Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by HON. EDWARD VERA PEREZ MACEDA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution ensures that no person should be denied equal protection of the 
law.1 This precept similarly applies to marriage where the personal rights of the 
parties should not, in any away, be diminished by reason of such union. 
Article 370 of the Civil Code provides for enumeration of names that a married 
woman may use during her marriage, to wit: 
A married woman may use: 
1. Her maiden first name and surname and add her husband’s
surname;
2. Her maiden first name and her husband’s surname
3. Her husband’s full name, but prefixing a word indicating that
she is his wife, such as “Mrs.”2
Unknown to many, however, is the fact that a married woman may retain her 
maiden first name and surname even during or after the marriage without 
adopting the options provided for under the Civil Code. It has been pronounced 
by the Supreme Court that such enumeration is permissive rather than 
obligatory3 and a married woman’s freedom to use, or in this case, retain her 
maiden name, is valid for all intents and purposes. To shed clarity on the matter, 
this measure seeks to uphold the right of married women to retain their maiden 
names even after marriage by including it as one of the options under Article 
370. 
As a brief background, a similar measure was already approved by the House of 
Representatives on Third and Final Reading during the 18th Congress. 
Therefore, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
EDWARD VERA PEREZ MACEDA 
Representative, 4th District of Manila 
1 PHIL. CONST. art. III, § 1. 
2 An Act to Ordain and Institute the Civil Code of the Philippines [CIVIL CODE], Republic Act 
No. 386, art. 370 (1949). 
3 Hatima C. Yasin v. The Honorable Judge Shari’a District Court Third Shari’a Judicial District, 
Zamboanga City, G.R. No. 94986, February 23, 1995. 
September 8, 2022
4:22 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by HON. EDWARD VERA PEREZ MACEDA 
"AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE RIGHT OF MARRIED WOMEN TO RETAIN THEIR 
MAIDEN SURNAMES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ARTICLE 370 OF 
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 386, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 
NEW CIVIL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES” 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Article 370, Title XIII, Book III of the Republic Act No. 386, as 
amended, otherwise known as the New Civil Code of the Philippines, is hereby 
amended to read as follows: 
Article 370. A married woman may use HER: 
[(1) Her maiden first name and surname and add her husband’s surname, 
or 
(2) Her maiden first name and her husband’s surname or
(3) Her husband’s full name, but prefixing a word indicating that she is
his wife, such as “Mrs.”]
(1) MAIDEN FIRST NAME AND SURNAME;
(2) MAIDEN FIRST NAME AND SURNAME AND ADD HER
HUSBAND’S NAME;
(3) MAIDEN FIRST NAME AND HER HUSBAND’S SURNAME; OR
(4) HUSBDAND 
FULL 
NAME, 
BUT 
PREFIXING 
A 
WORD
INDICATING THAT SHE IS HIS WIFE, SUCH AS “MRS.”
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SECTION 2. All laws, acts, presidential decrees, executive orders, presidential 
proclamations, issuances, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are 
contrary to or inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,