Architect.Alli-Ph

17/05/2026

IMPORTANT LESSONS FROM THE 1996 CASE I HELPED INITIATE, AND WHERE I WAS THE LONE WITNESS FOR RESPONDENT:
a) G.R. No. 154428, October 20, 2005, PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK, PETITIONER, VS. SHELLINK PLANNERS, INC., RESPONDENT at link https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/1/41862;
b) Jur.ph Case Summary (G.R. No. 154428) at link: https://jur.ph/jurisprudence/summary/philippine-national-bank-v-shellink-planners-inc

The foregoing settled case (which ran from 1996 through 2005, i.e., circa 10 years) is an important reference for consultants, planners, designers, project/construction managers and other professional service providers (particularly in the case of state-regulated professional/SRP services), as well as potentially for certain types of contractors/subcontractors.

While it is best to read through the case summary available online [please refer to item b) above], the following are what I consider the key takeaways/lessons, viz:
1) a verbal agreement (i.e., a perfected oral contract) is just as good as a written contract;
2) services rendered may be compensated on a quantum meruit basis, i.e., based on the actual work completion;
3) actual work completion may be computed using a base fee (covering direct compensation to personnel) times a multiplier (covering all indirect costs like overhead, social overhead, etc.);
4) known (or better yet, regulated and practiced) industry standards for setting the base rates and multiplier rates may be lawfully employed;
5) when a client accepts deliverables/outputs from a service provider, it may be deemed as a form of acceptance of the services provided, more particularly if the same have not been refused/returned by the client, as was the case in this case; additionally, I have to stress here the importance of service documentation at every stage of the work, and also the safekeeping of transmittal documents;
6) the design and manufacturing/fabrication of items based on the produced design are very clearly distinct activities, i.e., a matter that should always be kept in mind, especially by those who offer/undertake design-build services/DBS, as was later enunciated in G.R. No. 217590, March 10, 2020, PHILIPPINE CONTRACTORS ACCREDITATION BOARD, PETITIONER, VS. MANILA WATER COMPANY, INC., RESPONDENT.); and
7) legal interest shall apply for the monies owed. Thank You.

16/05/2026

The Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) 2024-2034 and the Zoning Ordinance (ZO) 2024-2034 of Makati City of the Philippine (PH) National Capital Region (NCR) was duly ratified last Monday, 11 May 2026 by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) through Department Circular (DC) No. 2026-003, Series of 2026. It follows the 23 January 2026 Metro Manila Council (MMC) action through Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Resolution No. 26-01, endorsing the CLUP/ZO to the DHSUD for ratification. This was preceded by an approx. 1.5 year extended joint technical review (JTR) by the MMDA-DHSUD NCR & ELUPD and by the new Makati City LGU administration (that assumed office after the 2025 elections). With this ratification, the full rollout, information dissemination and implementation/enforcement of the ZO follows. The Makati City CLUP/ZO and ZO IRR may now serve as the newest reference for highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in the country. The CLUP-ZO effort from 2023-2025 was undertaken by Tomeldan, Alli & Molina (T.A.M.) Planners Co. and RSDPI.

01/05/2026

ACTIVE LINKS TO MATERIALS ON DEVELOPMENT CONTROLS (DC)
as Co-Authored by PH Arch/Enp Armando N. Alli
Part 1 of 5

1) THE 2004 REVISED IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS (RIRR) OF Presidential Decree (P.D.) NO. 1096, THE 1977 NATIONAL BUILDING CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES (NBCP), as published thrice on a national broadsheet (i.e., Manila Standard on 01, 08 & 15 April 2005), at links:
a)https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/DPWH/files/nbc/IRR.pdf
b) https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/dpwh/references/laws_codes_orders/PD1096
c)https://www.architectureboard.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1.12-PD1096_-2004revIRR_PRBoA-unofcl-versnw08annotns.pdf
d) https://www.architectureboard.com.ph/presidential-decree-no-1096-2004-revised-implementing-rules-and-regulations-irr-prboa-unofficial-version-with-2008-annotations/
e) https://www.facebook.com/BuildingCode.Ph

Notes:
1) P.D. No. 1096 that was promulgated and that immediately became effective in February 1977, is a law, but not a statute. The statute that covered the same subject matter was Republic Act (R.A.) No. 6541, which was enacted on 26 August 1972, less than a month before the declaration of martial law in the Philippines (PH);
2) R.A. No. 6541 of 1972 (statute, i.e., the “original” NBCP) was the initial attempt to institute a national building code, while P.D. No. 1096 (law, i.e., as the “revised” NBCP) was crafted inasmuch as R.A. No. 6541 apparently lacked the necessary technical, developmental, and modern standards required for the country's growing infrastructure back in the 1970s; P.D. No. 1096 apparently provided stricter inspection protocols and enhanced compliance mechanisms compared to the original act; even if not a statute like R.A. No. 6541, P.D. No. 1096 (at 49 years in age) is the currently recognized law regulating building design and construction in the PH;
3) The original implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of P.D. No. 1096 was promulgated in 1977; in mid-2002, Arch. Alli was officially appointed as a Member of the DPWH Board of Consultants (BoC), a public-private technical cm legal advisory body primarily tasked with national building code matters for action by the Office of the DPWH Secretary; the specific task assigned to the BoC at the time (then headed by Arch/Civil Engineer Angel Lazaro, Jr.), was the crafting of the revised IRR (RIRR) of P.D. No. 1096;
4) Over the years 2002-2004, Arch. Alli served as the co-author of Rule VII (Classification and General Requirements of All Buildings by Use or Occupancy) and Rule VIII (Light and Ventilation) of the 2004 RIRR of the NBCP; at the concluding phase of the BoC work on crafting the RIRR of the NBCP, Arch. Alli was assigned an added role as a Member of the BoC Oversight Committee; the RIRR was promulgated by then DPWH Acting Secretary Florante Soriquez on 29 October 2004;
5) During the entire period of the crafting of the 2004 RIRR of P.D. No. 1096, the 1977 NBCP (2002-2004), Arch. Alli, then a co-founder of the NGO Architecture Advocacy International Foundation (AAIF), Inc., was joined in the DPWH BoC by 3 other AAIF co-founders in the persons of Arch. Aquiles Paredes (+), Arch. Lorenzo P. Espeleta (+) and Arch. Elmor V. Vita, with the last 2 AAIF members also being BoC Oversight Committee Members;
6) Of the 40-member DPWH BoC that authored the 2004 RIRR of P.D. No. 1096, the 1977 NBCP, and the separate 7-member DPWH National Building Code Review Committee (NBCRC that included Arch. Emmanuel P. Cuntapay, then of the DPWH), about 12 were registered Architects, another 12 were registered Civil Engineers, and about 8 were registered Environmental Planners (EnP);
7) The 2004 RIRR of P.D. No. 1096, the 1977 NBCP is a key source document for Volume 3 (Model Zoning Ordinance/MZO) of the 2014 HLURB Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) Guidebook, and to this day (22 years later) serves both as a key reference and basis for many physical planning provisions and interpretations that go into new zoning ordinances (ZO), ZO IRRs and special ordinances (SOs) at the LGU level;
8) From 2007 through 2012, the knowledge, application and basic interpretations of Rules VII and VIII of the 2004 Revised IRR (RIRR) of P.D. No. 1096, the 1977 NBCP became key requirements to successfully hurdle the approx. 30% Design component of the licensure examination for architects (LEA), as administered by the then Professional Regulatory Board of Architecture (www.architectureboard.com.ph) for the Philippine (PH) Professional Regulation Commission; the approximately 20,000 LEA passers (including foreign LEA/FLEA passers) during that 6-year period may arguably be the batches of LEA passers who have the best grasp of said rules;
9) As Section 102 of P.D. No. 1096, the 1977 NBCP unequivocably states that only the minimum building design/construction standards are embodied in the NBCP, the local government units (LGU) may enact stricter (more stringent) building standards under their respective zoning ordinances (ZO) and/or special ordinances (SO) and their respective regulations, BUT the LGUs CANNOT lawfully relax (or make less strict) those minimum NBCP standards;
10) As there is presently only one (1) NBCP, the same applies equally to all settlements in the PH, i.e., from highly urbanized cities (HUC) like those found in the PH National Capital Region (NCR, more popularly known as the Metropolitan Manila Area/MMA), where land is both scarce and in smaller sizes and very, very expensive, all the way to 6th class municipalities, where land may be more readily available in larger lot cuts) and much less expensive; in the future, there could probably be one NBCP for HUCs, and 1st & 2nd class municipalities and another NBCP for 3rd though 6th class municipalities; and
11) To possibly help address the twin issues of land scarcity and high land costs at HUCs (and at 1st and 2nd class municipalities), the LGUs may either tap/activate various lawful instruments that can allow the proactive exchange of development potentials of lots/DPL (e.g., transfer of development rights/TDR such as floor area ratio/FAR, same as floor-to-lot area ratio/FLAR used in the 2004 NBCP RIRR), etc., or make use of creative interpretations of the general welfare clause under Section 16 of R.A. No. 7160, the 1991 Local Government Code (LGC), that could perhaps allow for the lawful exchange of public undertakings, such as public infrastructure and services, etc.) in exchange for additional DPL, and to ultimately benefit the LGU constituents (in terms of job creation, tax generation, etc.).

P.D. 1096, the 1977 National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP) is a national development control aimed at maintaining public safety and well-being.

01/05/2026

ACTIVE LINKS TO MATERIALS ON DEVELOPMENT CONTROLS (DC)
as Primarily Authored by PH Arch/Enp Armando N. Alli
Part 2 of 5

2) Philippine (PH) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bureau of Design (BoD) 2015 Design Guidelines, Criteria & Standards (DGCS) Volume 6 – Public Buildings and Other Related Structures, downloadable at links:
a) https://www.coursehero.com/file/51170695/DPWH-DESIGN-GUIDELINES-CRITERIA-STANDARDS-VOLUME-6-PUBLIC-BUILDINGS-OTHER-RELATED-STRUCTURE/;
b) https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/edh2danywyd5rcw1opnqb/AFgziZ2gqxlVx-WTCPuE3dE?dl=0&e=1&fbclid=IwY2xjawRgDStleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFIMVZiVXREU1gwajNXRjJqc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvrtfyx8wgOkJDXxHlgOYxMT1dU2cz6iGJbrVaZNtTnkguvniUfe_OpnDbIK_aem_n7qBkHHOj0-URKcmqlTB5Q&preview=DPWH.2015.DGCS.vol.6.pdf&rlkey=f24jmfjglw72d1ijd4m9sc4yg

Notes:
1) Arch. Alli was the primary author/source of the materials for the architectural and site planning sections of the DPWH BoD 2015 DGCS Volume 6 – Public Buildings and Other Related Structures.
2) Arch. Alli’s work on the DGCS was part of an array of consulting engagements that he undertook for Philips Technical Consultants Corp. PTCC (a local firm, subsidiary of FF Cruz, Inc.), which was then working under Cardno, Australia (as lead consulting firm for the DGCS Project).

Shared with Dropbox

01/05/2026

ACTIVE LINKS TO MATERIALS ON DEVELOPMENT CONTROLS (DC)
as Primarily Authored by PH Arch/Enp Armando N. Alli
Part 3 of 5

3) Pasig City 2024 Zoning Ordinance (ZO) FULL SUITE

Very Important Note: The Local Government Unit (LGU) of Pasig City’s Zoning Ordinance (“ZO”) and Stream of Regulations (“SoR”), i.e., not limited to its Implementing Rules and Regulations (”IRR”) embodied in its accompanying Annexes and Appendices Volume (”AAV”) were all ratified by the PH Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) in late 2024, and were rolled out for general information dissemination cm implementation/enforcement by the LGU of Pasig City sometime immediately thereafter. Pasig City is a highly urbanized city (HUC) of the PH National Capital Region (NCR), more commonly referred to as the Metropolitan Manila Area (MMA).

a) Ordinance No. 63, Series of 2024: A Zoning Ordinance (ZO) for the City of Pasig, Providing for the Administration, Enforcement and Amendment Thereof and for the Repeal of All Ordinances in Conflict Therewith [Updated], signed by the concerned Pasig City LGU officials (led by the Hon. Mayor Vico Sotto) on 21 October 2024, at link:
https://assets.pasigcity.gov.ph/storage/city_ordinance/2024/10/21/67d7c7bb8d3821742194619Ord%20No.%2063-2024.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawP89PtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExMzZvbEJvM1NvM1A3b2wxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHuhq0dOeScgx1ZM-75_5dp3hVHwKEXu89vKQDOB8v38IpYXqXTBj1-kuZ51C_aem_sF_09hE97WF3rvxwsuHZcQ

b) Annexes (ZO.23 Implementing Rules and Regulations/IRR) Part 1/6 (pp 1-231) at link:
https://assets.pasigcity.gov.ph/storage/city_ordinance/2024/10/21/67c675622ba621741059426part%201.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawP89TJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExMzZvbEJvM1NvM1A3b2wxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHp6yCN5gMidvRinJoQXZatlpN5GF_zPqSgQSL8F0BX-zfNdQpyW4wQHYu3HS_aem_KYFI80UuhT9Y8-giHU9iFQ

c) Annex (ZO.23 IRR) Part 2/6 (pp 231-467) at link:
https://assets.pasigcity.gov.ph/storage/city_ordinance/2024/10/21/67c6757b45bf71741059451part%202.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawP89VtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExMzZvbEJvM1NvM1A3b2wxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHnXVKohBW9TrbVP3zXRM_kvk04Sk6M7KSLIfpDZQfEWUhhj7Azds2pJQRWPU_aem_-LhZ7HDshSrXNgvP9sXNJA

d) Annexes (ZO.23 IRR) Part 3/6 (pp 468-692) at link:
https://assets.pasigcity.gov.ph/storage/city_ordinance/2024/10/21/67c67609b6e701741059593part%203.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawP89ZtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExMzZvbEJvM1NvM1A3b2wxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHm3l1c0MsueJXH02HhF0e5rbR1XkxUz5JTWO8YTmOMBAbK4lFry30u_5g0ic_aem_LUQ3FpLtDp5bvu0euqTeNA

e) Annexes (ZO.23 IRR) Part 4/6 (pp 693-1020) at link:
https://assets.pasigcity.gov.ph/storage/city_ordinance/2024/10/21/67c676b7de9891741059767part%204.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawP89ctleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExMzZvbEJvM1NvM1A3b2wxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHj3HY1F-pDfCeT65wkk3XVQ3qDFB6A-ROCd6IuXA5uI3rvKN5kBDQ10-JMex_aem_mxLs-jRLUnxYjyEt6zU6dw

f) Annexes (ZO.23 IRR) Part 5/6 (pp 1021-1207) at link:
https://assets.pasigcity.gov.ph/storage/city_ordinance/2024/10/21/67c67723b856c1741059875part%205.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawP89fNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExMzZvbEJvM1NvM1A3b2wxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHm3l1c0MsueJXH02HhF0e5rbR1XkxUz5JTWO8YTmOMBAbK4lFry30u_5g0ic_aem_LUQ3FpLtDp5bvu0euqTeNA

g) Annexes (ZO.23 IRR) Part 6/6 (pp 1208-1214) and
Appendices (ZO General Technical References/GTR), i.e., pp 1215-1474) at link:
https://assets.pasigcity.gov.ph/storage/city_ordinance/2024/10/21/67c678f258fc71741060338part%206.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawP89hlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExMzZvbEJvM1NvM1A3b2wxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHnXVKohBW9TrbVP3zXRM_kvk04Sk6M7KSLIfpDZQfEWUhhj7Azds2pJQRWPU_aem_-LhZ7HDshSrXNgvP9sXNJA

Notes:
1) Arch./Environmental Planner (EnP) Alli was the primary author/main source of the materials for this zoning ordinance (ZO) and its annexes and appendices volume (AAV), much of which originated from the 2016 version of the Pasig City ZO and AAV, which he also primarily authored.
2) The Pasig City ZO and its AAV are mainly based on 2 key documents: 1) the full suite of the 2014 HLURB Comprehensive Land Use Planning (CLUP) Guidebook, particularly its Volume 3: Model Zoning Ordinance (MZO), i.e., mainly an executive issuance (EI), but more importantly, an uncontested subject matter authority; and 2) P.D. No. 1096, the 1977 National Building Code of the PH (NBCP), a law (not a statute) and its stream of regulations (SoR) not limited to its 2004 Revised implementing rules and regulations (RIRR);
3) The subject ZO was completed as part of a consulting services contract between the Pasig City LGU and the associated firms of Tomeldan, Alli & Molina (T.A.M.) Planners Co. (where Arch. Alli is a Senior Partner) and RSDPI, Inc.;
4) This ZO was the subject of extensive public consultations and was thoroughly reviewed by the Pasig City LGU and thereafter approved by it City Council, paving the way for its subsequent technical and legal review by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the DHSUD, and to final DHSUD ratification that lead to its eventual rollout and implementation;
5) Multiple capacitation efforts ensued to help both the public and private sectors better interpret and appreciate the content and intent of the Pasig City ZO.

01/05/2026

ACTIVE LINKS TO MATERIALS ON DEVELOPMENT CONTROLS (DC)
as Primarily Authored by PH Arch/Enp Armando N. Alli & His NGO, the AAIF
Part 4 of 5

4) The National Commission for Culture and the Arts – Department of Public Works and Highways – Architecture Advocacy International Foundation (NCCA-DPWH-AAIF) National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP):Illustrated Project 2016 (i.e., with the original book edition at 577 pages and original compact disc/CD edition at 700 mb file size), at links:
a) https://www.facebook.com/groups/416602522008321/posts/1136348043367095/
b) https://ncca.architectureboard.com.ph/
c) https://dpwh.architectureboard.com.ph/
d) https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/3pffvpfrmrjzuqh98cw7q/AHGZAxU-Vhy56IaE2iV3nac?e=1&fbclid=IwY2xjawRgFWNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFId1p5ejFYMFhIT21kMjc3c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHu6YjOFK6E8nx2vl2wxpI6RBZf_W42eSyAzOLfwN5I_OgxdwQLfUAJx8RT-D_aem_G_SSFZa_XXxPz6_6dj4DBg&rlkey=pwgodnfyphxol8x4evjk2wtur&dl=0
e) https://www.facebook.com/groups/416602522008321 (aaif AGORA Fb public chatgroup);
f) https://www.facebook.com/groups/180376455641456 (aaif AEDES Fb public chatgroup);
g) https://www.facebook.com/groups/470603218142570 (PEPtalk Fb public chatgroup); and
h) at the photos and videos sections of the public Fb page at link: https://www.facebook.com/BuildingCode.Ph (National Building Code of the Philippines – NBCP);

Notes:
1) As AAIF Project Manager, Arch. Alli was the primary author/source of the materials for the document denominated as the NBCP:Illustrated Project, submitted to the NCCA and DPWH in late 2016 in about 3,500 compact discs (CDs) for distribution nationwide (to all Offices of the Building Officials/OBOs at LGUs) and for reference/active use by other national agencies. Staring 2017, its matching electronic book version was mainly shared on various Facebook chatgroups and pages, along with a few trusted websites.
2) The NBCP:Illustrated Project was funded by a matching grant from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), with my NGO, Architecture Advocacy International Foundation (AAIF), Inc. funding 50% of the study/project cost. The DPWH National Building Code Review Committee (NBCRC) of the Office of the then DPWH Secretary (Hon. Rogelio Singson) reviewed/approved nearly all of the illustrations of the NBCP Revised IRR (RIRR) interpretations put forward by the AAIF team.
3) The 2019 and 2023 NBCP:Illustrated Project editions only came in electronic book versions that were mainly shared on various Facebook chatgroups and pages, along with a few trusted websites. While these 2 later versions had twice as much information as the original 2016 edition, these were wholly funded by Arch. Alli’s NGO (AAIF);
4) The 2019 edition of the NBCP:Illustrated by the AAIF, Inc., is posted at various websites and at the Files sections of public/private Facebook/Fb chatgroups), with public Fb chatgroup links at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/416602522008321 (aaif AGORA); https://www.facebook.com/groups/180376455641456 (aaif AEDES); https://www.facebook.com/groups/470603218142570 (PEPtalk); and at the photos and videos sections of the public Fb page at link: https://www.facebook.com/BuildingCode.Ph (National Building Code of the Philippines – NBCP); and
5) The 2023 edition of the NBCP:Illustrated by the AAIF, Inc., is posted at various websites and at the Files sections of public/private Facebook/Fb chatgroups), with public Fb chatgroup links at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/416602522008321 (aaif AGORA); https://www.facebook.com/groups/180376455641456 (aaif AEDES); https://www.facebook.com/groups/470603218142570 (PEPtalk); and at the photos and videos sections of the public Fb page at link: https://www.facebook.com/BuildingCode.Ph (National Building Code of the Philippines – NBCP).

P.D. 1096, the 1977 National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP) is a national development control aimed at maintaining public safety and well-being.

01/05/2026

ACTIVE LINKS TO MATERIALS ON DEVELOPMENT CONTROLS (DC)
as Primarily Authored by PH Arch/Enp Armando N. Alli & His NGO, the AAIF
Part 5 of 5

5) An ACT TO ORDAIN THE NEW BUILDING CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2087 (240 pages), as introduced by Sen. Grace L. Poe to the 17th Congress (i.e., on 13 Nov 2018 during its 3rd Regular Session), at links:
a) https://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lis/bill_res.aspx?congress=17&q=SBN-2087
b)https://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/2889725453!.pdf

Notes:
1) Arch. Alli was the primary author/source of this bill (thoroughly refined for the Office of Senator Poe). Its original 2006 version was crafted by his NGO, the Architecture Advocacy International Foundation (AAIF), Inc., which was succeeded by a 2008 version co-crafted with the then PRC Professional Regulatory Board of Architecture that he chaired (PRBoA at www.architectureboard.com.ph), again with the able assistance of his NGO, the AAIF.
2) That 2008 PRBoA-AAIF version of the bill, as earlier refined, was already in the hands of the then DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson by 2011, at a time when Arch. Alli was also the Vice Chair of the DPWH Board of Consultants (BoC), a body primarily tasked with national building code advisory matters for the Office of the DPWH Secretary.
3) There is also an updated 2023 or 2024 AAIF version of this bill (i.e., NOT introduced to the 19th Congress), already with the offices of at least 8 PH Senators of the 20th Congress, which remain un-introduced, but which Arch. Alli can share at a later time.
4) This bill sought to proactively/extensively reinforce P.D. No. 1096, the 1977 National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP) and its stream of regulations (SoR), not limited to its 2004 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (RIRR) and its referral code system (RCS), i.e., never to weaken/disable the existing NBCP system (which has been shown to be quite effective for almost a half century, if not for deliberate and potentially unlawful forms of human intervention, which is what should also be seriously addressed in all future NBCP repeal bills). Thank You.

16/04/2026

2025 AAIF Appreciation (and Highlighting) of the 2020 Supreme Court (SC) Decision Anent the Ownership of Foreign Construction Companies Seeking PCAB Regular Licenses.

04/04/2026

2025 AAIF THOUGHT PAPER ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY (DTI), THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AUTHORITY OF THE PHILIPPINES (CIAP) AND THE PHILIPPINE CONTRACTORS ACCREDITATION BOARD (PCAB), as of 11 September 2025

29/03/2026

A MID-2025 POSITION OF THE ARCHITECTURE ADVOCACY INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION (“AAIF”), INC., A PHILIPPINE (“PH”) NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION (“NGO”):

“CONTRACTING IS A BUSINESS, AND MUST NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH THE LAWFUL PRACTICE OF ANY STATE-REGULATED PROFESSION (“SRP”)”

While there are common commercial offers from Philippine/“PH” Contractors Accreditation Board (“PCAB”)-licensed contractors to undertake BOTH the design and construction of infrastructure and/or building/grounds projects, there is definite need to officially distinguish “CONTRACTING” (i.e., a business or a commercial activity regulated by the PCAB, sometimes also referred to as the “business of building”), and “DESIGNING” (which is the lawful practice of a state-regulated profession/”SRP”, duly governed by various professional regulatory laws/”PRL” implemented by the Department of Labor and Employment/”DoLE” through the Professional Regulation Commission/”PRC”).

The construction-related PRLs (including their respective streams of regulation/”SoR”, NOT limited to their implementing rules and regulations/”IRR”, codes of ethical conduct/”CEC”, standards of professional practice/”SPP”, guidelines and procedural manuals/”GPM”, and similar executive issuances (”EI”), including Joint Memorandum Circulars/”JMC”, currently and collectively administered/indirectly implemented by the PRC through the concerned Professional Regulatory Boards/”PRB”.

In the mid-1970s, “CONTRACTING” was transferred from PRC to the then Ministry of Trade (now the Department of Trade and Industry/”DTI”) as it was then CORRECTLY classified as a BUSINESS and NOT the practice of a SRP, which is a PRIVILEGE officially granted by the state mainly to NATURAL persons and duly-qualified juridical entities, based on the pertinent PRL, as in R.A. No. 9266 (for Architecture) and R.A. No. 10587 (for Environmental Planning).

The PH Supreme Court in its General Resolution (“G.R.”) No. 217590, March 10, 2020, Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (“PCAB”), Petitioner, V. Manila Water Company, Inc., Respondent (at link https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/1/66190), has reinforced that classification of CONTRACTING as a BUSINESS, states:

“x x x the supposed government interest in limiting the practice of a profession to Filipino citizens is inapplicable to construction considering that contracting for purposes of engaging in construction activities is not a profession, as it is not one regulated by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the term "professional" refers to an individual not a corporation or firm.” (emphases and underscoring supplied)

x x x
“x x x. Section 14, Article XII of the Constitution refers to the privilege of a natural person to exercise his profession in the Philippines. On the other hand, under Article IV of R.A. No. 4566, even partnerships, corporations and organizations can qualify for a contractor's license through its responsible officer. The "profession" under the aforesaid provision refers to the practice of natural persons of a certain field in which they are trained, certified, and licensed. Being a licensed contractor does not automatically qualify within the ambit of the Constitution as a "profession" per se.
A contractor under R.A. No. 4566 does not refer to a specific practice of profession, i.e., architecture, engineering, medicine, accountancy and the like. In fact, Section 9(a) and (b) of R.A. No. 4566 reads x x x
Suffice it to say that a corporation or juridical person, in this case a construction firm, cannot be considered a "professional" that is being exclusively restricted by the Constitution and our laws to Filipino citizens. The licensing of contractors is not to engage in the practice of a specific profession, but rather to engage in the business of contracting/construction.
The basis for petitioner's argument, that construction is considered a profession, is also out of context. x x x. It does not follow that just because a license is required under R.A. No. 4566, a licensed contractor is already considered a professional under the Constitution.
Professionalizing the construction business is different from the exercise of profession which the Constitution exclusively restricts to Filipino citizens. To reiterate, the license required under R.A. No. 4566 is for purposes of engaging in the business of contracting under the terms of the said act for a fiscal year or a certain period/project, and not for the purpose of practicing a particular profession. The responsible officer who secures a license for contracting, for his own business or for the company, may already be a professional in his own field (i.e., engineer, architect). Then again, the license acquired under R.A. No. 4566 does not make the licensed contractor a "professional" within the meaning contemplated under Section 14, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution.
More telling is the fact that applicants for contractor's licenses are not required to have Philippine citizenship unlike those who are considered as professionals in the country. x x x. The law merely requires at least two years of experience in the construction industry, and knowledge of building, safety, health and lien laws of the Republic of the Philippines and the rudimentary administrative principles of the contracting business. x x x. (emphases and underscoring supplied)
From a layman’s viewpoint, the foregoing can mainly be interpreted as follows:
1) that PCAB-registered contractors have NEVER been granted the privilege to practice state-regulated professions (“SRP”) under their contractor licenses; at most, they may probably render construction-related services as part of their business, i.e., construction management (“CM”) services, including fulltime construction supervision (“FCS”) services through their fulltime sustaining technical employees (“STE”);
2) to lawfully render SRP, the PCAB-registered contractors must do any of the following:
• formally associate with natural or juridical persons permitted by law to engage in SRP to prepare the design documents and to assume the mandated professional responsibilities and civil liability under law; or
• operate a subsidiary operation, separately registered with DTI or SEC, and mainly focused on the rendition of SRP; or
• utilize the STE as natural persons to render SRP in a separate private capacity covered by a professional service contract (“PSC”) detailing professional compensation per project and the manner of assumption of civil liability, e.g., professional liability insurance/”PLI”, and the like) once the STE is separated from service.
3) PCAB-licensed contractors who continue to perhaps unlawfully render SRP may be sued for violations of the pertinent PRL, i.e., for illegal practice of a SRP/willful violation of PRL/s. Thanks.
Nothing follows.