by Juliet Saley
BESAO, Mt. Province- A duly signed certificate of pre-marriage counseling is an integral document for a civil marriage to be officiated here. Failure to comply with the requirement could be a ground to delay the marriage.

Executive Order No. 2008-10 prescribes the rules and procedures in the conduct of its civil marriages cognizant to the sanctity and significance of a marriage ceremony.


The EO requires that couples regardless of age to undergo pre-marriage counseling to be conducted by a team of accredited pre-marriage counselors from the Municipal Health Office, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, Municipal Agriculture Office, and from the religious sector.

Qualified to apply for marriage license are those 18 years old and above. Applicants aged 18 to 21 are required to present proof of consent of their parents; 22 to 24 years old applicants are required to present a written advise from their parents or guardians; and 25 years old and above are required to submit a certificate of non-marriage (CENOMA) which will be issued upon request by the National Statistics Office.

For applicants who are elementary or secondary drop outs, they are required to present a certification issued by an Alternative Learning System (ALS) Coordinator.

Application of marriage license could be secured at the Local civil Registrar Office after paying the necessary fees at the Municipal Treasury Office, after having complied with the needed requirements, and after the completion of the publication period of 10 days.

Municipal mayors are authorized to officiate civil marriages in their area of jurisdiction as provided for in the New Civil Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 386 Article 56 Series of 1973 and the Local Code of 1991. *(JBS/PIA CAR-Mt. Province)