The Department of Public Works and Highways has incorporated provisions from Senator Bong Go’s proposed Philippine Building Act into its ongoing review of the nearly 50-year-old National Building Code, with proposed amendments expected to be finalized soon.
DPWH officials disclosed the development during the Senate deliberations on the department’s proposed 2027 budget after Go pressed the agency on updating the country’s building standards to reflect advances in engineering, technology and disaster resilience.
The veteran legislator filed Senate Bill No. 666, or the proposed Philippine Building Act of 2025, which seeks to establish updated standards for the planning, design, construction, occupancy and maintenance of buildings while strengthening resilience against earthquakes, fires, floods, storms and multiple hazards. The measure remains pending in the Senate committee.
“A technical working group is already reviewing the existing Building Code, which will mark its 50th anniversary in 2027.”
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon told Go that a technical working group was already reviewing the existing Building Code, which will mark its 50th anniversary in 2027.
Dizon thanked the seasoned lawmaker for pursuing legislation to overhaul the decades-old standards and said DPWH Undersecretaries Maria Catalina Cabral Conti and other technical officials were overseeing the review.
DPWH Undersecretary Conti said Dizon had issued Special Order No. 155 creating a review committee that has been meeting twice a month.
More significantly, Conti confirmed that the committee had studied provisions contained in the veteran legislator’s pending legislation while preparing its own amendments.
“Sa loob po ng dalawang linggo ay matatapos na po namin ang aming mga proposed amendments kasama rin po at na-consider po, Sen. Bong Go, yung mga provision po doon sa inyong panukalang batas din po,” Conti said.
She said the committee was targeting the first week of October to finalize the results of its review, with the department hoping that an updated framework could be in place around February 2027, the 50th anniversary of the existing National Building Code.
DPWH officials also told the Senate that they were working with structural engineers on updates to the National Structural Code of the Philippines.
According to them, the updated structural standards incorporate new seismic and wind maps so engineers can account for current conditions, recorded extremes and higher probabilities of earthquakes and typhoons when designing structures.
The senator has argued that a revised Building Code should establish stronger benchmarks for structural integrity and resilience as the country confronts recurring earthquakes, typhoons, floods and other natural hazards.
“Mr. Chair, I filed the proposed New Building Code, which aims to protect the people’s lives and mitigate the impact of disasters by setting standards and benchmarks that all buildings and infrastructures must meet with, particularly the recommended structural stability and integrity designed to withstand disasters,” he said.
“Malaki po ang gagampanan ng DPWH para masiguro na ligtas ang ating imprastraktura.”
“Panahon na po upang ating pag-aralan ang pag-a-update po ng National Building Code. Malaki po ang gagampanan ng DPWH para masiguro na ligtas ang ating imprastraktura,” Go added.
He noted that older structures appeared particularly vulnerable during recent earthquakes and said modernizing construction standards had become increasingly urgent.
