How Divorce Works in Other Countries vs. the Philippines’ Annulment-Only System
The Philippines and Vatican City are the only places without civil divorce. See how the US, UK and Japan actually end marriages, and what Filipinos can do instead.
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Can a Foreigner Married to a Filipino Get an Annulment in the Philippines?
A foreign spouse isn’t barred from filing for or facing a Philippine annulment. Here’s how jurisdiction, filing, and summons actually work — and when Article 26 fits better.
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Can a Foreign Stepparent Adopt Their Filipino Spouse’s Child in the Philippines?
A foreign national married to a Filipino citizen can generally adopt their spouse’s legitimate child in the Philippines without first becoming a Philippine permanent resident for five years. This is not a special “foreigner loophole” — it is a specific, statutory exception built into the country’s domestic adoption law precisely because step-parent adoption within an…
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Can a Foreign Spouse Be Charged Under VAWC in the Philippines?
If your husband, wife, or partner is not a Filipino citizen, you may assume Republic Act No. 9262 — the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act — either does not reach them or that filing a complaint will immediately stop them from leaving the country. Neither assumption is correct. This guide explains, on the…
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Article 26 of the Family Code: Foreign Divorce Recognition for Filipinos
Direct answer: Article 26, paragraph 2 of the Family Code is the Philippine rule that may give a Filipino spouse legal capacity to remarry after a foreign divorce ends a valid marriage between a Filipino and a foreign national. A foreign divorce certificate alone does not normally change Philippine civil status records. The Filipino spouse…
