The Philippines recognizes intellectual and industrial property as vital to the development of its domestic and creative activity. The enactment of R.A. 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines bolsters the protection of these rights through Trademark, Copyright, and Patent.

Living in a densely populated city, a resident might find that proximity may sometimes breed contempt. A person’s actions can affect their immediate neighbors. In fact, one of the most common conflicts of subdivision board meetings is the occurrence of abscission—that is the falling or shedding of various tree parts—from one property to the nuisance of another.

Land, particularly in the Philippines, is one of the safest investments as it rarely depreciates, and its value can sometimes grow at an exponential rate. Many individuals buy this type of property with the intent of buying low and selling high later without ever using them. But as with any investment, it has risks. For example, if they are left unattended for long periods, property owners may find that something is built, planted, or sown upon their land.

In Philippine society, the father is supposed to be the breadwinner of the family – the supposed haligi ng tahanan or pillar of the household. But is it really just the father that has the obligation to support?

Sometimes parents are met with the burden of choosing between taking care of their children or providing for their family. Oftentimes, it is the woman who is asked to stay at home and take care of the children. What happens then when a woman, who is not financially independent, is deprived of support by the partner or husband?

“Magpapanotaryo lang naman, bakit ganyan na ang presyo? Sa kanto, ₱50 lang per document. Ang taas naman ng 1% ng transaksyon!” (It’s just notarization, why is the price like that? Across the street, it’s just ₱50 per document. 1% of the value of the transaction is exorbitant!).

That is a frequent response legitimate notaries public (notaries, for short) get when they give quotations for their services.

And what’s this matter about notaries and why is legitimate notarization important?

We know that any person who shall contract a second or subsequent marriage before the former marriage has been legally dissolved can be found guilty of the crime of bigamy. (Art. 349, Revised Penal Code). But what happens to the partner of the bigamist?

Is marital infidelity considered violence against women and children?

Yes, it can be.

As stressed in the recent case of XXX v. People of the Philippines, G.R. No. 250219, 01 March 2023. The names of the characters in this case were redacted by the Supreme Court.

With the lifting of travel restrictions and the end of the pandemic, families have started traveling again. However, with the recent influx of complaints of inconvenience during immigration, it would be good to know the following rules regarding minors traveling abroad.

Viral videos showing road rage incidents have been circulating online, wherein motorists are seen in physical or verbal altercations. Sometimes, they are armed with a gun, about to pull the trigger. Although no laws punish road rage, per se, there are laws that punish the circumstances surrounding these road rage incidents.

In a recent Supreme Court Decision penned by Associate Justice Mario Lopez, fathers are allowed to apply for protection and custody orders under the VAWC Law against mothers who committed acts of violence against their child.

There is no question that over the years, household pets have evolved from merely serving as defenders of the home to being treated as members of the family. As such, it would be natural for owners to want to protect their beloved pets from any and all kinds of harm. Thankfully, laws such as the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 and the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007 have enumerated the ways in which their furry friends could be protected from danger.

Contracts have become indispensable tools for anyone who has negotiated or engaged in a transaction. They are necessary to bind the parties involved, as contracts protect their interests and serve as a record of what they agree upon. But is a contract still valid and enforceable if it was orally agreed upon?

The new domestic adoption law removes the judicial process of adopting Filipino children. Instead, adoptive parents may now administratively apply for adoption through NACC, a new quasi-judicial agency under the DSWD, which aims to simplify and accelerate the process of adoption in the country.

Due to recent pronouncements, the topic of fathers evading their responsibility to provide child support has generated a discussion among members of the community. But is the failure to provide, already grounds for imprisonment?

Clerical or typographical errors committed in writing, copying, transcribing or typing of an entry in certificates of land titles are not unheard.

In Article 415 of the Civil Code, the term “real property”, also referred to as “immovable property”, includes land, buildings, roads, constructions adhered to the soil, trees, plants while they are attached to the ground, machinery for an industry which may be carried on inside a building or land, and analogous or similar properties.

To start the process of estate planning, you must take an inventory of everything that you own.

As part of our efforts to make legal knowledge more accessible, we are launching a special series on the topic of estate planning.

The sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced most businesses to implement telecommuting and work-from-home arrangements to adapt to the evolving rules and quarantine protocols of the government.

Amidst the current pandemic, the rules on holiday pay might be pushed aside and some employers might not want to pay their employees holiday pay because of the difficulties COVID-19 has presented to their business.

Yes, temporary suspension of employment and retrenchment may be availed of at the same time. Retrenchment is an authorized cause for termination under Article 298 [283] of the Labor Code of the Philippines.

On 08 November 2021, Acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama announced the release of the Twenty Thousand Pesos (PHP 20,000.00) Christmas bonus to all City Hall employees provided that all of the said employees gets vaccinated against COVID-19. He said that the City Hall’s over 5,000 employees will only receive their bonuses once each and every employee has been vaccinated.

One of the best ways to secure one’s personal and household finances from unexpected dangers and risks is to avail of a life insurance policy. However, taking out an insurance policy may prove to be a daunting task for anyone.

Metro Manila will be shifting from ECQ to the new Alert Levels System with Alert Level 4 starting 16 September 2021 until 30 September 2021. During this period, persons younger than 18, older than 65, those with comorbidities, or those who are pregnant must stay at home.

YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitch, TikTok, and Instagram, game changers as to how people consume information and entertainment has caused a ripple effect in related industries such as marketing and advertising. Enterprising individuals, popularly known these days as social media influencers, have since caught on to this zeitgeist and have embraced their creative personalities in order to try and cash in on the action.

We’ve received a number of queries regarding the Certificates of Employment required by the Philippine National Police during this ECQ. If you are an authorized person outside of residence (APOR) and an employee with a designated driver, request your HR for a certification indicating your name, contact information, address, name of the designated driver, and the make/model/plate number of your vehicle.

Here we are again with another season of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) on top of the tanning weather we are currently having. The Philippine Government announced that the whole of NCR, and the surrounding areas (commonly referred to as NCR+), will be placed under ECQ once again from 06 August 2021 to 20 August 2021 as an effort to curb the proliferation of the Delta variant of COVID-19. The Delta variant is a highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus strain, which was first identified in India last December.