Republic of the Philippines Congress of the Philippines Metro Manila Twelfth Congress Third Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-second day of July, two thousand three. REPUBLIC ACT N ! "#$$ %ebruar& #' #((' AN ACT ALL )IN* ILLE*ITI+ATE C,IL-REN T USE T,E SURNA+E % T,EIR %AT,ER. A+EN-IN* % R T,E PURP SE ARTICLE /01 % E2ECUTI3E R-ER N ! #(". T,ER)ISE 4N )N AS T,E 5%A+IL6 C -E % T,E P,ILIPPINES5 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: Section /! Article 176 of Executi e !rder "o. #$%, otherwise &nown as the 'a(ily )ode of the *hili++ines, is here,y a(ended to read as follows: -Article 176. .llegiti(ate children shall use the surna(e and shall ,e under the +arental authority of their (other, and shall ,e entitled to su++ort in confor(ity with this )ode. /owe er, illegiti(ate children (ay use the surna(e of their father if their filiation has ,een ex+ressly recogni0ed ,y the father through the record of ,irth a++earing in the ci il register, or when an ad(ission in a +u,lic docu(ent or +ri ate handwritten instru(ent is (ade ,y the father. Provided, the father has the right to institute an action ,efore the regular courts to +ro e nonfiliation during his lifeti(e. 1he legiti(e of each illegiti(ate child shall consist of one-half of the legiti(e of a legiti(ate child.SECTI N #! Repealing Clause. All laws, +residential decrees, executi e orders, +rocla(ations, rules and regulations, which are inconsistent with the +ro isions of this Act are here,y re+ealed or (odified accordingly. SECTI N 7! Effectivity Clause. 1his Act shall ta&e effect fifteen 2134 days fro( its +u,lication in the Official a!ette or in two 2#4 news+a+ers of general circulation.

Appro8ed9

%RAN4LIN -RIL N *resident of the 5enate

: SE -E 3ENECIA :R! 5+ea&er of the /ouse of 6e+resentati es

1his Act which is a consolidation of /ouse Bill "o. 7787 and 5enate Bill "o. #31$ was finally +assed ,y the /ouse of 6e+resentati es and the 5enate on January #1, #$$7 and 'e,ruary 7, #$$7, res+ecti ely. SCAR *! 6ABES 5ecretary of 5enate R BERT P! NA;AREN 5ecretary 9eneral /ouse of 6e+resenati es Approved: February 24 2004 GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO President o t!e P!i"ippines