Text of the provision
Art. 70. The spouses are jointly responsible for the support of the family. The expenses for such support and other conjugal obligations shall be paid from the community property and, in the absence thereof, from the income or fruits of their separate properties.
In case of insufficiency or absence of said income or fruits, such obligations shall be satisfied from the separate properties.
(111a)
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
Support of the family is a joint responsibility of both spouses. Article 70 also fixes the order in which property answers for it: first the community (or conjugal) property; if that is unavailable, the income or fruits of each spouse's separate property; and only if those are insufficient or absent, the separate properties themselves.
Questions about this provision
- Are both spouses responsible for family expenses in the Philippines?
- Is managing the household legally only the wife's responsibility?
Related provisions
- Article 71 — household management expenses, paid under this same order.
Cases citing this article
- Kristine Calubaquib-Diaz vs. Dino Lopez Diaz, G.R. No. 235033, October 12, 2022 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Christian Pantonial Acharon vs. People of the Philippines, G.R. No. 224946, November 9, 2021 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Rosanna L. Tan-Andal vs. Mario Victor M. Andal, G.R. No. 196359, May 11, 2021 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Jeffrey M. Calma vs. Mari Kris Santos-Calma, G.R. No. 242070, August 24, 2020 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Jordan Chan Paz vs. Jeanice Pavon-Paz, G.R. No. 166579, February 18, 2010 — read the decision on LawPhil →
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.