AN ACT TO AMEND ACT NUMBERED TWENTY-NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE, ENTITLED "AN ACT TO REGULATE THE PRACTICE OF THE PROFESSIONS OF ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT

• Number: Act No. 3159
• Sections: 8

Section 1

Section 1. Section eight of Act Numbered Twenty-nine hundred and eighty-five is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 8. The Boards shall meet for the purpose of holding not more than twenty sessions per annum and shall hold examinations in the City of Manila on the second Monday not a holiday of January and July of each year, upon at least thirty days notice published in two of the most widely read newspapers of the locality, one in English and the other in Spanish. Each member of the Boards of; Examiners shall receive a compensation of ten pesos for' each day of actual attendance of the sessions of the Board. Any public officer appointed as member of either of these: Boards shall receive the compensation provided for in this Act in addition to his salary as public officer. All sums; collected in accordance with this Act shall be paid into the Insular Treasury as part of the general funds thereof, and all expenses of the Boards shall be paid out of the funds appropriated for said purpose in the general appropriation acts. The Boards shall have a seal to authenticate their official documents. The secretary-treasurer shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Board, an account book and a register of the persons to whom certificates have been issued, setting forth the name, age, marital condition, residence, post-office address, and the name of the institution from which he graduated and in which he studied. The Boards of Examiners shall, during the first days of January of each year, present to the Secretary of Commerce and Communications a detailed report of all their work during the year."

Section 2

SEC. 2. Section eleven of Act Numbered Twenty-nine hundred and eighty-five is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 11. The Board concerned shall issue certificate without prior examination to persons who, on the date of the approval of this Act, have any of the following qualifications :

"1. Have passed the civil-service examination for engineer or architect.

"2. Have the first three qualifications specified in the next preceding section: Provided, That all those shall be considered as having the qualifications specified in subsection three of the next preceding section who have received a diploma or produce a certificate showing the holder to have completed the studies of engineering or architecture prior to the date on which Act Numbered Twenty-nine hundred and eighty-five went into effect, in an established university, academy, college, school or institute subsequently recognized as such by the Government of the Philippine Islands or of .the United States.

"3. Have previously practised either of the professions mentioned for a period of not less than five years, without their being required to have specialized in the work of planning and designing work involving engineering calculations or architectural designing: Provided, That the Board of Examiners concerned shall have authority to subject the applicant to an examination if the testimonials presented with his application are not sufficient, in the discretion of the Board of Examiners concerned."

Section 3

SEC. 3. Section twelve of Act Numbered Twenty-nine hundred and eighty-five is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 12. It shall be unlawful for any person to practice as engineer or architect or advertise as such without having the proper license as provided by this Act: Provided, however, That all persons who have prior to the approval of Act Numbered Twenty-nine hundred and eighty-five been engaged in the making of plans and direction of work without having an academic title as engineer or architect may continue to do so as maestros de obras, with authority to sign said plans and advertise as such, to which end the Board of Examiners of Architects shall issue a certificate, upon exhibition of the license issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue prior to the date on which Act Numbered Twenty-nine hundred and eighty-five took effect: Provided, further, That maestros de obras shall not undertake the making of plans for the following classes of works: (a) buildings of more than two stories; (b) buildings of concrete, whether reinforced or not; (c) buildings with frames of manufactured steel; (d) buildings or structures intended for public gatherings or assemblies, such as theaters, cinematographs, stadiums, churches, and other structures of a like nature, unless such buildings or structures are of "mixed materials" or lumber: Provided, further, That maestros de obras shall not direct or execute the constructions specified in subsections (&) and (c) of this section: Provided, finally, That none of the provisions of this Act shall be construed to prevent any person from making constructions or buildings other than those covered by subsections (b), (c), and (d)."

Section 4

SEC. 4. Certificates issued by the Boards of Examiners may be revoked for any of the following reasons: (a) Incompetency or insanity; (b) gross negligence in the direction of construction work; (c) unprofessional conduct, (d) signing and sealing as his, any plans, designs, memorandums, projects, specifications or technical reports on work, not prepared by such person or not executed under his immediate supervision or under his authority as consulting engineer or architect or maestro de obras; (e) fraud or deceit in the statements upon which the certificate was obtained. Charges made in accordance with the provisions of this section shall be investigated by the Board concerned and the accused shall be given an opportunity to be heard and from the decision of the Board, an appeal shall lie to the Secretary of Commerce and Communications.

Section 5

SEC. 5. In the compliance of the provisions of this Act relative to the revocation of certificates, the Board of Examiners concerned shall have authority to administer oaths and issue subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum to secure the appearance of witnesses in connection with the charges preferred.

Section 6

SEC. 6. The Board of Examiners concerned, with the approval of the Secretary of Commerce and Communications, may reinstate licensed engineers or architects whose certificates have been revoked or suspended, upon application of the interested party setting forth the date and reasons for the revocation of the certificate and the grounds for the application.

Section 7

SEC 7. The violation of any of the provisions of sections three and four of this Act shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred pesos nor more than one thousand pesos, and by subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency : Provided, however, That if the offender is an engineer or maestro de obras his certificate shall be automatically revoked upon his conviction of the charges preferred against him.

Section 8

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect on its approval.

Approved, March 8, 1924.