Marriage Licensing Family Planning Instruction

Presidential Decree No. 965 adopts a national population program that aims to achieve and maintain levels of population conducive to the national welfare.
Presidential Decree No. 965 treats informing and instructing the people on family planning and responsible parenthood as an essential element of the population program.
Presidential Decree No. 965 requires marriage license applicants to receive instructions and information on family planning and responsible parenthood before issuance of the marriage license.

Section 1 creates an Office of Family Planning in every city and municipality.
The Office of Family Planning is headed by the city or municipal health officer.
The city or municipal health officer must be assisted by the city or rural health nurse, members of the city or rural health unit, and other personnel from government agencies involved in the family planning program.
Personnel assigned to the Office of Family Planning perform family planning duties in addition to their regular duties.
Private entities or individuals duly accredited by the Commission on Population engaged in family planning activities may be impressed into service.

Section 2 requires the Office of Family Planning to give instructions and information on family and responsible parenthood to applicants for marriage license and other interested persons.
Instructions and information must be provided in the form of personal instruction and/or handbook, pamphlets or brochures.
Instructions and information must be consistent with the policies of the Commission on Population.

Section 3 obliges marriage license applicants, upon filing the application, to receive instructions and information on family planning and responsible parenthood from the Office of Family Planning.
Instructions and information provided must be in the form of personal instruction or brochures, pamphlets or handbooks.
In places where there are no health officers, any person duly accredited by the Commission on Population may give the required instructions.
No marriage license may be issued by the Local Civil Registrar unless the applicants present a certificate, issued at no cost to the applicants, from the Office of Family Planning stating that the applicants received the required instructions and information.
If the instructions and information are not given within the period required for marriage license issuance:
- The Office of Family Planning must give a certification to that effect to the Civil Registrar.
- The Civil Registrar must withhold issuance of the marriage license for two weeks to enable the Office of Family Planning to give instructions and for the applicants to receive them.
- After the two-week period, if no instructions have been given, the Civil Registrar may issue the marriage license.

Section 4 directs agencies of the National Government charged with implementing the family planning program to render assistance to the Offices of Family Planning created under Section 1.

Section 5 makes a member of the Office of Family Planning who fails or refuses without just cause to give:
- the required instructions, or
- the required certificate,
  subject to appropriate administrative or criminal charges.
Section 5 makes a Local Civil Registrar subject to appropriate administrative or criminal charges if the registrar issues a marriage license without the requisite certificate from the Office of Family Planning.
Section 5 makes any person who obtains the certificate fraudulently subject to appropriate administrative or criminal charges.

Section 6 requires the Commission on Population to issue rules and regulations to implement the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 965.

Section 7 repeals or modifies accordingly all laws and ordinances inconsistent with Presidential Decree No. 965.