Contract of Service worker is not considered a government employee

Dear PAO, I am a Contract of Service worker in the government. My superior informed me that my contract will not be renewed next year. I have been connected with this agency for 10 years now. May I know if my contract can be terminated without any cause? If my services are terminated, will I […]

Effect of unnotarized deed of extrajudicial settlement of the estate

Dear PAO, My parents died in an accident two years ago. I returned from the United States a month ago and discovered that my siblings had signed an Extrajudicial Settlement of the Estate (EJS) of my deceased parents to which I was not a signatory. It was also not notarized. I am the youngest of […]

Naturalization for a foreigner married to a Filipina

Dear PAO,I have a question regarding my spouse, who is French. We met while he was on vacation in Siargao last year. Our relationship went well, and eventually, we decided to get married here in Manila on June 14, 2024. He now wishes to live in our country because he says he sees his future […]

Shortchanging of consumers is prohibited

Dear PAO, We do our weekly supply run at a small grocery store near our house. However, we’ve noticed that if the change is less than one peso, the cashier would sometimes reason out that they do not have available coins for change. Occasionally, they would give us candies instead if the change is less […]

RA 11596 bans Islamic child marriages

Dear PAO, I have read in the newspapers that we now have a law which prohibits child marriages. Is the law applicable to child marriages solemnized under the Islamic law? Ali Dear Ali, Yes, the law prohibiting child marriages within the Philippines is applicable to Islamic marriages. Get the latest news delivered to your inbox […]

What is a nuisance per se?

Dear PAO, In order to earn extra income, I built a barber shop which occupied a portion of the sidewalk. When my business boomed, a barangay official approached me and said that my shop was a nuisance and it should be transferred inside the premises of my land. He mentioned that residents are already complaining […]

Maceda Law also applies to commercial lot sold on installments

Dear PAO, Jean and I agreed that she will buy my lot classified as commercial. She paid the down payment of the price agreed upon and the remaining balance will be paid in equal monthly installments for three years. She religiously paid for a year until she missed payment for five months. I already sent […]

Conditions for entitlement to 20% senior citizen discount on medicines

Dear PAO, The other day, my father, who is already a senior citizen, tried to purchase his medicines at a pharmacy. However, the pharmacist refused to apply the 20-percent senior citizen discount on medicines because of his alleged failure to present his Purchase Slip Booklet. I went back to the said drugstore and brought with […]

Disadvantaged students may take examinations without test permit

Dear PAO, I am currently in junior high school. My lola has partially paid for my tuition fee during the start of the school year, but we are now struggling to pay for the balance. You see, even at her old age of seventy, my lola still sells vegetables in our local market to support […]

Denial by attending physician due to lack of facilities 

Dear PAO,I am an attending physician in a small hospital in our locality. Yesterday, an unconscious man was brought by the emergency ambulance. Unfortunately, our small hospital cannot accommodate him due to lack of facilities. However, because he is unconscious and does not have any relative with him, I could not get consent to transfer […]