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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House BIii No. ---
Introduced by Representative GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO 
AN ACT RECOGNIZING THE CIVIL EFFECTS OF CHURCH-DECREED 
ANNULMENT 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article 11, Section 6 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution affirms the separation of 
Church and State, but equally guarantees in Article 111, Section 5 the free exercise of 
religion. While civil law and canon law operate in separate domains, the institution of 
marriage is central to both-and to the moral, social, and legal fabric of Filipino life. 
At present, annulments granted by Church tribunals, particularly under canon 
law, are not automatically recognized by the State. Thus, spouses declared free to 
remarry under Church law must still undergo a separate, often duplicative, and costly 
civil annulment proceeding, even if both processes arise from the same facts and 
result in the same conclusion: the marriage is void ab initio. 
This bill seeks to recognize the civil effects of annulments decreed by Churches 
or religious sects duly recognized under Philippine law. It simplifies and streamlines 
the legal process for Filipinos whose marriages have been annulled under their 
religious traditions by granting such decisions civil effect, provided that due process, 
legal capacity, and jurisdictional requirements are met. 
It maintains necessary State oversight by requiring the registration of the 
Church annulment decision with the local civil registrar and its transmission to the 
Philippine Statistics Authority, ensuring that legal rights, obligations, and property 
relations arising from the annulment are preserved and properly documented. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly 
sought. 
GLORIA L-ARROYO 
2nd District, Pampanga 
July 2, 2025
8:00 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. __ _ 
Introduced by Representative GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO 
AN ACT RECOGNIZING THE CIVIL EFFECTS OF CHURCH-DECREED 
ANNULMENT 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Church-Decreed 
Annulment Act". 
SECTION 2. Effect of Church Decree. - Whenever a marriage, duly and legally 
solemnized by a priest, minister, rabbi or presiding elder of any church or religious 
sect or any person authorized to solemnize marriages in the Philippines, is 
subsequently annulled or dissolved in a final judgment or decree in accordance with 
the canons or precepts of the church or religious sect in which the marriage was 
solemnized or in which either married partner is a member at the time of the request 
for the annulment or dissolution, the said annulment or dissolution shall have the same 
effect as a decree of annulment or dissolution issued by a competent court. 
SECTION 3. Status of Children. -
The status of children of marriages subject 
to the church annulment or dissolution decree shall be determined in accordance with 
the provisions of Executive Order No. 209, otherwise known as the "Family Code of 
the Philippines". In case the ground for the church annulment or dissolution decree is 
not similar to any of the grounds provided in the Family Code of the Philippines, their 
common children born or conceived before the issuance of the church annulment 
decree shall be considered legitimate. 
SECTION 4. Property Relations, Custody and Support of Children, and 
Legitimes. -The liquidation, partition and distribution of the properties of the spouses, 
the custody and support of the common children, and the delivery of their presumptive 
legitimes shall be agreed upon by the spouses, and embodied in a public document. 
In case no agreement is met, the provisions of the Family Code of the Philippines shall 
be in force. 
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SECTION 5. Recording in Civil Registry. -
The church annulment decree shall 
be recorded in the appropriate civil registries together with the agreement of the 
spouses required in the preceding section within thirty (30) days from the issuance of 
the church annulment decree, subject to the conditions that may be imposed by the 
church or religious sect. 
SECTION 6. Subsequent Marriage. -
Without prejudice to the conditions set 
forth by the church or religious sect, either of the former spouses may marry again 
after complying with the requirements of the preceding paragraph and Article 52 of the 
Family Code of the Philippines; otherwise, the subsequent marriage shall be null and 
void. 
SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid 
or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected 
shall remain valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to 
or is inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or 
amended accordingly. 
SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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