Republic Act No. 8369

Date:    July 28, 1997

Source:    Republic of the Philippines, Congress and Senate

Subject:    Family Courts Act of 1997

The State shall protect the rights and promote the welfare of children in keeping with the mandate of the Constitution and precepts of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The State shall provide a system of adjudication for youthful offenders which takes into account their peculiar circumstances.

The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. The courts shall preserve the solidarity of the family, provide procedures for the reconciliation of spouses and the amicable settlement of family controversy.

Section 3.  There shall be established a Family Court in every province and city in the country. In case where the city is the capital of the province, the Family Court shall be established in the municipality which has the highest population.