Repubiic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Constitution Hills, Quezon City /V ™
[? RECEIVED <\

TWENTIETH CONGRESS Spare 01 JUL 0B a
i i * TME_AL iu
First Regular Session er é

HOUSE BILL NO. 836

Introduced by REP. KRISTINE ALEXIE B. TUTOR
Third District, Bohol

Explanatory Note

This Proposed Family Law Reform Act of 2025 seeks to change for the better how annulment
and other Family Law issues and cases are addressed in and out of the courts. This bill is a
systems solution to the complicated process of annulment and other Family Law cases.

It makes immediate the effect of decisions of religious authorities on annulment or dissociation
of marriage cascs as regards their recognition by the government. No art or
administrative processes after the religious have rendered their decision to annul or dissolve a
marriage. Instead of that red tape, is fifteen days for the religious authorities, the office of the
civil registrar, and the Philippine Statistics Authority to record the annulment or dissolution of
marriage in the official government records.

This bili removes the role of the Office of the Soiicitor Generai in the annuiment and dissolution
of marriage process. Instead of this layer of Manila-based red tape of going through the OSG,
this bill mandates the Public Attorney's Office, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and the
Department of Social Welfare and Development to intervene and provide solutions.

ots a timeline of up to 360 working days for
the hearing and resolution of annulment and other Family Law cases: 180 days at the Family
Court and 180 days on appeal.

A Special Branch for Family Law is created within the PAO to handle appeals of Family Court
cases, including annulment and dissolution of marriage cases. To address the lack of
manpower, this bill authorizes a memorandum of agreement between the PAO and IBP so that
the IBP can provide ot assign private lawyers to work pro bono for the PAO on cases.

All the cases now with the OSG are transferred to the DSWD which the bill authorizes to create
a Family Relations Welfare Office, which will serve as staff support to the PAO. By involving
the DSWD through the FRWO, the social services nature of Family Law cases is improved.
The character of the cases is no longer tedious and contentious litigation but social welfare.


Public Notices and immediate notification of all third parties to annulment, legal separation,
and other cases affecting the civil registry records is institutionalized in this Proposed Family
Law Reform Act. For example, formally notified of annulment and dissolution of marriage
decisions are the solemnizing officer, the barangay where the parties reside, the courts, quasi-
judicial bodies, and other government offices where there are related pending cases, the
Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System,
and the schools of children of the parties. These are all third parties concemed because of
related financial issues, guardianship and custody matters, and public record purposes.

This bill provides mandates for the computerization of the civil registries at the local and
national levels. This bill also sets the goal of having physical access to civil registry services
at every barangay. The initial goal is that of having civil registry field units in every
congressional district.

Considering all the foregoing, swift passage of this bill is sought.

HON. KRISTINE|ALEXIE B. TUTOR:


Repubiic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No..__ $36.

Introduced by HON. KRISTINE ALEXIE B. TUTOR
Third District, Bohol

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE ORDERLY, TRANSPARENT, URGENT, AND EFFECTIVE
EXECUTION OF ACTIONS AND DECISIONS INVOLVING ANNULMENT,
DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE, LEGAL SEPARATION, MARRIAGE, BIRTH
REGISTRATION, DEATH REGISTRATION, AND OTHER PROCEED! is
AFFECTING THE CIVIL REGISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS AND
THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY, AMENDING THE FAMILY CODE
OF THE PHILIPPINES (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 209, SERIES OF 1987) AND THE
FAMILY COURTS ACT OF 1997 (REPUBLIC ACT 8369), APPROPRIATING
REFOR, AND FOR OT! RPOSES

FUNDS T!

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

Short Titie. This Act shaii be known as The Famiiy Law Reform Act of 2025.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the State to ensure the equitable, efficient
and effective delivery of public services, including the operations, maintenance, processes of
administrative, civil, and criminal actions and proceedings affecting the civil registry of the
local government units and the Philippine Statistics Authority, especially those involving
annulment, dissolution of marriage, legal separation, marriage, birth registration, adoption,
foundling registration, and death registration. It is also the policy of the State to ensure fair and
swift legal and judicial proceedings on cases involving family relations and Family Law.



SEC. 3. Annulment and Dissolution of Marriage. All declarations of absolute nullity of
marriage and of dissolution of marriage approved by religious authorities, Family Court, and
other persons or institutions vested with the authority to annul marriages solemnized with or
without marriage licenses shall be properly recorded in the national and local civil registries.
The declaration of absolute nullity or dissolution of marriage must be recorded within fifteen
(15) working days from the date of final approval. Effectivity of the declaration of absolute
nullity or dissolution of marriage is the date of final approval.
A declaration by the proper religious authority of absolute nullity or dissolution of a marriage
shall be recognized by the State and its instrumentalities as a valid absolute nullification or
dissolution of that marriage from the date it is declared. It shall be the ministerial duty of the
religious authority and the civil registry offices to make the civil registry records faithfully
reflect the nullification or dissolution of the marriage as provided in the preceding paragraph.
Furthermore, these authorities shall, at no cost to the parties and within fifteen (15) working
days from the date the marriage is nullified or dissolved, formally copy furnish the following
of the nullification or dissolution of the marriage for proper notice of the change of civil
status:
1. the solemnizing officer who officiated at the nullified or dissolved marriage;
2. the courts, quasi-judicial bodies, and other government offices where there are related
pending cases involving one or both parties in the nullified or dissolved marriage;
3. the barangay where the parties of the nullified or dissolved marriage have their
current residence;
4. the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social Security System and/or the Government
Service Insurance System;
5. the employers of the parties of the nullified or dissolved marriage; and
6. the school of the child or children, if any, of the parties in the nullified or dissolved
marriage.

A declaration of absolute nullity or dissolution of marriage shall be valid even if the partition
of conjugal property and issues of custody over, visitation, and financial support for the
former spouses’ children, if any, have yet to be finalized either by agreement between the
parties or by court declaration.

SEC. 4. Abolition of the Role of the Office of the Solicitor General. All authority, roles,
functions, procedures, administrative charges, and fees of the Office of the Solicitor General
pertinent to annulment or dissolution of marriage are hereby abolished. All pending
annulment or dissolution of marriage cases at the Office of the Solicitor General are hereby
immediately transferred to the Department of Social Welfare and Development where a
Family Relations Welfare Office is hereby established. The Secretary of the Department of
Social Welfare and Development is hereby authorized to create and staff the necessary field
units of the FRWO at the provincial, city, municipal, and barangay levels.


The services of the FRWO shall be rendered free of charge to the public regardless of civil
status, income level, age, or gender of the client, The FRWO shall provide staff support to the
Special Branch for Family Law of the Public Attorney's Office.

SEC. 5. Appeals of Family Court Decisions and Creation of a Special Branch of the
Public Attorney’s Office. Family Court decisions, rulings and resolutions are appealable to
the Court of Appeals and then to the Supreme Court. The Special Branch for Family Law is
hereby created within the Public Attorney's Office to prosecute appeals of decisions of
Family Courts. In case of lack of personnel, the Public Attorney's Office shall enlist private
attomeys into temporary pro bono service. The Public Attorney's Office shall enter into a

memorandum of agreement with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for the provision by the
IBP of the private attorneys the PAO would need for temporary pro bono service.

SEC. 6. Swift Resolution and Continuous Trial of Family Court Cases. The Family Court
and appellate courts shall ensure the swift resolution and continuous trial of every Family
Court case brought before them. At the level of the Family Court, a deadline of one hundred
and eighty (180) working days is hereby set for hearings and judgment of each case. On
appeal, a deadline of another one hundred and eighty (180) working days is hereby set for
hearings and judgment of each case. The Supreme Court shall issue, upon recommendation of
the Office of the Court Administrator, the necessary rules to implement this Section of this
Act.

SEC. 7. Roles of the Philippine Statistics Authority, Department of Interior and Local
Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development and barangays. The
Philippine Statistics Authority is hereby mandated to establish field service units, produce
and maintain mobile applications, and continually operate its online portal for the delivery of
civil registry services nationwide and overseas. The Department of Interior and Local
Government and all civil registry offices of local governments nationwide are hereby
mandated to computerize all local civil registry services and establish field service units in
every congressional district. The Department of Social Welfare and Development is hereby
mandated to take the lead in institutionalizing reforms to make civil registry services
affordable, accessible, fair, effective and efficient nationwide. The DSWD shall collaborate
with the PSA, DILG, and Office of the Court Administrator on this mandate. All these
agencies shall work toward the goal of making civil registry services accessible and reliable
in every barangay in the country and in Philippine embassies and consulates worldwide.

SEC. 8. Public Notices at the Barangay Level. Public notices of final judgment and of
pending cases involving annulment or dissolution of marriage, legal separation, application
for marriage license, adoption, and foundling registration shall be posted on the physical
bulletin board of the barangay where the parties involved are residents. The public notices
may also be posted on the official Facebook account or page or other social media account of
the barangay.


SEC. 9, Implementing Rules and Regulations. The implementing agencies mentioned in
this Act shall formulate, approve, and issue the necessary and appropriate rules and
regulations to faithfully execute the provisions of this Act not later than sixty (60) working
days from its effectivity. Those rules and regulations shall be updated and revised as often as
necessary.

SEC. 10. Appropriations. The budgets necessary to implement this Act shall be provided in
the annual general appropriations approved by Congress and by local legislative bodies. Such
appropriations may be augmented by donations and foreign funding.

SEC. 11. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in a
newspaper of general and nationwide circulation or on the official website of the newspaper
of general and nationwide circulation.

Approved,