THE NATIONAL BUILDING CODE

OF THE PHILIPPINES
TOPICS
A. GENERAL PROVISIONS & PENAL PROVISIONS
B. Definitions
C. Legal Framework
D. HISTORY
E. National Building Code Review Committee (NBCRC)
F. Office of the Building Official
G. Hierarchy of Building Codes
H. General Applicability of the NBCP
A. GENERAL PROVISIONS & PENAL PROVISIONS
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 101. Title.
This Decree shall be known as the “National Building Code of the
Philippines” and shall hereinafter be referred to as the “Code”.
A. GENERAL PROVISIONS & PENAL PROVISIONS
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 102. Declaration of Policy.
It is hereby declared to be 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 this 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.
A. GENERAL PROVISIONS & PENAL PROVISIONS
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 103. Scope and Application.
(a) 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 as defined herein.
(b) Building and/or structures constructed before the approval of this
Code shall not be affected thereby except when alterations, additions,
conversions or repairs are to be made therein in which case, this Code
shall apply only to portions to be altered, added, converted or repaired.
A. GENERAL PROVISIONS & PENAL PROVISIONS
Section 104. General Building Requirements.
(a) All buildings or structures as well as accessory facilities thereto shall
conform in all respects to the principles of the safe construction and
must be suited to the purpose for which they are designed.
(b) Buildings or structures intended to be used for the manufacture
and/or production of any kind of article or product shall observe
adequate environmental safeguards.
(c) Buildings or structures and all parts thereof as well as all facilities
found therein shall be maintained in safe, sanitary and good working
condition.
A. GENERAL PROVISIONS & PENAL PROVISIONS
Section 213. Penal Provisions.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, to erect, construct,
enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, demolish, equip,
use, occupy, or maintain any building or structure or cause the same to be
done contrary to or in violation of any provision of this Code.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this
Code and/or commit any act hereby declared to be unlawful shall upon
conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than twenty thousand pesos or
by imprisonment of not more than two years or by both such fine and
imprisonment: Provided, that in the case of a corporation firm, partnership
or association, the penalty shall be imposed upon its officials responsible for
such violation and in case the guilty party is an alien, he shall immediately be
deported after payment of the fine and/or service of his sentence.
 B. DEFINITIONS
SECTION 106. Definitions
1. For purposes of this IRR, the following definitions shall apply:
ADDITION – Any new construction which increases the height and/or floor area of existing
buildings/structures.
AGENCY OF THE GOVERNMENT – Refers to any of the various units of the government
including a department, bureau, office, instrumentality, or government owned or
controlled corporation.
ALTERATION – Works in buildings/structures involving changes in the materials used,
partitioning, location/size of openings, structural parts, existing utilities and equipment but
does not increase the building height and/or floor area.
APPLICATION FORMS – A preformatted prescribed application form duly accomplished and
notarized by the respective design professional with validation matrices related to other
building rules and regulations.
 B. DEFINITIONS
SECTION 106. Definitions
1. For purposes of this IRR, the following definitions shall apply:
APPLICANT/ PERMITTEE – Any person, firm, partnership, corporation, head of government or
private institution, organization of any character applying for the issuance of permits and
certificates.
BUILDING OFFICAL – the Executive Officer of the OBO appointed by the Secretary.
BUILDING PERMIT – A document issued by the Building Official (BO) to an owner/applicant to
proceed with the construction, installation, addition, alteration, renovation, conversion, repair,
moving, demolition or other work activity of a specific project/building/structure or portions
thereof after the accompanying principal plans, specifications and other pertinent documents with
the duly notarized application are found satisfactory and substantially conforming with the National
Building Code of the Philippines (the Code) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
CODE – PD 1096, otherwise known as the National Building Code of the Philippines.
CONSTRUCTION – All on-site work done in the site preparation, excavation, foundation, assembly of
all the components and installation of utilities, machineries and equipment of buildings/structures.
 B. DEFINITIONS
SECTION 106. Definitions
1. For purposes of this IRR, the following definitions shall apply:
CONVERSION – A change in the use or occupancy of buildings/structures or
any portion/s thereof, which has different requirements.
DEMOLITION – The systematic dismantling or destruction of a
building/structure, in whole or in part.
DEPARTMENT – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – The Executive Officer or Head of the NBCDO.
MOVING – The transfer of buildings/structures or portion/s thereof from
original location or position to another, either within the same lot or to a
different one.
 B. DEFINITIONS
SECTION 106. Definitions
1. For purposes of this IRR, the following definitions shall apply:
OFFICE OF THE BUILDING OFFICIAL (OBO) – The Office authorized to enforce the
provisions of the Code and its IRR in the field as well as the enforcement of orders
and decisions made pursuant thereto.
REFERRAL CODES – The applicable provisions of the various agency and technical
professional codes that are supplementary to the Code.
RENOVATION – Any physical change made on buildings/structures to increase the
value, quality, and/or to improve the aesthetic.
REPAIR – Remedial work done on any damaged or deteriorated portion/s of
building/structure to restore to its original condition.
SECRETARY – Head or Chief Executive Officer of DPWH.
STAFF – The personnel of the National Building Code Development Office (NBCDO).
 D. HISTORY
• The National Building Code, Presidential Decree 1096, was approved in the 1970s
• PD 1096 calls for the issuance by the Secretary of the DPWH of Implementing Rules and
Regulations (IRR)
• The current IRR is composed of various DPWH Orders and policies issued through the years
• For the past few years, the DPWH has been preparing a consolidated revised IRR
• The DPWH formed a committee composed of various stakeholders who were consulted regarding
the Revised IRR
• The Committee included representatives from Accredited Professional Organizations, including PICE
• The final version of the Revised IRR was prepared by a Committee within the DPWH
• The final version of the Revised IRR was published in the Manila Standard three times (April 1, 8 and
15, 2005)
• The Revised IRR would have been implementable on April 30, 2005, 15 days after the third publication
• The Revised IRR contains the procedure for the application for and issuance of building permits, among
other provisions
 E. National Building Code Review Committee
(NBCRC)
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has
reconstituted the National Building Code Review Committee (NBCRC)
to further strengthen the implementation of the National Building Code
of the Philippines (NBCP) and its implementing rules and regulations
(IRR).
 E. National Building Code Review Committee
(NBCRC)
NBCRC is composed of
• Bureau of Design Director (DPWH)
• Bureau of Construction Director (DPWH)
• Bureau of Maintenance Director (DPWH)
• Bureau of Research and Standards Director(DPWH)
• Legal Service Director (DPWH)
• Planning Service Director (DPWH)
• UPMO – Buildings Management Cluster Project Director (DPWH)
• NBCP Board of Consultants (DPWH)
 E. National Building Code Review Committee
(NBCRC)
Meanwhile, NBCP Board of Consultants is joined by representatives from different government offices
and non-government organizations such as
• Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),
• Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG),
• Department of Health (DOH),
• Department of Justice (DOH),
• Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP),
• Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP),
• Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines (IECEP),
• Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines, Inc. (IIEE),
• National Master Plumbers Association of the Philippines (NAMPAP),
• Philippine Association of Building Officials (PABO),
• Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers (PSAE),
• Philippine Institute of Mechanical Engineers (PSME) and
• Philippine Society of Sanitary Engineers (PSSE)
F. Office of the
Building Official
G. Hierarchy of Building Codes
1. NBCP & its 2004 Revised IRR
2. NBCP Referral Codes (RCs)
i. RA 9514 (2008 Fire Code of the Ph/ FCP and its 2009 IRR)
ii. BP 344 (1983 Law to Enhance the Mobility of Disabled Persons)
iii. National Structural Code of the Ph (NSCP), a self-regulatory doc
iv. Philippine Electrical Code (PEC)
v. Philippine Mechanical Codes (PMC)
vi. National Plumbing Code of the Ph (NPCP)
vii. Sanitation Code of the Ph, a law
viii. Water Code of the Ph, a law
ix. 2000 Architecture Code, DPWH executive issuance (for repeal)
x. Professional Regulatory Laws (PRLs e.g. RA 9266)
3. Other Building Laws (PD 957, BP 220, Envi laws, etc.)
4. LGU Building Ordinance, Zoning Ordinance (ZO)/ Development-related
Ordinances
H. General Applicability of the NBCP
• The 1977 NBCP only sets minimum standards for building design,
construction & occupancy/ use
• If other laws, the NBCP Referral Codes (RCs) of the NBCP e.g.
Sanitation Code, Water Code, 2000 Architectural Code, NEC, NME,
NPCP, NSCP, etc.), LGU zoning ordinance (ZO) or other official
issuances are more stringent, then the same i.e. the most stringent
provision shall prevail.
• While the DPWH is of the position that the 2004 Revised IRR of the
NBCP applies only to new land and property developments starting
2005, there is apparently nothing in the NBCP 2004 Revised IRR nor is
there a DPWH Memorandum Order that states this.