Can architects engage in the practice of interior design? A few months ago, the Supreme Court (SC) promulgated its Decision on the case of Department of Public Works and Highways vs. Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc. (G.R. No. 200015, March 15, 2023). The case stemmed from a Petition for Declaratory Relief filed by the [...]
In the Philippines, most of the criminal cases relating to dangerous drugs involve violations of Section 5 (Sale, Delivery, or Transportation) and/or Section 11 (Possession) of Republic Act No. 9165 (RA 9165) or the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002” as amended. While it is true that there are some arrests involving violation of RA [...]
Divorce is a process or action which affects a marital union between spouses. It may be an absolute divorce (a vinculo matrimonii) which permanently ends a marriage and allows the respective spouses to remarry. It may also be a relative divorce (a mensa et thoro) which only suspends marital relations, thereby not allowing the respective [...]
The problem of double registration of birth certificate One of the most common problems involving birth certificates is double registration. This occurs when a person whose birth was already registered, would again cause the registration of another birth certificate for a number of reasons. These reasons include mere lack of knowledge of the existence of [...]
In the Philippines, legitimate children are required to use the mother’s maiden last name as their middle name, and the father’s last name as their last name. Legitimate children are those who were conceived or born during the marriage of their parents (Section 164, Family Code). However, there are instances where the father abandons his [...]
Changing your registered first name here in the Philippines is now easier due to the enactment of Republic Act No. 9048 as amended by Republic Act No. 10172. Prior to the enactment of the said laws, one must undergo a costly judicial proceeding, where a petition should be first file in [...]
Let us talk about judicial recognition of foreign divorce in the Philippines. Marriages celebrated in the Philippines are recorded in the Philippine civil registry, and cannot be changed or corrected without a judicial order. Thus, Filipinos must file and undergo a costly annulment in order to dissolve their marriages (Read: Annulment [...]
How to terminate an employee in the Philippines in 2019 There are different ways to terminate an employee in the Philippines in 2019. Unlike other jurisdictions, the Philippines is not a country with "at-will employment," where employers are allowed to terminate an employee for any cause and without warning. The Philippine Constitution itself grants [...]
Read up on the annulment process in the Philippines in 2020. Getting your marriage annulled in the Philippines is a complicated process that requires the engagement of the services of an attorney to file a case before the Philippine courts. Unfortunately, the Philippines is the last country in the world that [...]
There are several vehicles to start your business here in the Philippines. One of the most popular methods is to set-up and incorporate a domestic stock corporation. A corporation is a common medium of doing business because it has several advantages, one of which is the limited liability of stockholders –– [...]