Philippine Civil Code Art. 1702: Work and Labor

Statute: Philippine Civil Code
Article: Art. 1702
Topic: Work and Labor
Status: In force, as amended
Book: BOOK IV Obligations and Contracts
Title: TITLE VIII LEASE
Chapter: CHAPTER 3 Work and Labor
Year: 1949
Cited by: Multiple Supreme Court decisions

The provision

In case of doubt, all labor legislation and all labor contracts shall be construed in favor of the safety and decent living for the laborer.

Intellegal Wiki · In plain terms

When there is doubt in interpreting labor laws or labor contracts, the doubt must be resolved in the worker's favor—specifically toward the worker's safety and a decent standard of living. This is a pro-labor rule of construction that tilts ambiguous provisions to benefit the laborer.

An editorially maintained plain-language explanation of this provision — not legal advice.

Note on current application: the primary law governing labor relations is the Labor Code (Presidential Decree No. 442); this Civil Code provision applies supplementarily.

Cases applying this article

Philippine National Construction Corporation v. The Honorable National Labor Relations Commission G.R. No. 101535
Maribeth I. Espiritu v. Mahatma Gandhi International School G.R. No. 209454
Bank of the Philippine Islands v. Bank of the Philippine Islands Employees Union-Metro Manila G.R. No. 175678
Magis Young Achievers' Learning Center v. Adelaida P. Manalo G.R. No. 178835
Baron Express v. Roberto F. Umanito G.R. No. 156969

Related provisions in this Chapter

Civil Code, Art. 1700 Work and Labor
Civil Code, Art. 1704 Work and Labor
Civil Code, Art. 1706 Work and Labor
Civil Code, Art. 1708 Work and Labor
Civil Code, Art. 1709 Work and Labor
Civil Code, Art. 1711 Work and Labor

Civil Code, Art. 1702 is found in CHAPTER 3 Work and Labor of TITLE VIII LEASE of BOOK IV Obligations and Contracts of the Civil Code of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 386).

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Reviewed by the Intellegal Legal Team for currency against amending laws and Supreme Court jurisprudence.

Research aid — not legal advice. Verify the current text against the Official Gazette. Provisions may have been amended or repealed. Using this page creates no attorney-client relationship. For legal advice, consult a Philippine lawyer.