The impact of modernization on the family in the Philippines was investigated using 1970 and 1980 census data. Two indices of modernization were developed. The structural index consists of percentage urban, percentage of males in non-agricultural occupation, percentage of households with electricity and percentage of households with radio. The education-literary component consists of literacy rate, percentage of population with high school education and percentage of school-aged children enrolled.^ Linear structural relations were used to analyze the effect of modernization on five dimensions of family life: fertility, age at marriage, female participation in non-agricultural occupations and nonnuclear family formation. Using cross-sectional models, results from both years showed that the structural component had a significant positive effect on female participation in non-agricultural occupation, a significant negative effect on fertility but no significant effect on age at marriage. The education-literacy component significantly affected age at marriage but not the other dependent variables.^ Panel analysis showed that higher level of structural modernization was significantly associated with lower fertility, higher female participation in non-agricultural occupation and lower age at marriage. Change in the education-literacy index was not significantly associated with change in any of the dependent variables. Increased female participation in non-agricultural occupation was significantly associated with higher age at marriage; higher age at marriage was significantly associated with lower fertility and higher fertility was significantly associated with decreased participation of women in the non-agricultural labor sector.^ The structural component of modernization showed more significant impact on the dependent variables. Fertility can be more easily curbed by improving the level of structural modernization in the area. Higher level of structural modernization provides opportunities for women to be employed outside the home which in the long run encourages delay in marriage. Encouraging marriage postponement can bring about fertility reduction. Thus, modernization facilitates increased women's participation in the non-agricultural labor sector which in turn encourages marriage postponement consequently bringing about lower fertility.