Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Article 234 of Executive Order No. 209, the Family Code of the Philippines, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"ART. 234. Emancipation takes place by the attainment of majority. Unless otherwise provided, majority commences at the age of eighteen years."

SEC. 2. Articles 235 and 237 of the same Code are hereby repealed.

SEC. 3. Article 236 of the same Code is also hereby amended to read as follows:

"ART. 236. Emancipation shall terminate parental authority over the person and property of the child who shall then be qualified and responsible for all acts of civil life, save the exceptions established by existing laws in special cases.

"Contracting marriage shall require parental consent until the age of twenty-one.

"Nothing in this Code shall be construed to derogate from the duty or responsibility of parents and guardians for children and wards below twenty-one years of age mentioned in the second and third paragraphs of Article 2180 of the Civil Code."

SEC. 4. Upon the effectivity of this Act, existing wills, bequests, donations, grants, insurance policies and similar instruments containing references and provisions favorable to minors will not retroact to their prejudice.

SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect upon completion of its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

(Sgd.) JOVITO R. SALONGA	(Sgd.) RAMON V. MITRA
President of the Senate	Speaker of the House of Representatives

This Act which is a consolidation of House Bill No. 143 and Senate Bill No. 181 was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on October 20, 1989.

(Sgd.) EDWIN P. ACOBA	(Sgd.) QUIRINO D. ABAD SANTOS, JR.
Secretary of the Senate	Secretary of the House of Representatives

 
 Approved: Approved: December 13, 1989