Text of the provision
Art. 209. Pursuant to the natural right and duty of parents over the person and property of their unemancipated children, parental authority and responsibility shall include the caring for and rearing them for civic consciousness and efficiency and the development of their moral, mental and physical character and well-being.
(n)
Family Code of the Philippines, Executive Order No. 209, approved July 6, 1987. The Code took effect on August 3, 1988 (Republic v. Orbecido III, G.R. No. 154380, October 5, 2005). Reproduced in full.
What this article means
Parental authority (in Latin, patria potestas) is defined here as a natural right and duty — not a mere privilege the State grants, but an obligation that runs with parenthood. It covers both the person and the property of the parents' unemancipated children.
Crucially, the law frames it as responsibility, not ownership: it exists to care for and rear the child — developing their moral, mental and physical well-being and preparing them for civic life. Every specific power in this Title is measured against that purpose and the best interests of the child.
Related provisions
- Article 211 — parents exercise parental authority jointly.
- Article 220 — the specific rights and duties over the child.
Cases interpreting this article
- Authorities on Article 209 will be added here as each is verified against primary sources.