Nature and Importance of Marriage

-          Purpose of procreation but also for the purpose of mutual help and protection physically, morally and materially.

-          At least a civil contract, with status and interest of the State added to it.

-          Special contract which cannot be restricted by discriminatory policies.

-          Validity of a marriage is determined by the law effective at the time of the celebration of the marriage.

-          Nature of the marriage already celebrated cannot be changed by subsequent amendment of the law.

-          Although a marriage is void, vested rights can be acquired from such relationships, like those which refer to property relationship.

-          If the ground for nullity is Article 36, there is no more prescriptive period whether or not the marriage has been celebrated before or after August 3, 1988.