Dear PAO,
Good day, attorney. I am Matniya, 16 years old and a senior high school student from Central Mindanao. My parents talked to me and proposed that they will arrange my marriage with the son of a well-off local politician in our province. May I oppose their proposal? What shall I do? I want to finish my studies and have a good future. I do not want to end up marrying at this very young age.
Matniya
Dear Matniya,
Child marriage is now totally prohibited with the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 115961, otherwise known as the "Act Prohibiting the Practice of Child Marriage." Under the Family Code, marriages contracted by any party below 18 years of age even with the consent of parents or guardians are void from the beginning (Article 35, Family Code of the Philippines). However, there are sectors who are not governed by the Family Code of the Philippines, like the Filipino Muslims and the indigenous cultural minorities/Indigenous Peoples.
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