(1) A criminal offense resulting in physical injuries;
CHAPTER 3
OTHER KINDS OF DAMAGES
Art. 2216. No proof of pecuniary loss is necessary
in order that moral, nominal, temperate,
liquidated or exemplary damages, may be
adjudicated. The assessment of such damages,
except liquidated ones, is left to the discretion of
the court, according to the circumstances of each
case.
SECTION 1. - Moral Damages
Art. 2217. Moral damages include physical
suffering, mental anguish, fright, serious anxiety,
besmirched reputation, wounded feelings, moral
shock, social humiliation, and similar injury.
Though incapable of pecuniary computation,
moral damages may be recovered if they are the
proximate result of the defendant's wrongful act
for omission.
Art. 2218. In the adjudication of moral damages,
the sentimental value of property, real or
personal, may be considered.
Art. 2219. Moral damages may be recovered in
the following and analogous cases:
(2) Quasi-delicts causing physical injuries;
(3) Seduction, abduction, rape, or other lascivious
acts;
(4) Adultery or concubinage;
(5) Illegal or arbitrary detention or arrest;
(6) Illegal search;
(7) Libel, slander or any other form of defamation;
(8) Malicious prosecution;
(9) Acts mentioned in Article 309;
(10) Acts and actions referred to in Articles 21, 26,
27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, and 35.
The parents of the female seduced, abducted,
raped, or abused, referred to in No. 3 of this
article, may also recover moral damages.
The spouse, descendants, ascendants, and
brothers and sisters may bring the action
mentioned in No. 9 of this article, in the order
named.
Art. 2220. Willful injury to property may be a legal
ground for awarding moral damages if the court
should find that, under the circumstances, such
damages are justly due. The same rule applies to
breaches of contract where the defendant acted
fraudulently or in bad faith. suffered but its amount can not, from the nature
of the case, be provided with certainty.
SECTION 2. - Nominal Damages Art. 2225. Temperate damages must be
reasonable under the circumstances.
Art. 2221. Nominal damages are adjudicated in
order that a right of the plaintiff, which has been SECTION 4. - Liquidated Damages
violated or invaded by the defendant, may be
vindicated or recognized, and not for the purpose
Art. 2226. Liquidated damages are those agreed
of indemnifying the plaintiff for any loss suffered
upon by the parties to a contract, to be paid in
by him.
case of breach thereof.
Art. 2222. The court may award nominal damages
Art. 2227. Liquidated damages, whether intended
in every obligation arising from any source
as an indemnity or a penalty, shall be equitably
enumerated in Article 1157, or in every case
reduced if they are iniquitous or unconscionable.
where any property right has been invaded.
Art. 2228. When the breach of the contract
Art. 2223. The adjudication of nominal damages
committed by the defendant is not the one
shall preclude further contest upon the right
contemplated by the parties in agreeing upon the
involved and all accessory questions, as between
liquidated damages, the law shall determine the
the parties to the suit, or their respective heirs
measure of damages, and not the stipulation.
and assigns.

SECTION 5. - Exemplary or Corrective Damages

SECTION 3. - Temperate or Moderate Damages

Art. 2229. Exemplary or corrective damages are

Art. 2224. Temperate or moderate damages,
imposed, by way of example or correction for the
which are more than nominal but less than
public good, in addition to the moral, temperate,
compensatory damages, may be recovered when
liquidated or compensatory damages.
the court finds that some pecuniary loss has been
Art. 2230. In criminal offenses, exemplary he would be entitled to moral, temperate or
damages as a part of the civil liability may be compensatory damages were it not for the
imposed when the crime was committed with one stipulation for liquidated damages.
or more aggravating circumstances. Such
Art. 2235. A stipulation whereby exemplary
damages are separate and distinct from fines and
damages are renounced in advance shall be null
shall be paid to the offended party.
and void.
Art. 2231. In quasi-delicts, exemplary damages
may be granted if the defendant acted with gross
Title XIX. - CONCURRENCE AND PREFERENCE
negligence.
OF CREDITS
Art. 2232. In contracts and quasi-contracts, the
court may award exemplary damages if the
defendant acted in a wanton, fraudulent, reckless,
CHAPTER 1
oppressive, or malevolent manner.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Art. 2233. Exemplary damages cannot be
recovered as a matter of right; the court will
decide whether or not they should be adjudicated. Art. 2236. The debtor is liable with all his
property, present and future, for the fulfillment of
Art. 2234. While the amount of the exemplary
his obligations, subject to the exemptions
damages need not be proved, the plaintiff must
provided by law. (1911a)
show that he is entitled to moral, temperate or
compensatory damages before the court may Art. 2237. Insolvency shall be governed by special
consider the question of whether or not exemplary laws insofar as they are not inconsistent with this
damages should be awarded. In case liquidated Code. (n)
damages have been agreed upon, although no
proof of loss is necessary in order that such Art. 2238. So long as the conjugal partnership or
liquidated damages may be recovered, absolute community subsists, its property shall
nevertheless, before the court may consider the not be among the assets to be taken possession
question of granting exemplary in addition to the of by the assignee for the payment of the
liquidated damages, the plaintiff must show that insolvent debtor's obligations, except insofar as
the latter have redounded to the benefit of the
family. If it is the husband who is insolvent, the
administration of the conjugal partnership of
absolute community may, by order of the court,
be transferred to the wife or to a third person
other than the assignee. (n)
Art. 2239. If there is property, other than that
mentioned in the preceding article, owned by two
or more persons, one of whom is the insolvent
debtor, his undivided share or interest therein
shall be among the assets to be taken possession
of by the assignee for the payment of the
insolvent debtor's obligations. (n)
Art. 2240. Property held by the insolvent debtor as
a trustee of an express or implied trust, shall be
excluded from the insolvency proceedings. (n)
CHAPTER 2
CLASSIFICATION OF CREDITS
Art. 2241. With reference to specific movable
property of the debtor, the following claims or
liens shall be preferred:
(1) Duties, taxes and fees due thereon to the
State or any subdivision thereof;
(2) Claims arising from misappropriation, breach
of trust, or malfeasance by public officials
committed in the performance of their duties, on
the movables, money or securities obtained by
them;
(3) Claims for the unpaid price of movables sold,
on said movables, so long as they are in the
possession of the debtor, up to the value of the
same; and if the movable has been resold by the
debtor and the price is still unpaid, the lien may
be enforced on the price; this right is not lost by
the immobilization of the thing by destination,
provided it has not lost its form, substance and
identity; neither is the right lost by the sale of the
thing together with other property for a lump sum,
when the price thereof can be determined
proportionally;
(4) Credits guaranteed with a pledge so long as
the things pledged are in the hands of the
creditor, or those guaranteed by a chattel
mortgage, upon the things pledged or mortgaged,
up to the value thereof;
(5) Credits for the making, repair, safekeeping or
preservation of personal property, on the movable
thus made, repaired, kept or possessed;
(6) Claims for laborers' wages, on the goods
manufactured or the work done;
(7) For expenses of salvage, upon the goods
salvaged;
(8) Credits between the landlord and the tenant,
arising from the contract of tenancy on shares, on
the share of each in the fruits or harvest;
(9) Credits for transportation, upon the goods
carried, for the price of the contract and incidental
expenses, until their delivery and for thirty days
thereafter;
(10) Credits for lodging and supplies usually
furnished to travellers by hotel keepers, on the
movables belonging to the guest as long as such
movables are in the hotel, but not for money
loaned to the guests;
(11) Credits for seeds and expenses for cultivation
and harvest advanced to the debtor, upon the
fruits harvested;
(12) Credits for rent for one year, upon the
personal property of the lessee existing on the
immovable leased and on the fruits of the same,
but not on money or instruments of credit;
(13) Claims in favor of the depositor if the
depositary has wrongfully sold the thing
deposited, upon the price of the sale.
In the foregoing cases, if the movables to which
the lien or preference attaches have been
wrongfully taken, the creditor may demand them
from any possessor, within thirty days from the
unlawful seizure. (1922a)
Art. 2242. With reference to specific immovable
property and real rights of the debtor, the
following claims, mortgages and liens shall be
preferred, and shall constitute an encumbrance on
the immovable or real right:
(1) Taxes due upon the land or building;
(2) For the unpaid price of real property sold, upon
the immovable sold;
(3) Claims of laborers, masons, mechanics and
other workmen, as well as of architects, engineers
and contractors, engaged in the construction,
reconstruction or repair of buildings, canals or
other works, upon said buildings, canals or other
works;
(4) Claims of furnishers of materials used in the
construction, reconstruction, or repair of buildings,
canals or other works, upon said buildings, canals
or other works;
(5) Mortgage credits recorded in the Registry of
Property, upon the real estate mortgaged;
(6) Expenses for the preservation or improvement
of real property when the law authorizes
reimbursement, upon the immovable preserved or
improved;
(7) Credits annotated in the Registry of Property,
in virtue of a judicial order, by attachments or
executions, upon the property affected, and only year preceding the commencement of the
as to later credits; proceedings in insolvency;
(8) Claims of co-heirs for warranty in the partition (3) Expenses during the last illness of the debtor
of an immovable among them, upon the real or of his or her spouse and children under his or
property thus divided; her parental authority, if they have no property of
their own;
(9) Claims of donors or real property for pecuniary
charges or other conditions imposed upon the (4) Compensation due the laborers or their
donee, upon the immovable donated; dependents under laws providing for indemnity for
damages in cases of labor accident, or illness
(10) Credits of insurers, upon the property
resulting from the nature of the employment;
insured, for the insurance premium for two years.
(1923a) (5) Credits and advancements made to the debtor
for support of himself or herself, and family,
Art. 2243. The claims or credits enumerated in the
during the last year preceding the insolvency;
two preceding articles shall be considered as
mortgages or pledges of real or personal property, (6) Support during the insolvency proceedings,
or liens within the purview of legal provisions and for three months thereafter;
governing insolvency. Taxes mentioned in No. 1,
(7) Fines and civil indemnification arising from a
Article 2241, and No. 1, Article 2242, shall first be
criminal offense;
satisfied. (n)
(8) Legal expenses, and expenses incurred in the
Art. 2244. With reference to other property, real
administration of the insolvent's estate for the
and personal, of the debtor, the following claims
common interest of the creditors, when properly
or credits shall be preferred in the order named:
authorized and approved by the court;
(1) Proper funeral expenses for the debtor, or
(9) Taxes and assessments due the national
children under his or her parental authority who
government, other than those mentioned in
have no property of their own, when approved by
Articles 2241, No. 1, and 2242, No. 1;
the court;
(2) Credits for services rendered the insolvent by
employees, laborers, or household helpers for one
(10) Taxes and assessments due any province,
other than those referred to in Articles 2241, No.
1, and 2242, No. 1;
(11) Taxes and assessments due any city or
municipality, other than those indicated in Articles
2241, No. 1, and 2242, No. 1;
(12) Damages for death or personal injuries
caused by a quasi-delict;
(13) Gifts due to public and private institutions of
charity or beneficence;
(14) Credits which, without special privilege,
appear in (a) a public instrument; or (b) in a final
judgment, if they have been the subject of
litigation. These credits shall have preference
among themselves in the order of priority of the
dates of the instruments and of the judgments,
respectively. (1924a)
Art. 2245. Credits of any other kind or class, or by
any other right or title not comprised in the four
preceding articles, shall enjoy no preference.
(1925)
CHAPTER 3
ORDER OF PREFERENCE OF CREDITS
Art. 2246. Those credits which enjoy preference
with respect to specific movables, exclude all
others to the extent of the value of the personal
property to which the preference refers.
Art. 2247. If there are two or more credits with
respect to the same specific movable property,
they shall be satisfied pro rata, after the payment
of duties, taxes and fees due the State or any
subdivision thereof. (1926a)
Art. 2248. Those credits which enjoy preference in
relation to specific real property or real rights,
exclude all others to the extent of the value of the
immovable or real right to which the preference
refers.
Art. 2249. If there are two or more credits with
respect to the same specific real property or real
rights, they shall be satisfied pro rata, after the
payment of the taxes and assessments upon the
immovable property or real right. (1927a)
Art. 2250. The excess, if any, after the payment of
the credits which enjoy preference with respect to
specific property, real or personal, shall be added
to the free property which the debtor may have,
for the payment of the other credits. (1928a)
Art. 2251. Those credits which do not enjoy any
preference with respect to specific property, and
those which enjoy preference, as to the amount
not paid, shall be satisfied according to the
following rules:
(1) In the order established in Article 2244;
(2) Common credits referred to in Article 2245
shall be paid pro rata regardless of dates. (1929a)
TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS
Art. 2252. Changes made and new provisions and
rules laid down by this Code which may prejudice
or impair vested or acquired rights in accordance
with the old legislation shall have no retroactive
effect.
For the determination of the applicable law in
cases which are not specified elsewhere in this
Code, the following articles shall be observed:
(Pars. 1 and 2, Transitional Provisions).
Art. 2253. The Civil Code of 1889 and other
previous laws shall govern rights originating,
under said laws, from acts done or events which
took place under their regime, even though this
Code may regulate them in a different manner, or
may not recognize them. But if a right should be
declared for the first time in this Code, it shall be
effective at once, even though the act or event
which gives rise thereto may have been done or
may have occurred under prior legislation,
provided said new right does not prejudice or
impair any vested or acquired right, of the same
origin. (Rule 1)
Art. 2254. No vested or acquired right can arise
from acts or omissions which are against the law
or which infringe upon the rights of others. (n)
Art. 2255. The former laws shall regulate acts and
contracts with a condition or period, which were
executed or entered into before the effectivity of
this Code, even though the condition or period
may still be pending at the time this body of laws
goes into effect. (n)
Art. 2256. Acts and contracts under the regime of
the old laws, if they are valid in accordance
therewith, shall continue to be fully operative as
provided in the same, with the limitations
established in these rules. But the revocation or
modification of these acts and contracts after the
beginning of the effectivity of this Code, shall be
subject to the provisions of this new body of laws.
(Rule 2a)
Art. 2257. Provisions of this Code which attach a
civil sanction or penalty or a deprivation of rights
to acts or omissions which were not penalized by
the former laws, are not applicable to those who,
when said laws were in force, may have executed
the act or incurred in the omission forbidden or
condemned by this Code.
If the fault is also punished by the previous
legislation, the less severe sanction shall be
applied.
If a continuous or repeated act or omission was
commenced before the beginning of the
effectivity of this Code, and the same subsists or
is maintained or repeated after this body of laws
has become operative, the sanction or penalty
prescribed in this Code shall be applied, even
though the previous laws may not have provided
any sanction or penalty therefor. (Rule 3a)
Art. 2258. Actions and rights which came into
being but were not exercised before the effectivity
of this Code, shall remain in full force in
conformity with the old legislation; but their
exercise, duration and the procedure to enforce
them shall be regulated by this Code and by the
Rules of Court. If the exercise of the right or of the
action was commenced under the old laws, but is
pending on the date this Code takes effect, and
the procedure was different from that established
in this new body of laws, the parties concerned
may choose which method or course to pursue.
(Rule 4)
Art. 2259. The capacity of a married woman to
execute acts and contracts is governed by this
Code, even if her marriage was celebrated under
the former laws. (n)
Art. 2260. The voluntary recognition of a natural
child shall take place according to this Code, even
if the child was born before the effectivity of this
body of laws. (n)
Art. 2261. The exemption prescribed in Article 302
shall also be applicable to any support, pension or
gratuity already existing or granted before this
Code becomes effective. (n)
Art. 2262. Guardians of the property of minors,
appointed by the courts before this Code goes into
effect, shall continue to act as such,
notwithstanding the provisions of Article 320. (n)
Art. 2263. Rights to the inheritance of a person
who died, with or without a will, before the
effectivity of this Code, shall be governed by the
Civil Code of 1889, by other previous laws, and by
the Rules of Court. The inheritance of those who,
with or without a will, die after the beginning of
the effectivity of this Code, shall be adjudicated
and distributed in accordance with this new body
of laws and by the Rules of Court; but the
testamentary provisions shall be carried out
insofar as they may be permitted by this Code.
Therefore, legitimes, betterments, legacies and
bequests shall be respected; however, their
amount shall be reduced if in no other manner can
every compulsory heir be given his full share
according to this Code. (Rule 12a)
Art. 2264. The status and rights of natural children
by legal fiction referred to in article 89 and
illegitimate children mentioned in Article 287,
shall also be acquired by children born before the
effectivity of this Code. (n)
Art. 2265. The right of retention of real or personal
property arising after this Code becomes effective,
includes those things which came into the
creditor's possession before said date. (n)
Art. 2266. The following shall have not only
prospective but also retroactive effect:
(1) Article 315, whereby a descendant cannot be
compelled, in a criminal case, to testify against his
parents and ascendants;
(2) Articles 101 and 88, providing against
collusion in cases of legal separation and
annulment of marriage;
(3) Articles 283, 284, and 289, concerning the
proof of illegitimate filiation;
(4) Article 838, authorizing the probate of a will on
petition of the testator himself;
(5) Articles 1359 to 1369, relative to the
reformation of instruments;
(6) Articles 476 to 481, regulating actions to quiet
title;
(7) Articles 2029 to 2031, which are designed to
promote compromise. (n)
Art. 2267. The following provisions shall apply not
only to future cases but also to those pending on
the date this Code becomes effective:
(1) Article 29, Relative to criminal prosecutions
wherein the accused is acquitted on the ground
that his guilt has not been proved beyond
reasonable doubt;
(2) Article 33, concerning cases of defamation,
fraud, and physical injuries. (n)
Art. 2268. Suits between members of the same
family which are pending at the time this Code
goes into effect shall be suspended, under such
terms as the court may determine, in order that
compromise may be earnestly sought, or, in case
of legal separation proceedings, for the purpose of
effecting, if possible, a reconciliation. (n)
Art. 2269. The principles upon which the
preceding transitional provisions are based shall,
by analogy, be applied to cases not specifically
regulated by them. (Rule 13a)
REPEALING CLAUSE
Art. 2270. The following laws and regulations are
hereby repealed:
(1) Those parts and provisions of the Civil Code of
1889 which are in force on the date when this new
Civil Code becomes effective:
(2) The provisions of the Code of Commerce (4) All laws, Acts, parts of Acts, rules of court,
governing sales, partnership, agency, loan, executive orders, and administrative regulations
deposit and guaranty; which are inconsistent with this Code. (n)
(3) The provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure
on prescription as far as inconsistent with this
Code; and