Short answer. No. Article 48 lists the citizenship categories under the 1935 Constitution, for example being born to a Filipino father, or to a Filipino mother with a later election of citizenship. Current Philippine citizenship is governed by Article IV of the 1987 Constitution, which sets out today's rules on natural-born status, election of citizenship, and naturalization.
What the law says
Those whose fathers are citizens of the Philippines
Civil Code, Article 48 — Who Are Citizens of the Philippines. Read the full provision →
What the law says
Those whose mothers are citizens of the Philippines and, upon reaching the age of majority, elect Philippine citizenship
Civil Code, Article 48 — Who Are Citizens of the Philippines. Read the full provision →
What Article 48 originally listed
As written, Article 48 named five groups as citizens of the Philippines: those who were already citizens when the 1935 Constitution took effect; those born here to foreign parents who had been elected to public office before that Constitution; those whose fathers are citizens of the Philippines; those whose mothers are citizens of the Philippines and who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; and those naturalized under the law. The article reflects the framework of the 1935 Constitution rather than the rules Filipinos rely on today.
Why this provision is outdated
The 1935 Constitution that Article 48 mirrors was itself replaced, first by the 1973 Constitution and then by the 1987 Constitution now in force. Each revision changed the citizenship rules Article 48 restates, particularly around how a child's citizenship follows a Filipino parent and when, if ever, a formal election of citizenship is still required. Because the Civil Code's original 1950 text is preserved in the sources this site verifies against, Article 48 still appears in the Code even though its substance has been overtaken by later constitutional law.
What governs citizenship today
Philippine citizenship today is governed by Article IV of the 1987 Constitution, which supplies the current rules on who is a citizen, how citizenship may be elected in the circumstances the Constitution allows, and who qualifies as natural-born. Anyone whose citizenship status depends on parentage, birth circumstances, or a possible election of citizenship should look to the 1987 Constitution and its implementing rules rather than to this Civil Code article.
Practical takeaway
If a citizenship question affects a passport application, property ownership, marriage, or inheritance, treat Article 48 as historical background only. The operative rules come from the 1987 Constitution and related statutes and regulations. Where the facts are not straightforward, such as mixed parentage, birth abroad, or a lapsed election of citizenship, it is worth having a lawyer confirm which rule actually applies to your situation. Article 48 does not cover naturalization procedure, dual citizenship under the current dual citizenship law, or how citizenship interacts with land ownership limits reserved to Filipinos; those questions bind government agencies such as the Bureau of Immigration and the civil registrar, not private parties directly. Relying on the old article's categories in a passport or land-title dispute can cause a claim to be rejected outright until the applicant produces proof under the rule that actually governs today.