Text of the provision

Art. 15. Laws relating to family rights and duties, or to the status, condition and legal capacity of persons are binding upon citizens of the Philippines, even though living abroad.

(9a)

Civil Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 386, approved June 18, 1949, effective August 30, 1950. Reproduced in full; verified verbatim against the LawPhil and ChanRobles official-text renderings.

What this article means

This is the nationality (or personal-law) principle: a Filipino carries Philippine law on family rights, status, condition, and legal capacity wherever they go. So questions of marriage validity, legitimacy, and capacity of a Filipino are decided by Philippine law even abroad. It is the basis for the rule that, historically, a divorce obtained abroad did not dissolve a Filipino's marriage — a rule since softened by Republic v. Manalo for divorces validly obtained against a foreign spouse.

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Compiled automatically from Supreme Court decisions published on LawPhil that expressly cite this article, most frequently cited first. A listing means the decision cites the provision — it is not a statement that the case is the leading authority, and it does not show whether a ruling has since been modified or abandoned. Always read the decision itself.

Note. The text of the provision above is reproduced in full from the official enactment (Republic Act No. 386), verified against the LawPhil and ChanRobles renderings. The annotation and commentary around it are the work of Vivas & Nobles Law Office and are general legal information, not legal advice. How a provision applies to a particular situation depends on facts that only a lawyer reviewing your case can assess.