Question

III. PERSONS AND FAMILY RELATIONS

E. Absentees (Civil Code, arts. 381-396)

In 2019, Mary left the Philippines to work abroad. Since then, nobody has heard from her and her family does not know her whereabouts. It has been three years, and her family is concerned about her welfare and wants to know if they can declare her as an absentee under the provisions of the Civil Code.

Based on the given scenario and the provisions of the Civil Code on absentees, answer the following practical questions:

1. What are the requirements for declaring a person as an absentee under the Civil Code? Explain each requirement.
2. Can Mary's family declare her as an absentee? Explain the reasons why or why not.
3. What are the effects of declaring a person as an absentee? Explain each effect.