Family Code of the Philippines
The Family Code of the Philippines, or Executive Order No. 209, was enacted into law by President Corazon C. Aquino on July 6, 1987. It was intended to supplant Book I of the Civil Code of the Philippines concerning persons and family relations. The work on the provisions of the Family Code began as early as 1979, and had been drafted by two (2) successive committees, the first committee was headed by Supreme Court Justice Flerida Ruth Romero, and the second was chaired by Supreme Court Justice J.B.L. Reyes. The need was seen to amend the Civil Code through the Family Code in order to, among others, change certain provisions implanted from foreign sources which had proved unsuitable to Filipino culture; and to attune to contemporary developments and trends. <ref> See Sempio Diy, p. 8</ref>
The Family Code covers fields of significant public interest, especially the law on marriage. It contains, among others, the definition and requisites for marriage, as well as the grounds for its annulment. It also contains the law on conjugal property relations, the rules on establishing filiation, and the governing provisions on support, parental authority, and adoption.
- To learn more about the Philippine legal system, visit the Philippine Legal Database of Filipiniana.net Digital Library.
- Full Text of The Family Code of the Philippines. In Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. Accessed on January 7, 2008.