KEY LEGISLATION
The statutes of the Philippines are found in the various enactments of the Philippine legislature since its creation in 1900.
From the establishment of the American civil government in 1900 to 1935, there were 4,275 laws passed by the Philippine Commission and its bicameral successor, the Philippine Legislature. The Commonwealth period witnessed the enactment of 733 statutes while 6,635 Republic Acts were legislated from July 4, 1946 to September 21, 1972. During the martial law period, a total of 2,035 Presidential Decrees were promulgated as of February 20, 1986, while 891 laws were enacted by the Batasang Pambansa from July 23, 1984 to February 1, 1986. A total of 302 Executive Orders have been issued by President Corazon C. Aquino.
As of March 2026, more than 12,300 republic acts have been legislated.
Some of the codes in force today:
(1) Civil Code
(2) Revised Penal Code
(3) Code of Commerce (1888)
(4) Administrative Code
(5) National Internal Revenue Code
(6) Omnibus Election Code
(7) Tariff and Customs Code
(8) Code of Agrarian Reforms
(9) Land Transportation and Traffic Code
(10) National Building Code
(11) Revised Forestry Code
(12) Cooperative Code
(13) Labor Code
(14) National Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes
(15) Insurance Code
(16) Child and Youth Welfare Code
(17) Sanitation Code
(18) Water Code
(19) Philippine Environment Code
(20) Muslim Code of Personal Laws
(21) Fire Code
(22) Coconut Industry Code
(23) Corporation Code
(24) Omnibus Investments Code of 1987
(25) State Auditing Code
(26) Local Government Code
(27) the Family Code
(28) Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998
(29) Intellectual Property Code
(30) The Securities Regulation Code
(31) Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines
(32) The Pre-Need Code
Sources:
Feliciano, M. (2015). Philippine Legal System. U.P. Law Complex.
Official Gazette (https://officialgazette.gov.ph)