HISTORY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING IN THE PHILIPPINES
August 2021
INTRODUCTION
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the built
environment, which includes roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewerage systems, pipelines,
structural components of buildings, and railways. Civil engineers create, improve and protect the
environment in which we live as they’re the ones who plan, design and oversee construction and
maintenance of such infrastructures. The profession has been scoping a wide range of services
and the fact that civil engineers equipped difficult technical skills to build impressive projects
has immensely attract many aspirants to be one. But, how and when does this profession bloom
and started in our country? Let us go back and dig deeper into the History of Civil Engineering in
the Philippines.
OBJECTIVES
Generally, this research aims to give the researcher enough knowledge and brief
background about the History of Civil Engineering in the Philippines.
Specifically, this also aims to achieve the following objectives:
1) To gain knowledge about the educational and institutional history of civil engineering in
the country. Such of these are the following:
a. The first school in the country to offer the Civil Engineering as a course
b. Organizations of Civil Engineers
c. Inclusion of Civil Engineering course in the PRC and Board exams
d. The 1st holder of the slot in the PRC Registry of Civil Engineers
2) To know the influence of Civil engineers on the structural styles
3) To know the tools and techniques used by Civil Engineers in the workplace
4) To recognize the notable civil engineering structures built in the Philippines (Ancient and
Modern structures)
During the Spanish time (1565-1898), the history of the architecture and civil engineering
profession in the Philippines were almost synonymous to each other. Scope of works of civil
engineering professions such as construction of building, houses, roadways, railroads and water
resources were practiced during the Spanish Period. In more than three-and-a-half centuries of
Spanish subjugation, there were no Filipino civil engineers but some Filipinos were immersed in
the field as being construction workers by Spaniards. Because there were no civil engineering
schools in the country at that time and the only architects/civil engineers with academic degrees
were the Spaniards. At that time, the materials and foundation of infrastructures were
stones/boulders, steels, and some cement and gravel.
During American regime (1898-1946), the coming of the Americans brought about drastic
changes in the engineering culture. Americans brought betterment to the country by establishing
bridges and more roadways that would connect cities. Engineering departments that were formed
in Spanish period such as Bureau of Engineering was placed under the supervision of American
military engineers. Laws and Acts established organizations such as Bureau of Engineering and
Construction of Public Works that facilitates the projects built in American period. In September
14, 1902, Academia de Arquitectura y Agrimensura de Filipinas (AAAF) was created as the first
professional association of architectures and surveryos. It was later on renamed as Academia de
Arquitectura, Ingeniera y Agrimensura de Filipinas (AIAAF) thus the association includes civil
engineers. In May 18, 1907, the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Santo Tomas (UST),
the oldest engineering school in the Philippines, was the first to offer the Civil Engineering
course in the country. UST as the School of Civil Engineering with one program leading to the
degree of Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE). The Dean of the College of
Engineering in the University of the Philippines (UP) was authorized to prepare the curriculum
for Civil Engineering course. Initially, a four-year course leading to the degree of Bachelor of
Science with an additional degree of Civil Engineer upon completion of an extra year of study
was approved. In 1911, the AIAAF was dissolved when the civil engineers (and other
engineering profession) withdrew to form their own professional organization (The Philippine
Society of Engineers). According to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) On
February 23, 1921, Public Act No. 2985 was enacted empowering the Secretary of Commerce
and Communication to appoint members of the boards of the architecture and engineering
professions. The Act, which contained very general provisions on the regulation of engineering
and architecture, was later amended by Acts No. 3159 and 3182. In 1928, a group of civil
engineers from the government sector formed the Philippines Society of Civil Engineers (PSCE)
which was the first civil engineering organization in the Philippines with Engr. Marcial Kasilag
as its first president. Engr. Marcial Kasilag thereupon received the honor of holding PRC
Registration Number 1 for Civil Engineers. 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. The PACE being the most active than the PSCE
led to the transfer of many PSCE members to PACE.
During Martial Law (Marcos era), in 1972, the president of PACE exerted a serious effort in
merging the two organizations. Leaders of PACE and PSCE negotiated, and talked about the
choice of name. It was then on December 11, 1973, the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) issued Registration Certificate no. 53896 to the PHILIPPINES INSTITUTE OF CIVIL
ENGINEERS, INC. (PICE). This was the culmination and fulfillment of a vision to merge two
separate organizations of civil engineers in the country, the PACE and PSCE. In May 29, 1993
The PRC Board of Civil Engineering held its first fully computerized examinations and released
the results on November 9, 1993. On February 28, 1995, the Syllabi for the Subjects in the Civil
Engineering licensure examinations was promulgated.
Now, we know the brief summary of the History of Civil Engineering from when it all
begun and the improvements made all throughout the years. So now we will move forward, what
is the influence of Civil engineers on the structural styles? First, of all Civil Engineers has its
disciplines and sub-disciplines and structural styles belong to the sub-discipline of civil
engineering which is structural engineering. Structural engineering in which Structural engineers
must understand and calculate the stability, strength, rigidity and earthquake-susceptibility of
built structures for buildings and non-building structures. The structural designs are integrated
with those of other designers such as architects and building services engineer and often
supervise the construction of projects by contractors on site. So, Civil engineers specifically
“Structural engineers” influence on the structural style by conducting a structural analysis to
determine what internal and external forces could affect the structure, then design a structure
with the appropriate materials and reinforcements to satisfy the requirements of the project.
The job of a civil engineer is to build different structures (such as bridges, highways, and
waterways), and they use very precise tools and instruments to guide them. They rely on survey
equipment and other tools to make their jobs easier and more efficient. Without the knowledge
and their tools with them, the structures that they build and design wouldn’t be safe. The
following are some of the basic tools and techniques civil engineers used:
I.
Tools
a) Scientific Calculator
A calculator is a machine which allows people to do math operations more
easily. The scientific calculator, however, is the only one that can handle certain
functions in fields such as trigonometry, physics, chemistry, and engineering. Civil
engineers are into computations for the rest of their lives thus calculators became
their friend in helping them solve complex calculations accurately.
b) Measuring Tape
It is a flexible ruler used to measure size or distance. It consists of a
ribbon of cloth, plastic, fibre glass, or metal strip with linear-measurement
markings. It also allows you to measure around curves and corners, which can
be an advantage for many contractors and builders. Civil engineers bring their
handy measuring tapes with them as it helps them measure a certain area or
distances in their workplace.
c) Theodolite
Civil engineers specifically the surveying engineers commonly used
the theodolite in the open field. A theodolite is a surveying instrument used for
precise angular measurement in both horizontal and vertical planes. Theodolites
are commonly used for land surveying, route surveying, construction
surveying, and in the engineering industry.
d) Grade rods
A Grade Rod or leveling rod, is a graduated rod used to determine
differences in elevation. It is used by land surveyors, construction workers,
concrete professionals, building contractors, plumbers, and grading contractors
to determine the difference in elevation of almost any surface or utility.
e) AutoCAD
AutoCAD Civil 3D. Easily the most used program in the industry,
Civil 3D is a civil engineering drafting software with a multitude of design,
analysis and simulation tools for civil engineering design. Moreover, it is
used to create sets of plans known as construction documentation.
II.
Techniques
f) Technical skills (Problem-solving, Pressure-management, creativity, structural analysis,
and leadership) - Technical skills are sets of abilities or knowledge used to perform
practical tasks in the areas of science, the arts, technology, engineering, and math. Thus
civil engineers must equipped most of the technical knowledge they needed in order to
perform their duty. It is their technical skills that helps them work more efficiently and
boost their confidence.
g) Foundation
Foundations provide support for structures, transferring their load to layers of
soil or rock that have sufficient bearing capacity and suitable settlement
characteristics to support them. Civil engineers will often determine what type
of foundation is suitable for the respective bearing capacity. The foundation
construction method depends on considerations such as: (1) The nature of the
load requiring support (2) Ground condition (3) The presence of water (4)
Space availability (5) Accessibility (6) Sensitivity to noise and vibration.
h) Formwork
Formwork is used for the process of creating a mold into which concrete is
poured and solidified. Traditional formwork is fabricated using wood, but it
can employ steel, glass fibre, reinforced plastics and other materials.
We can’t deny the fact that Civil Engineers improves and beautify our country. Together
with architects who designs the outer look of buildings, civil engineers are the ones who’s
responsible if the design is feasible to be build through analysis and computations. Thus, every
infrastructures we have today and in the past were all established by civil engineers. These
notable civil engineering structures ever built in the Philippines (ancient and modern structures)
are as follows:
1) Intramuros and San Agustin Church inside
Intramuros (Manila). As the oldest district of Manila, Intramuros was the seat of
government during the Spanish colonial period. In 1590, the area along the southern bank of
Pasig River facing Manila Bay was enclosed with walls 22 feet high and 8 feet thick to protect
the government from foreign invaders, earning it the moniker “Wa ed City.” San Agustin
Church (Intramuros, Manila). It would be impossible to name Intramuros and not count San
Agustin Church as an icon of historical value. Built between 1587 and 1606, it is one of the
oldest churches in the Philippines, and was the only structure out of all the buildings in the
Walled City to survive the Battle of Manila during the Second World War.
2) Cape Bojeador Lighthouse (Burgos, Ilocos Norte)
Also known as the Burgos Lighthouse, it is considered as the oldest still-active Spanishera lighthouse in the Philippines. Built by the Spanish government as part of their plan to light up
the Philippine archipelago, the 66-foot- tall octagonal stone lighthouse was first lit in March 30,
1892, serving as a beacon to galleons sailing through the northwestern- most point of Luzon.
3) Main Building of University of Sto.Tomas
Designed by a Spanish priest-civil engineer Rev. Fr. Roque Ruaño in 1920 to 1923, the
main building of the Philippine’s oldest university, located along Espana Boulevard, is also the
first earthquake resistant building in the country. The design was fine tuned after the lessons
learned from the Great Kantō earthquake that flattened Tokyo and Yokohama in September 1,
1923.
4) Ayala Bridge
Ayala Bridge is a steel truss bridge over the Pasig River in Manila, Philippines. It
connects the districts of Ermita and San Miguel, passing over the western tip of Isla de
Convalecencia. It carries Circumferential Road 1 (C-1) and National Route 180 (N180), linking
Ayala Boulevard in Ermita to P. Casal Street in San Miguel. It was constructed by Don Jacobo
Zóbel y Zangroniz in 1872and rebuilt in 1908 and 1930s.
5) G.T. International Tower
Developed by Federal Land, the building takes its initials from its owner and chairman of
the Metrobank Group, George Ty. The tower sports a 10-storey vertical fin for its crown and is
one of the most recognizable buildings in the Makati skyline. Its design is a collaboration
between the local architectural firm GF & Partners Architects and Gozar Planners Philippines in
collaboration with the international firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.
6) Philippine Arena
The Philippine Arena is the world's largest indoor arena. It is a multipurpose indoor arena
with a maximum seating capacity of 55,000 at Ciudad de Victoria, a 140-hectare tourism
enterprise zone in Bocaue and Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines about 30 kilometers north of
Manila. It was constructed in August 17, 2011-May 30, 2014. Hanhwa Engineering and
Construction is the main contractor of this project and Buro Happold as the structural engineer.
CONCLUSION
To sum up, Civil engineering all started by the time when the Spaniards invade our
country. Philippines back then doesn’t have infrastructures and the Spaniards were the ones who
introduced and practice this field of work to established infrastructures in the country. Civil
engineering course first offered by University of Sto.Tomas in the American Period. It was on
February 23, 1921 when the civil engineering was included in PRC board exams and separated
both civil engineering and architecture board exam since the both professions were synonymous
with each other back then. Engr. Marcial Kasilag was the holder of first PRC licensed for Civil
engineer. The first organization of civil engineers formed by government sector was The
Philippine Society of Civil Engineers (PSCE) and it was led by Engr. Kasilag. The next
organization of Civil engineers in private-based sector was The Philippines Association of Civil
Engineers (PACE), led by Enrique Sto.Tomas Cortes. During Martial Law, Both of the
organizations were merged later on by the president of PACE since PSCE wasn’t that active thus
they renamed the merged organizations into “The Philippines Institute of Civil Engineers
(PICE).” Afterwards, improvements and betterment of country in terms of infrastructures were
all facilitated by civil engineers.
Civil engineers has extensive influence on the structural styles. The sub-discipline of civil
engineering which is structural engineering were the engineers who makes sure of the structural
styles of a certain infrastructures. Structural engineers must have enough knowledge of the
combinations of Mathematics and Science as they make sure the stability of the structure to be
built and the forces exerted in the buildings. Without the civil engineers influence on the
structural styles of building infrastructures the infrastructures to be built will not be stabilized
therefore is not safe.
Civil engineers put into life their projects with proper tools and techniques. Tools like
calculators, measuring tapes, theodolite, grade rods, and the software AutoCad were all essential
usage for engineers to do their job precisely. Moreover, the techniques they learnt such as
Technical knowledge and the construction methods of foundation and forming were also
important to build their projects firmly and safely.
With civil engineers doing their duty to beautify and established firm infrastructures,
together collaborating with architects, our country has produced notable civil engineering
structures from ancient and modern period that becomes the pride of many Filipinos. Some of
these notable infrastructures were the Intramuros and San Agustin Church inside, Cape Bojeador
Lighthouse, Main Building of University of Sto.Tomas, Ayala Bridge, G.T. International Tower,
and Philippine Arena.
Therefore I can conclude that I learned a lot by digging the facts and searching
information about civil engineering from its history, to their scope of work, techniques they used,
and to the projects they made. The field of civil engineering is so broad and difficult and with
that many people were amazed by their job thus attracting many civil engineering aspirants to be
one of those civil engineers who could manage infrastructures. Contributions of civil engineers
to our country by ensuring our safety and improving our lives through establishing buildings,
bridges, and water systems, were really impressive. Overall, I could say that civil engineering
profession is indeed amazing and it’s worthy of respect.
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