• THE PRE-MARRIAGE ORIENTATION AND COUNSELING PROGRAM

 – By the virtue of Presidential Decree 965, the 1987 Family Code of the Philippines, the Local Government Code and Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law, all couples applying for a marriage license in the Philippines required to attend the Pre-Marriage Orientation and Counseling (PMOC) session before they can be issued a marriage license.

• PURPOSE and IMPORTANCE of PMOC

1. The purpose of PMOC is to provide would-be couples with information they will need in preparation for the challenges of married life along with their responsibilities as spouses, family members and future parents. It will also give them a better understand of marriage so they can affix their decision to get married based on sufficient knowledge and clear expectations.
2. Marriage is a major life decision and a lifetime commitment, a legal contract that will bind a man and a woman not only for life of togetherness but also for sharing resources and forming a family. Marriage not only establishes the lives of the children and future generation.
3. The decision to get married therefore, must be well thought our and must be jointly made by the couple after careful consideration thorough understanding and sample preparation this is why the PMOC is a crucial first step.

• PMOC SESSION

 – The PMOC Session consists of two phases – the Pre-Marriage Orientation (PMO) and the Pre-Marriage Counseling (PMC).

1. All couple applicants for marriage license have to undergo the Pre – Marriage Orientation (PMO), which is conducted by trained PMOC team members. The orientation session is conducted for a minimum of four (4) hours, completed in one (1) day. The session is usually conducted at the designated pre-marriage counseling room at the city of Municipality where the couple applied for marriage license.
2. After the PMO, all couples with one or both partners who are 18-25 years old and those whom the PMOC team may find, based on the couple responses on the Marriage Expectations Inventory to have issues that need to be addressed more closely, have to undergo the Pre-Marriage Counseling (PMC) session. Couples who voluntarily want get counseling may also attend the PMC session. The PMC session is conducted on the same day and in the same venue as the orientation session, for a minimum of three (3) hours.

• PMOC CERTIFICATES

 – After the couples have completed the PMO session, the PMOC Secretariat issues a Certificate of Compliance, a requirement for couples to acquire marriage license. For couples requiring counseling, an additional Certificate of Marriage Counseling is issued by the Pre-Marriage Counselor after they have completed the PMC Session.

– The Services of the PMOC Program are provided to couples applying for a marriage license following the protocol below:

1. Couples who want to get married and are required to get marriage
   license must first apply at the Local Civil Registry Office (LCRO). requirement as provided in the Family Code of the Philippines.                                                                                                                                                              Note:  There are couples who are exempted from the license                                    
2. The LCRO then refers the applicant couple to the City/Municipal
   Population Office which is the Local PMOC Secretariat.
3. The applicant couple registers with the PMO Secretariat and
   accomplishes the Marriage Expectations Inventory Form (MEIF).
4. All marriage license applicants are required to attend the Pre-Marriage Orientation conducted by the PMOC Team on the designated date. The PMO session should be at least 4 hours.
5. Applicant couples with at least one member who s 18 – 25 years old and
   couples who have issues that require counseling based on their MEIF
   responses, must also attend the Pre-Marriage Counseling conducted by
   a PMOC team member who is an accredited Pre-Marriage Counselor.
   The PMC Session should be at least three (3) hours. Couples who are
   both above 25 years old and do not show any critical issues in their
   MEIF may also attend the PMC session if they desire so.
6. The PMO and PMC sessions for the same group of couples must be
   conducted on the same day.
7. During the PMO, the couples are given adequate information and
   instructions on Responsible Parenthood, Family Planning,
   Breastfeeding, Infant Nutrition and marriage and relationship. During
   the PMC, the couples are given more focused counseling on specific
   issues of concern to the couples.
8. For couples who have completed the PMO session, the City/Municipal
   Population Office issues a Certificate of Compliance signed by the
   PMOC Team members who conducted the orientation.
9. For couples who attended and completed the PMC session, the
   accredited Pre-Marriage Counselor issues a Certificate of Marriage
10. After receiving their certificates, the couples will answer the
    questionnaire given by MSDWO, and the MSWDO will issue
    Certificate to the couples.
11. The couple will return to LCRO and present all the certificates as well
    all the other requirements needed.
12. The Marriage license will release after ten working days upon