Short answer. Fifteen days from notice of the award, judgment, final order or resolution — or from denial of a properly filed motion for new trial or reconsideration. The Court of Appeals may grant one fifteen-day extension if you move for it and pay the full docket fee before the original period expires.
What the law says
The appeal shall be taken within fifteen days from notice of the award, judgment, final order or resolution
Rule 43, Section 4 — Period of appeal. Read the full provision →
What the law says
Only one motion for reconsideration shall be allowed.
Rule 43, Section 4 — Period of appeal. Read the full provision →
What the law says
No further extension shall be granted except for the most compelling reason and in no case to exceed fifteen days.
Rule 43, Section 4 — Period of appeal. Read the full provision →
Fifteen days, with alternative starting points
Rule 43, Section 4 provides: The appeal shall be taken within fifteen days from notice of the award, judgment, final order or resolution — or from the date of its last publication, where the law requires publication for effectivity, or from the denial of petitioner's motion for new trial or reconsideration duly filed in accordance with the governing law of the court or agency a quo. In the common case, then, you count fifteen days from receiving the agency's decision; if you sought reconsideration before the agency on time, you count fifteen days from receiving the denial.
Only one motion for reconsideration
The section is explicit: Only one motion for reconsideration shall be allowed. A first, properly filed motion before the agency defers the appeal period until you receive the denial. A second motion buys nothing — the period runs regardless, and a party waiting on the agency to act on a second motion will usually discover that the time to go to the Court of Appeals lapsed while they waited. Once the first motion is denied, the choice is stark: accept the ruling, or file the petition for review within fifteen days.
Extensions exist, but on strict terms
One extension is available: Upon proper motion and the payment of the full amount of the docket fee before the expiration of the reglementary period, the Court of Appeals may grant an additional period of fifteen days only. Both conditions — the motion and full payment of the docket fee — must be met before the original fifteen days run out. Beyond that, No further extension shall be granted except for the most compelling reason and in no case to exceed fifteen days. Plan for one period, treat the extension as insurance, and never assume a second.
Confirm the route applies to your agency
Rule 43 governs appeals to the Court of Appeals from awards, judgments, final orders, or resolutions of quasi-judicial agencies, taken by petition for review. Not every government body's ruling travels this road: some decisions follow different review routes fixed by their own statutes or by other rules, and choosing the wrong vehicle can be fatal because the periods differ. Before counting days, confirm two things — that Rule 43 is the correct remedy for your particular agency, and the exact date the decision was received. Those two facts control everything else.