NATIONAL BUILDING CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES

Building Occupancy
Group C - Education and Recreation
Group C Occupancies shall be buildings used for school or day-care
purposes, involving assemblage for instruction, education, or recreation, and
not classified in Group I or in Division 1 and 2 or Group H Occupancies.

Allowable Maximum Total Gross Floor Area (TGFA) Based on the

Allowed Percentage of Site Occupancy (PSO) of the Total Lot Area

(TLA)

Building Height Limit by Type

Occupancy

Minimum Parking Requirements

storeys

of Use or

meters

One (1) car slot and one (1) jeepney/shuttle slot for every 50.00 sq. meters of
spectator area; and one (1) bus parking slot for every two hundred (200)
spectators

Maximum Allowable PSO, Maximum Allowable ISA, the MACA, the

Minimum USA and the TOSL by Type of Land Use Zoning per Lot

Minimum Setback

ACCESSIBILITY LAW
Walkways and Passageways
1. Walkways should be kept as level as possible and provided with slip-resistant
material.
2. Whenever and wherever possible, walkways should have a gradient no more
than 1:20 or 5%.
3. Walkways should have a maximum cross gradient of 1:100.
4. Walkways should have a minimum width of 1.20 meters.
5. If possible, gratings should never be located along walkways. When
occurring along walkways, grating openings should have a maximum
dimension of 13 mm x 13 mm and shall not project more than 6.5 mm above
the level of the walkway.
6. Walkways should have a continuing surface without abrupt pitches in angle
or interruptions by cracks or breaks creating edges above 6.50 mm.
7. In lengthy or busy walkways, spaces should be provided at some point along
the route so that a wheelchair may pass another or turn around. These spaces
should have a minimum dimension of 1.50 m and should be spaced at a
maximum distance of 12:00 m between stops.
8. To guide the blind, walkways should as much as possible follow
straightforward routes with right angle turns.
9. Where planting is provided adjacent to the walkway, regular maintenance is
essential to ensure branches of trees or shrubs do not overhang walkways or
paths, as not only do these present a particular danger to the blind, but they
also reduce the effective footways width available to pedestrians generally.
10. Walkway headroom should not be less than 2.0 m and preferably higher.
11. Passageways for the disabled should not be obstructed by street furniture,
bollards, sign posts or columns along the defined route, as they can be
hazardous.

Parking
1. Parking spaces for the disabled should allow enough space for a person to
transfer to a wheelchair from a vehicle;

2. Accessible parking spaces should be located as close as possible to building

entrances or to accessible entrances;
3. Whenever and wherever possible, accessible parking spaces should be
perpendicular or to an angle to the road or circulation aisles;
4. Accessible parking slots should have a minimum width of 3.70 m.;
5. A walkway from accessible spaces of 1.20 m. clear width shall be provided
between the front ends of parked cars;
6. Provide dropped curbs or curb cut-outs to the parking level where access
walkways are raised;
7. Pavement markings, signs or other means shall be provided to delineate
parking spaces for the handicapped;
8. Parking spaces for the disabled should never be located at ramped or sloping
areas;

Entrances
1. Entrances should be accessible from arrival and departure points to the
interior lobby;
2. One (1) entrance level should be provided where elevators are accessible;
3. In case entrances are not on the same level of the site arrival grade, ramps
should be provided as access to the entrance level;
4. Entrances with vestibules shall be provided a level area with at least a 1.80
m. depth and a 1.50 m. width;

Ramps
1. Changes in level require a ramp except when served by a dropped curb, an
elevator or other mechanical device;
2. Ramps shall have a minimum clear width of 1.20 m; Page 19 of 22
3. The maximum gradient shall be 1:12;
4. The length of a ramp should not exceed 6:00 m. if the gradient is 1:12;
longer ramps whose gradient is 1:12 shall be provided with landings not less
than 1.50 m.;
5. A level area not less than 1.80 m. should be provided at the top and bottom
of any ramp;

6. Handrails will be provided on both sides of the ramp at 0.70 m. and 0.90 m.
from the ramp level;
7. Ramps shall be equipped with curbs on both sides with a minimum height of
0.10 m.;
8. Any ramp with a rise greater than 0.20 m. and leads down towards an area
where vehicular traffic is possible, should have a railing across the full width of
its lower end, not less than 1.80 meters from the foot of the ramp;

Corridors
1. Corridors shall have minimum clear width of 1.20 m.; waiting areas and
other facilities or spaces shall not obstruct the minimum clearance
requirement;
2. Recesses or turnabout spaces should be provided for wheelchairs to turn
around or to enable another wheelchair to pass; these spaces shall have a
minimum area of 1.50 m x 1.50 m. and shall be spaced at a maximum of 12.00
m.;
3. Turnabout spaces should also be provided at or within 3.50 m. of every dead
end;
4. As in walkways, corridors should be maintained level and provided with a slip
resistant surface;

Washrooms and Toilets

1. Accessible public washrooms and toilets shall permit easy passage of a
wheelchair and allow the occupant to enter a stall, close the door and transfer
to the water closet from either a frontal or lateral position;
2. Accessible water closet stalls shall have a minimum area of 1.70 x 1.80 mts.
One movable grab bar and one fixed to the adjacent wall shall be installed at
the accessible water closet stall for lateral mounting; fixed grab bars on both
sides of the wall shall be installed for stalls for frontal mounting;
3. A turning space of 2.25 sq.m. with a minimum dimension of 1.50 m. for
wheelchair shall be provided for water closet stalls for lateral mounting;
4. All accessible public toilets shall have accessories such as mirrors, paper
dispensers, towel racks and fittings such as faucets mounted at heights
reachable by a person in a wheelchair;

5. The minimum number of accessible water closets on each floor level or on

that part of a floor level accessible to the disabled shall be one (1) where the
total number of water closets per set on that level is 20; and two (2) where the
number of water closets exceed 20;
7. The maximum height of water closets should be 0.45 m.; flush control should
have a maximum height of 1.20 mts.
8. Maximum height of lavatories should be 0.80 m. with a knee recess of 0.60 0.70 M. vertical clearance and a 0.50 m. depth.
9. Urinals should have an elongated lip or through type; the maximum height of
the lip should be 0.48 m.

FIRE CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES

Occupant Load
The occupant load permitted in any assembly building, structure, or portion
thereof shall be determined by dividing the net floor area or space assigned to
that use by the square meter per occupant as follows:
An assembly area of less concentrated use such as conference room, dining
room, drinking establishment, exhibit room, gymnasium, or lounge: one and
four-tenths (1.4) square meters per person.

Minimum Number of Exits

When the occupant load for any storey or portion thereof is more than five
hundred (500) but not more than one thousand (1000), the means of egress
shall not be less than three (3); in excess thereof, the means of egress shall not
be less than four (4).

Location of Exits
Main Exit
Every assembly occupancy shall be provided with a main exit. The
main exit shall be of sufficient width to accommodate one-half (1/2) of the total
occupant load, but shall be not less than the total required width of all aisles,

exit passageways and stairways leading thereto, and shall connect to a

stairway or ramp leading to a street.
Other exits
Each level of an assembly occupancy shall have access to the
main exit and an addition shall be provided with exits of sufficient width to
accommodate two-thirds (2/3) of the total occupant load served by that level.
Such exits shall open directly to a street or into an exit court, enclosed
stairway, outside stairway, or exit passageway leading to a street. Such exits
shall be located as far apart and as far from the main exits as practicable. Such
exits shall be accessible from a cross aisle or a side aisle.

Minimum Corridor Width

The width of any exit access corridor serving 50 or more persons shall not be
less than one hundred twelve centimeters (112 cm).

Travel Distances to Exits

Exits shall be so arranged that the total length of travel from any point to reach
an exit will not exceed forty six (46) meters in any place of assembly for spaces
not protected by approved, supervised sprinkler system and sixty one (61)
meters in areas so protected.

Types of Exits
1. Exits of the specified number and width shall be of one or more of the
following types:
a. Doors of the swinging type leading directly outside or through a lobby
or passageway leading to the outside of the building.
b. Horizontal exits
c. Smokeproof enclosures
d. Stairs
e. Ramps
2. Turnstiles
No turnstiles or other devices to restrict the movement of persons shall
be installed in any place of assembly in such a manner as to interfere in any
way with required exit facilities.

Panic Hardware
An exit door from an assembly occupancy shall not be provided with a latch or
lock unless it is panic hardware.

Seating
a. The spacing of rows of seats from back to back shall be not less than eighty
three centimeters (83 cm), nor less than sixty eight centimeters (68 cm) plus
the sum of the thickness of the back and inclination of the back. There shall be
a space of not less than thirty centimeters (30 cm) from the back of one seat
and the front of the seat immediately behind it as measured between plumb
lines.
b. Rows of seats between aisles shall have not more than fourteen (14) seats.
c. Rows of seats opening onto an aisle at one side only shall have not more
than seven (7) seats.
d. Seats without dividing arms shall have their capacity determined by allowing
sixty centimeters (60 cm) per person.
Aisle
Every portion of any assembly building which contains seats, tables, displays,
equipment, or other materials shall be provided with aisles leading to exit as
follows:
a. When serving more than sixty (60) seats; every aisle shall be not less than
nine hundred fifteen millimeters (915 mm) when serving seats on one side only
and not less than one hundred twenty-two centimeters (122 cm) when serving
seats on both sides. Such minimum width shall be measured at the point
farthest from an exit, cross aisles, or foyer and shall be increased in width by
two and a half centimeters (2.5 cm) for each meter in length toward the exit,
cross aisles, or foyer.
b. When serving sixty (60) seats or less, aisles shall be not less than seventy
six centimeters (76 cm) wide.
c. Aisles shall terminate in a cross aisle, foyer, or exit. The width of such cross
aisle, foyer, or exit shall be not less than the sum of the required width of the
widest aisle plus fifty (50%) percent of the total required width of the remaining
aisles which it serves.

d. No dead-end aisle shall be greater than six and one-tenth meters (6.1 m) in
length. In arena or thrust stage theaters, dead-end aisles at the stage shall not
exceed five rows beyond a cross aisle.
e. The length of travel to an exit door by any aisle shall be not greater than
forty six meters (46 m).
f. Steps shall not be placed in aisles to overcome differences in level unless the
gradient exceeds twelve and a half (12.5%) percent. Steps in aisles shall
conform to the requirement for stairs as to rise end tread.
g. The gradient of sloping aisles shall not exceed twelve and a half (12.5%)
percent.

Railings
a. The fasciae of boxes, balconies and galleries shall have substantial railings
not less than sixty six centimeters (66 cm) high above the floor.
b. The railings at the ends of aisles extending to the fasciae shall be not less
than seventy six centimeters (76 cm) high for the width of the aisle, or ninety
one centimeters (91 cm) high if at foot of steps.
c. Cross aisles shall be provided with railings not less than sixty-six (66)
centimeters high.