect the validity of the other provisions.

Section 4. Repealing Clause — All laws, decrees. provisions of charters, executive orders,
ordinances, rules and regulations or other parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provision
of this Act are hereby repealed. amended or modified accordingly.

Section 5. Effectivity- This Act shall take effect in the first semester if school year
2018-2019 after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of national circulation.