FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 17 d,ii. -3 F'556 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
SENATE 
S. B. No. 890 
L J  
Introduced by SENATOR EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Under the 1987 Constitution; the State substantially recognizes the 
Filipino family as the foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it shall 
strengthen its solidarity and actively promote its total development. As such, 
the government is mandated by law to undertake measures to preserve the 
unity of family, setting aside if it must technicalities and certain norms of 
conduct. 
The Family Code of the Philippines provides for the requisites of 
legitimation o f  children born out of wedlock and whose parent are not 
otherwise disqualified by law to marry each other at the time of the child's 
conception. In other words, legitimation is defined as a remedy by means of 
which those who in fact were born out of wedlock and should, therefore, be 
considered illegitimate, are by fiction, subsequently considered legitimate, it 
being supposed that they were born when their parents already validly 
married. 
Nowadays, the incidents of children born out of wedlock to parents who 
are disqualified under the law to marry each other because of the issue of 
minority are almost an every day occurrence. Certainly, the sins of the 
parents must not be attributed to the children. 
In the light of the foregoing that the amendment of a proviso of the 
Family Code is earnestly sought in order to uphold the rights of children as 
well as their human dignity. 
4% 
EDGA DO J. ANGARA 
Senator 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
} 
,jLj, -3 
i 3 JR 
Introduced by SENATOR EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE LEGITIMATION OF CHILDREN 
BORN TO PARENTS BELOW MARRYING AGE, AMENDING FOR 
THE PURPOSE THE FAMILY CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AS 
AMENDED 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assem bled: 
SECTION 1. Article 177 of Executive Order No. 209, otherwise known 
as the Family Code of the Philippines, as amended, is hereby further 
amended to read as follows: 
"Article 17. Only children conceived and born outside of wedlock 
[of] TO parents who, at the time of the conception of the former, were 
not disqualified by any impediment to marry each other may be 
legitimated[.] 
BY 
THE 
PARENTS 
VALID 
SUBSEQUENT 
MARRIAGE. 
HOWEVER, CHILDREN CONCEIVED AND BORN OF 
WEDLOCK TO PARENTS BELOW MARRYING AGE AND NOT 
SUFFERING FROM ANY OTHER IMPEDIMENT MAY ALSO BE 
LEGITIMATED 
BY 
THE 
LATTERS' 
VALID 
SUBSEQUENT 
MARRIAGE, WITHOUT HAVING TO COMPLY WITH ARTICLE 40 
OF THE FAMILY CODE. 
SECTION 2. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, 
executive orders, proclamations andlor administrative regulations which are 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby amended, modified, 
superceded or repealed accordingly. 
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newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
SECTION 3. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen 
(15) days following its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) 
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