Section 4. Powers and duties of the Board. —

The Board of Examiners for Civil Engineers is vested with authority, conformable with the provisions of this Act, to administer oaths, issue, suspend and revoke certificates of registration for the practice of civil engineering, issue certificates of recognition to civil engineers already registered under this Act for advanced studies, research, and/or highly specialized training in any branch of civil engineering, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Public Works and Communications, to investigate such violations of this Act and the regulations, thereunder as may come to the knowledge of the Board and, for this purpose, issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum to secure appearance of witnesses in connection with the charges presented to the Board, to inspect at least once a year educational institutions offering courses in civil engineering, civil engineering works, projects or corporations, established in the Philippines and, for safe-guarding of life, health and property, to discharge such other powers and duties as may affect ethical and technological standards of the civil engineering profession in the Philippines. For the purpose of this Act, the Director of Public Works and/or his authorized representative in the provinces and chartered cities shall be ex-officio agents of the Board and as such it shall be their duty to help in the enforcement of the provisions of this Act.

The Board may, with the approval of the Secretary of Public Works and Communications, issue such rules and regulations as may be deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. The Board shall also adopt a code of ethics in the practice of civil engineering and have an official seal to authenticate its official documents.