THE House of Representatives approved on the third and final reading the House Bill 10459 titled “an act clarifying the right of married women to retain their surnames,” seeks to amend Article 370 of Republic Act 386, otherwise known as the “New Civil Code of the Philippines.” It got the approval of 227 lawmakers with no objections.
Currently, RA 386 states that women may use the following:
Maiden first name and surname, and add her husband’s surname
Maiden first name and her husband’s surname
Her husband’s full name, but prefixing a word indicating that she is his wife, such as “Mrs.”
But with the new measure, they’ll have this fourth option: Maiden first name and surname
Representatives Luis N. Campos Jr., Arlene Brosas, Xavier Jesus Romualdo, Rufus Rodriguez, Lawrence Fortun, Tyrone Agabas, Joy Myra Tabunting, Gabriel Bordado Jr., and Cheryl Deloso-Montalla co-authored the bill.
“This is no small feat for women,” said Gabriela Partylist’s Brosas. “In fact, this is a welcome development in recognizing the legal identity of women apart from their spouse.”
The measure pushes for “equality between men and women before the law” by upholding a married woman’s right to keep her maiden surname even after marriage.
The House also unanimously passed HB 10388 or the proposed “Housing Development Digital Connectivity Act” on third and final reading, with 224 affirmative votes. This would require all housing developments to set aside a portion of their designated open space for information and communication technology infrastructure and amenities. Likewise, the House unanimously passed on third and final reading HB 10459, providing for the right of married women to retain their maiden surnames.
It would amend for this purpose Article 370 of Republic Act 386 or the “New Civil Code of the Philippines.” The bill garnered 227 affirmative votes.
