1

CIVIL LAW REVIEWERPRELIMINARY TITLE

EFFECT AND APPLICATION OF LAWS

(Arts. 1-18)

1. De ne law.

ANS: The term law, in its general sense (derecho), is de ned as the science of moral laws based on the rational nature of man, which governs his free activity for the realization of his individual and social ends, and which by its very nature is demandable and re-ciprocal. (1 Sanchez Roman 3.) In its speci c sense (ley), it is de ned as a rule of conduct, just, obligatory, promulgated by legitimate au-thority, and of common observance and bene t. (Ibid.)

2. De ne Civil Law. (1977)

ANS: Civil law is de ned as the mass of precepts which determines and regulates those relations of assistance, authority and obedience existing among members of a family as well as among members of a society for the protection of private interests. (1 Sanchez Roman 70.)

3. De ne Civil Code.

ANS: A Civil Code may be de ned as a collection of laws, which regulates the private relations of the members of civil society, determining their respective rights and obligations, with reference to persons, things, and civil acts. (1 Tolentino, Civil Code, p. 10.)

4. What is the physical or mechanical composition of the Civil Code of the Philippines? (1977)

ANS: The Civil Code of the Philippines consists of 2,270 articles which are divided as follows:

(1) Preliminary Title — Arts. 1-36.

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(2) Book 1 — Persons — Arts. 37-51, NCC; Arts. 1-257, FC; Arts. 305-310, NCC; Arts. 356-396, NCC; and Arts. 407-413, NCC.

(3) Book II — Property, Ownership, and its Modi cations — Arts. 414-711.

(4) Book III — Modes of Acquiring Ownership — Arts. 712-1155.

(5) Book IV — Obligations and Contracts — Arts. 1156-2251.

(6) Transitional Provisions — Arts. 2252-2269.

(7) Repealing Clause — Art. 2270.

5. What are the sources of the Civil Code of the Philip-pines? (1977)

ANS: The sources of the Civil Code of the Philippines are:

(1) Civil Code of Spain of 1889;

(2) Codes and laws of other countries, such as Spain, the various states of the United States — especially California and Louisiana, France, Argentina, Germany, Mexico, Switzerland, England, and Italy;

(3) Judicial decisions of the Supreme Courts of the Philip-pines, of various states of the United States, of Spain, and of other countries;

(4) Philippine laws or statutes, such as the Code of Civil Procedure (Act No. 190), the Rules of Court, the Marriage Law (Act No. 3613), and the Divorce Law (Act No. 2710);

(5) Works of jurists and commentators of various nations;

(6) Filipino customs and traditions; and

(7) The Code Commission itself.

(Report of the Code Commission, pp. 2-3.)

6. When do laws in the Philippines take effect?

ANS: Laws shall take effect after 15 days following the completion of their publication either in the Of cial Gazette or in

Arts. 1-18 PRELIMINARY TITLE Effect and Application of Laws

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a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, unless it is otherwise provided. (Exec. Order No. 200, dated June 18, 1987, which repealed Art. 2, NCC.)

7. When did the Spanish Civil Code take effect in the Philippines?

ANS: The Spanish Civil Code took effect 20 days (“a los veinte dias’’) after publication in the of cial newspaper in the Philippines. As to actual date of effectivity, there are two (2) views. According to the majority view, since it was published in the Gaceta de Manila on Nov. 17, 1889, therefore, it took effect on December 7, 1889. (Mijares vs. Nery, 3 Phil. 196; Cosio vs. Pili, 10 Phil. 72; Insular Government vs. Aldecoa, 19 Phil. 505; Barretto vs. Tuazon, 59 Phil. 845.) According to the minority view, the date of effectivity is Dec. 8, 1889. (Benedicto vs. De la Rama, 3 Phil. 43; Veloso vs. Fontanosa, 13 Phil. 79.) It is submitted that the rst view is more in accordance with the rules of statutory construction.

8. When did the Civil Code of the Philippines take effect? Discuss.

ANS: According to several cases decided by the Supreme Court (SC), the date of effectivity of the Civil Code of the Philippines is Aug. 30, 1950, which is one year after its publication in the Of cial Gazette as required by Art. 2 of the said Code. (Lara vs. Del Rosario, 94 Phil. 778; Raymundo vs. Peñas, 96 Phil. 311; Camporedondo vs. Aznar, 102 Phil. 1055.)

The above date of effectivity of the New Civil Code (NCC), as pinpointed by the SC, has been the subject of criticism by some of our leading commentators. It is, of course, clear that Art. 2 of the NCC expressly provides that the NCC of the Philippines shall take effect “one year after the completion of its publication in the Of cial Gazette.” Actually, it was published in a Supplement dated June, 1949, which accompanied the June, 1949 issue. However, the Editor of the said Of cial Gazette certi ed that “the June, 1949 issue of the Of cial Gazette with the Supplement thereto, was released for circulation on August 30, 1949.” Consequently, if the basis for computing the one-year period is the date of publication, then the date of effectivity would be June 30, 1950. This was the view upheld by the majority of commentators. (See 1 Tolentino, Civil Code, p. 17.)

PRELIMINARY TITLE Arts. 1-18Effect and Application of Laws

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To the two thousand and thir-

teen loves of my life, Nena, my twelve

children and my bar candidates, this

book is affectionately dedicated.

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PREFACE TO THE 2009 EDITION

With a deep sense of pride, we are once more bringing out the revised edition of this book. This edition contains the most recent Supreme Court decisions on Civil Law, as recent as 2008. It likewise contains the recent bar questions up to 2007. Through the years, this Reviewer has remained to be a handy manual on Civil Law for the bar candidates, law professors, all lawyers actively engaged in the law practice and even judges. As was observed by our father, this Reviewer can even be used as a very convenient text for the Civil Law Review classes. We hope that somehow, this Reviewer shall continue to be of help to them.

Just like the other books of Justice Jurado, this book is a “product of a hard discipline – the discipline of fi ne, unselfi sh scholarship,’’ one that is to be remembered as his masterpiece...a treasured legacy.’’

In closing, we wish to acknowledge the assistance of all those who have supported us, most specially our “Manong,” Mr. Juanito F. Fontelera, owner and publisher of the REX BOOK STORE, our mother “Mama Nena” and our brother, Richard B. Jurado, for their encouragement and support.

Quezon City, Philippines, August 23, 2008.

By:

JUSTICE ROLAND B. JURADO

Associate Justice, Sandiganbayan; Former RTC Judge Branch 76, Malolos, Bulacan; Former MTC Judge, Branch 2, Malolos, Bu-lacan; Former Fourth Assistant City Prosecutor, Caloocan City; Professor of Law – FEU, UE, MLQU and SSC; BSC; Ll.B. (FEU)

ATTY. ROSARIO JURADO-BENEDICTO

Vice-President and Head, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Legal Services Division; Partner, Benedicto, Verzosa, Burkley & Associ-

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ates; Former Corporate Secretary/Assistant Corporate Secretary and Legal Offi cer of the Filinvest Group of Companies, and the Francisco V. del Rosario Group of Companies; Private Practitioner, Dizon, Paculdo, Jurado, Jurado, Vitug and Associates; Former Professor, F.E.U. School of Business; Former Professor of San Sebastian Col-lege of Law; A.B. and Ll.B. (U.P. Diliman)

ATTY. RUDOLF PHILIP B. JURADO

Private Practitioner, The Law Firm of R.P.B. Jurado; Former Partner, Culvera, Waytan & Jurado Law Offi ces; Former Trial Law-yer, Coronel Law Offi ce; Professor, MLQU School of Law; Former Professor U.E. College of Law and Lyceum College of Law; B.S.C., Ll.B. (U.E.)

and

ATTY. ROBERT B. JURADO

Consultant, Housing and Urban Development and Coordi-nating Council (HUDCC); Private Practitioner; Former Director, Legislative Bills and Index Services, Senate of the Republic of the Philippines and HUDCC; Former Consultant to the Offi ce of the Vice President of the Philippines; Former Trial Lawyer, Marbibi Law Offi ce, Electrical Engineering (N.U.); Ll.B. (F.E.U.)

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PREFACE TO THE 1989 EDITION Law, including the Civil Law, is always changing. Since the last edition was published in 1986, many changes have been intro-duced particularly on the subject of Persons and Family Relations and Succession with the passage of the Family Code. This edition incorporates these changes in the fi eld and accounts for its size.

Assistance to bar candidates, law professors and lawyers ac-tively engaged in the practice of law was the objective of the 1986 edition. It is still the objective of this edition. Much of the inspira-tion that went into this work came from our father — the hero, the Justice, the Professor and the author. Through our relationship with him, we have learned to hold the assurance that the disappoint-ments which we experience, nay, even his departure, are actually blessings in disguise to draw us closer to God and to the ideals which our father committed himself in his lifetime, the love for the Civil Law being foremost among them. Such love shall always be remembered as a treasured legacy.

We, the wife and the children of the late Justice Desiderio P. Jurado, are indebted to a number of persons for help with this edition. Preeminent among them are Justice Alicia V. Sempio-Diy of the Court of Appeals, Prof. A. Gutierrez and A. Buencamino. We are likewise thankful to all those who, in one way or the other, as-sisted and gave us the support in the preparation of this edition.

Quezon City, Philippines, July 1989.

By

ROLAND (Judge, Municipal Trial Court, Branch 2,Malolos, Bulacan; Former Fourth Assistant City Prosecutor,

Caloocan City; Former Legal Consultant,Metro Manila Commission; Professor,

San Sebastian College of Law; BSC; Ll.B. (F.E.U.); and

ROSARIO (Manager, Legal Services Division,Bank of the Philippine Islands);

Attorney-at-Law, Leonen, Ramirez and Associates;Former Corporate Secretary and Legal Offi cer

of the Filinvest Group of Companiesand the Francisco V. del Rosario Group of Companies;

Former Professor, F.E.U. School of Business; AB; Ll.B. (U.P.).

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PREFACE TO THE 1981-1982 EDITION

It is with a sense of pride that we are again bringing out a new edition of this Reviewer.

This edition now contains all of the most important deci-sions, in summarized or modifi ed form, of the Supreme Court on Civil Law, whether landmark, illustrative, or even abandoned, up to 1981. It also contains all of the most important bar questions, whether oft-repeated or off-beat, up to 1981. It also contains the salient features of the Child and Youth Welfare Code (P.D. No. 603, as amended), the Condominium Act (Rep. Act No. 4726), the Water Code of the Philippines (P.D. No. 1067), the Decree on Intellectual Property (P.D. No. 49), the Realty Installment Buyer Protection Act (Rep. Act No. 6552), the new House Rental Law (Batas Pambansa Blg. 25) and other laws or decrees which have either repealed or modifi ed provisions of the Civil Code of the Philippines or decisions of the Supreme Court. In the process, we have added hypothetical problems, not off-beat, which may help bar examiners in formulat-ing reasonable and fair questions and problems which will really test the mettle of bar candidates. Additionally, we have included as appendices the bar questions of 1980 and 1981, some presidential decrees and some new decisions.

With the above-mentioned additions and interpolations, this Reviewer has indeed become a handy manual on Civil Law not only for bar candidates and law professors but also for lawyers actively engaged in the practice of the law. As a matter of fact, many judges and law practitioners, who, at some time or another, once listened to our lectures on Civil Law, have told us that they are using it as a sort of guide for further research. It can even be used as a very convenient text for both Civil Law Review 1 and Civil Law Review 2 in the regular law course. In our case, we have been prescribing it as the basic text not only in our Pre-Bar review courses at the UP Law Center, Ateneo de Manila University, San Beda College of Law, Far Eastern University, University of Santo Tomas, Uni-versity of Manila, Manila Review Center and others, but also in our Civil Law Review 1 & 2 courses at the Schools of Law of San

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Beda College, Far Eastern University, University of Santo Tomas, University of Manila, Lyceum of the Philippines, Philippine Law School, Adamson University, San Sebastian College and others where we had the privilege to teach the subjects.

Thus, once again we offer this Reviewer to the bar candidates who are presently reviewing for the bar examinations as well as to all lovers of Civil Law, be they judges, lawyers or students. We pray and hope that it will continue to be of help to them.

Manila, Philippines, March 25, 1982

D. P. JURADO

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pages

PRELIMINARY TITLE ........................................................... 1

Effect and Application of Laws ...................................... 1 Human Relations ............................................................ 33

BOOK I. — PERSONS

Title I. — CIVIL PERSONALITY .......................................... 62 CITIZENSHIP AND DOMICILE ................................... 67

Title I. — MARRIAGE ............................................................ 69

Chapter 1 Requisites of Marriage ................................ 69Chapter 2 Marriages Exempt from the License Requirement ................................................. 82Chapter 3 Void and Voidable Marriages ..................... 87

Title II. — LEGAL SEPARATION ......................................... 120Title III. — RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE .................................................. 135Title IV. — PROPERTY RELATIONS BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE .................................................. 139

Chapter 1 General Provisions ....................................... 139Chapter 2 Donations by Reason of Marriage .............. 143Chapter 3 System of Absolute Community ................. 151

Section 1 General Provisions .................................. 151Section 2 What Constitutes Community Property ............................................. 152Section 3 Charges Upon and Obligations of the Absolute Community ........................ 153Section 4 Ownership, Administration, Enjoyment and Disposition of Community Property .................... 155Section 5 Dissolution of Absolute Community Regime ............................................... 156

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Section 6 Liquidation of the Absolute Community Assets and Liabilities ........................................... 158

Chapter 4 Conjugal Partnership of Gains ................... 161

Section 1 General Provisions .................................. 161Section 2 Exclusive Property of Each Spouse ........ 165Section 3 Conjugal Partnership Property .............. 173Section 4 Charges Upon and Obligations of the Conjugal Partnership ....................... 187Section 5 Administration of the Conjugal Partnership Property ........................ 193Section 6 Dissolution of Conjugal Partnership Regime ............................................... 196Section 7 Liquidation of the Conjugal Partnership Assets and Liabilities ........................................... 197

Chapter 5 Separation of Property of the Spouses and Administration of Common Property by One Spouse During the Marriage .......................................... 201Chapter 6 Regime of Separation of Property .............. 207Chapter 7 Property Regime of Unions Without Marriage................................................. 208

Title V. — THE FAMILY ........................................................ 214

Chapter 1 The Family as an Institution ...................... 214Chapter 2 Family Home ................................................ 215

Title VI. — PATERNITY AND FILIATION .......................... 222

Chapter 1 Legitimate Children .................................... 222Chapter 2 Proof of Filiation .......................................... 230Chapter 3 Illegitimate Children ................................... 238Chapter 4 Legitimated Children .................................. 241

Title VII. — ADOPTION ......................................................... 246Title VIII. — SUPPORT .......................................................... 258Title IX. — PARENTAL AUTHORITY .................................. 267

Chapter 1 General Provisions ....................................... 267Chapter 2 Substitute and Special Parental Authority ................................................ 274Chapter 3 Effect of Parental Authority Upon the Persons of the Children ........................ 277

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Chapter 4 Effect of Parental Authority Upon the Property of the Children ....................... 280Chapter 5 Suspension or Termination of Parental Authority ................................ 282

Title X. — EMANCIPATION AND AGE OF MAJORITY ...................................................................... 284Title XI. — SUMMARY JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS IN THE FAMILY LAW ................................................... 286Title XII. — FINAL PROVISIONS ........................................ 286

PROVISIONS OF THE CIVIL CODE AND P.D. NO. 603 AS AMENDED, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN REPEALED BY THE FAMILY CODE..... 287FUNERALS .............................................................................. 287CARE AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN .......................... 288USE OF SURNAMES .............................................................. 295ABSENCE ................................................................................ 299CIVIL REGISTER ................................................................... 301

BOOK II. — PROPERTY, OWNERSHIP, AND ITS MODIFICATIONS

Title 1. — CLASSIFICATION OF PROPERTY .................... 308Title II. — OWNERSHIP ........................................................ 327

Right of Accession ........................................................... 332 Quieting of Title .............................................................. 362

Title III. — CO-OWNERSHIP ................................................ 364Title IV. — SOME SPECIAL PROPERTIES ........................ 380Title V. — POSSESSION ........................................................ 385Title VI. — USUFRUCT ......................................................... 406Title VII. — EASEMENTS OR SERVITUDES ..................... 415Title VIII. — NUISANCE ....................................................... 437

BOOK III. — DIFFERENT MODES OF ACQUIRING OWNERSHIP

GENERAL PRINCIPLES ........................................................ 442Title I. — OCCUPATION ....................................................... 444

Law ................................................................................. 446 Tradition .......................................................................... 447

Title II. — INTELLECTUAL CREATION ............................. 449Title III. — DONATION ......................................................... 453

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Title IV. — SUCCESSION ...................................................... 490

Chapter 1 General Provisions ....................................... 490Chapter 2 Testamentary Succession ............................ 497

Section 1. Wills ........................................................... 497 Wills in General ...................................................... 497 Testamentary Capacity and Intent ....................... 499 Forms of Wills, Witnesses, and Codicils ............... 500 Revocation, Republication and Revival of Wills ..................................................... 522 Allowance and Disallowance of Wills ................... 530

Section 2. Institution of Heirs .................................. 538Section 3. Substitution of Heirs ............................... 547Section 4. Testamentary Dispositions ..................... 554Section 5. Legitime ................................................... 558

Reserva Troncal ...................................................... 573 Distribution of Estate if There are Donations ..... 592

Section 6. Disinheritance ......................................... 600Section 7. Legacies and Devises .............................. 607

Chapter 3 Intestate Succession .................................... 614

Section 1. General Provisions .................................. 614 Representation ........................................................ 618

Section 2 Order of Intestate Succession ................. 627

Chapter 4 Provisions Common to Testate and Intestate Successions ............................ 655

Accretion ................................................................ 655 Capacity to Succeed By Will or By Intestacy ......................................................... 667 Acceptance and Repudiation.................................. 676 Collation .................................................................. 679 Partition and Distribution ..................................... 685

Title V. — PRESCRIPTION ................................................... 691

General Provisions .......................................................... 691 Acquisitive Prescription .................................................. 694 Extinctive Prescription ................................................... 697

BOOK IV. — OBLIGATIONS AND CONTRACTS

Title I. — OBLIGATIONS ...................................................... 700 General Provisions .......................................................... 700 Nature and Effect of Obligations ................................... 702

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Kinds of Obligations ....................................................... 718 Pure and Conditional Obligations ......................... 718 Obligations with a Period ...................................... 729 Alternative and Facultative Obligations .............. 738 Joint and Solidary Obligations .............................. 742 Divisible and Indivisible Obligations .................... 757 Obligations with a Penal Clause ........................... 759 Modes of Extinguishing Obligations ..................... 764 Payment or Performance ............................... 765 Loss of the Thing Due ................................... 782 Remission ....................................................... 786 Confusion or Merger ...................................... 789 Compensation ................................................. 790 Novation ......................................................... 795

Title II. — CONTRACTS ........................................................ 811

General Provisions .......................................................... 811 Essential Requisites of Contracts .................................. 829 Consent .................................................................... 829 Object ....................................................................... 851 Cause ....................................................................... 854 Form of Contracts ........................................................... 859 Reformation of Instruments ........................................... 863 Defective Contracts ......................................................... 868 Rescissible Contracts ...................................................... 870 Voidable Contracts .......................................................... 878 Unenforceable Contracts ................................................ 887 Void or Inexistent Contracts .......................................... 896

Title III. — NATURAL OBLIGATIONS ................................ 911Title IV. — ESTOPPEL........................................................... 913Title V. — TRUSTS ................................................................. 918Title VI. — SPECIAL CONTRACTS ...................................... 929 Sales ................................................................................. 929Title VII. — BARTER OR EXCHANGE ................................ 1002Title VIII. — LEASE ............................................................... 1003

General Provisions .......................................................... 1003 Lease of Rural and Urban Lands .................................. 1004 Work and Labor Household Service .............................. 1023 Contract of Labor ................................................... 1023 Contract for a Piece of Work ................................. 1024 Common Carriers ................................................... 1026

Title IX. — PARTNERSHIP ................................................... 1041

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Title X. — AGENCY ................................................................ 1065Title XI. — LOAN .................................................................... 1091Title XII. — DEPOSIT ............................................................ 1099TItle XIII. — ALEATORY CONTRACTS .............................. 1104Title XIV. — COMPROMISES AND ARBITRATIONS ........ 1109Title XV. — GUARANTY ........................................................ 1111Title XVI. — PLEDGE, MORTGAGE AND ANTICHRESIS ................................................................ 1121

Pledge ............................................................................... 1121 Real Estate Mortgage ..................................................... 1127 Antichresis ....................................................................... 1135 Chattel Mortgage............................................................. 1139

Title XVII. — EXTRA-CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS .... 1147

Quasi-Contracts ............................................................... 1147 Quasi-Delicts ................................................................... 1152

Title XVIII. — DAMAGES ...................................................... 1183Title XIX. — CONCURRENCE AND PREFERENCE OF CREDITS ................................................................... 1225TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS ............................................. 1231REPEALING CLAUSE ............................................................ 1233

APPENDIX

A. COMMON DISTINCTIONS IN CIVIL LAW ................ 1234

B. REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9523 ............................................ 1239