Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill  No._____ 
Introduced by: Congressman BIENVENIDO M. ABANTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
EXEMPTING CHURCH MINISTERS, PRIESTS, RABBIS, AND IMAMS FROM 
SECURING A GOVERNMENT LICENSE TO SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGE, 
FURTHER AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 209 OTHERWISE KNOWN 
AS THE FAMILY CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, ACT NO. 3815 OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, ACT NO. 
3753, AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A CIVIL REGISTRAR, AND NATIONAL 
STATISTICS OFFICE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 1, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
When God said: It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him 
an help meet for him (Genesis 2:18, KJV), the man shall leave his father and mother and 
shall cleave unto his wife and they two shall be one flesh (Genesis 2: 24, Matthew 19:5, 
Mark 10:7; Ephesians 5:31 KJV), He was ordaining marriage and declaring it as a solemn 
and inviolable social institution. When He said: what therefore God hath joined 
together, let no man put asunder (Matthew 19.6, KJV), God was declaring to mankind 
that marriage is His own personal act and authority. In effect, God is the one who joins 
and binds a man and a woman to marriage, for He did not say: “what math hath joined 
together xxx”, thus marriage is a divine, spiritual act and institution. 
Of all human institutions, God has put up the church and not the State to carry 
out His commandments, commissions, instructions, and statutes. Thus, we have the 
separation of church and State, which is declared and guaranteed by our Constitution, 
under which what is divine and spiritual is within the exclusive jurisdiction and 
supreme authority of the church, as secular matters belong to the State.  
Accordingly, church ministers, priest, rabbis, and imams derive their authority 
as such from divine law and not from secular law. They should not, therefore, secure 
authority or license to solemnize marriage from the government, and the 
government’s responsibility and authority should be limited to the issuance of 
marriage licenses and the registration of marriages, and the names of church 
ministers, priests, rabbis, and imams authorized by the church to solemnize marriage. 
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It is, therefore, the aim of this Bill to free church ministers, priests, rabbis, and 
imams from the requirement of a government license to enable them to solemnize 
marriage; hence, its immediate passage is earnestly requested. 
BIENVENIDO M. ABANTE, JR. 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session
House Bill  No._____ 
Introduced by: Congressman BIENVENIDO M. ABANTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
EXEMPTING CHURCH MINISTERS, PRIESTS, RABBIS, AND IMAMS FROM 
SECURING A GOVERNMENT LICENSE TO SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGE, 
FURTHER AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 209 OTHERWISE KNOWN 
AS THE FAMILY CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, ACT NO. 3815 OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, ACT NO. 
3753, AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A CIVIL REGISTRAR, AND NATIONAL 
STATISTICS OFFICE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 1, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
session assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. — It is the policy of the State to give full 
meaning to the separation of the church and State and to the solemnity and divine 
nature of marriage, and to recognize the supreme and ultimate authority of the church 
over divine and spiritual matters. Towards this end, the State shall see to it that the 
authority of a church minister, priest, rabbi, or imam to solemnize marriage shall come 
from the church or religious sect to which he belongs without the need of a 
government license. 
SEC. 2. Art. 7 of Executive Order No. 209 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
“Art. 7. Marriage may be solemnized by any: 
(a) Minister, priest, rabbi or imam of any church or religious sect duly
authorized by his church or religious sect acting within the limits of
the written authority granted him by his church or religious sect and
provided that at least one of the contracting parties belongs to the
solemnizing officer’s church or religious sect or to the church or
religious sect that gave the solemnizing officer such authority.
(b) Ship captain or airplane chief only in cases mentioned in Article 31
of Executive Order No. 209; or
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(c) military commander of a unit to which a chaplain is assigned, in the 
absence of the latter, likewise only in cases mentioned in Article 32 
of Executive Order No. 209.” 
SEC. 3. Authority to solemnize marriage. — A church minister, priest, rabbi, or 
imam who desires to solemnize marriage shall secure a written authority specifically 
for the purpose from the church or religious sect to which he belongs. Such written 
authority shall be valid and effective for a period of three (3) years counted from the 
date thereof, after which date the same shall be deemed automatically cancelled, 
unless sooner withdrawn, cancelled, or suspended by such church or religious sect. It 
shall be the duty of the church or religious sect giving such authority to register the 
name of the minister, priest, rabbi, or imam given authority to solemnize marriage 
with the Philippines Statistics Office within ten (10) days from the issuance of the 
authority. 
SEC. 4. Duty to register. — The church or religious sect shall forward to the 
Philippines Statistics Office the list of church ministers, priests, rabbis, or imams 
issued written authority to solemnize marriage, together with a copy of such 
authority, within ten (10) days from issuance thereof. Upon receipt thereof, the 
Philippines Statistics Office shall immediately register the names of such church 
ministers, priests, rabbis, or imams in a Book specially intended for the purpose, and 
thereafter shall immediately issue a Certificate to that effect. No other document, 
paper, or instrument shall be required to be submitted other than such list and written 
authority: Provided, That the Philippines Statistics Office shall not register any church 
minister, priest, rabbi, or imam who has been convicted by final judgment of any crime 
or violation of this Act. 
SEC. 5. Penal Provision. — No church minister, priest, rabbi or imam shall be 
allowed to solemnize any marriage in the Philippines unless he has been issued a valid 
and effective written authority to solemnize marriage by the church or religious sect 
to which he belongs and that his name is registered by such church or religious sect 
with the Philippines Statistics Office: Provided, That failure to so register with the 
Philippines Statistics Office shall not affect the validity of the marriage solemnized, 
without prejudice to the criminal liability of such minister, priest, rabbi or imam, and 
the person who failed to register such minister, priest, rabbi or imam with the said 
office. 
SEC. 6. — Any church minister, priest, rabbi or imam who shall solemnize any 
marriage without valid and effective written authority for the purpose issued by the 
church or religious sect to which he belongs, or with expired, withdrawn, cancelled, 
or suspended written authority, or without being registered with the Philippines 
Statistics Office as required under Sections 3 and 4 hereof, shall, upon conviction, be 
penalized with imprisonment of not less than two (2) years nor more than six (6) years 
and to pay a fine of not less than Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php50,000.00) nor more than 
One Hundred Thousand Pesos (Phpl00,000.00), without prejudice to such sanction or 


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sanctions as the church or religious sect to which such minister, priest, rabbi or imam 
belongs may impose. 
SEC. 7. Separability Clause. — If for any reason any section or provision of this 
Act, or any portion thereof, or the application of such section or provision or portion 
thereof to any person, group of circumstances, is declared invalid or unconstitutional, 
the remaining provisions of this Act shall not be affected by such declaration and shall 
remain m force and effect. 
SEC. 8. Amendatory Clause. — The pertinent provisions of Executive Order No. 
209, Act No. 3815, and National Statistics Office Administrative Order No. I in so 
insofar as they are inconsistent herewith, are hereby expressly amended or modified 
accordingly. 
SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. - The provisions of other laws, decrees, executive 
orders, and other issuances, rules, and regulations inconsistent with this Act are 
hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 10. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,