Posted on October 20, 2006 in Family Law, Legal Procedure
It’s now easier to ask for corrections in first names and typographical errors under Republic Act No. 9048, which took effect on 22 April 2001. Under this law, the city or municipal civil registrar (or the consul general) may correct a clerical or typographical error in an entry, or change the first name or nickname in the civil register without need of a court order. The law characterizes “clerical or typographical error” as:
xxx a mistake committed in the performance of clerical work in writing, copying, transcribing or typing an entry in the civil register that is harmless and innocuous, such as misspelled name or misspelled place of birth or the like, which is visible to the eyes or obvious to the understanding, and can be corrected or changed only by reference to other existing record or records: Provided, however, That no correction must involve the change of nationality, age, status or sex of the petitioner.
Based on this characterization, there’s a wide discretion in interpreting what constitutes a clerical or typographical error. There’s no definite list and an applicant may show through documents that a particular entry – except nationality, age, status or sex – is erroneous. In one case, the SC noted that the changes sought (surname of the son, the date of the parents’ wedding and the informant’s name) are substantial changes an not merely clerical errors.
Update: Thank you to some who took time to answer some of the questions. Considering that there are unanswered questions and because I don’t have the luxury of time, we shall try to address the issues through the Q&A here. This will be updated from time to time to address new issues. Please go through the questions before posting a query (and please remember that this is a discussion, so feel free to address the issues).
Does this law cover other errors?
Many have errors in the surname, gender (i.e., male or female), birth date, age, nationality (e.g., Filipino), status (single, married) reflected in the entries appearing at the civil registrar. These substantial matters are not covered by this law. Corrections covering these matters require a petition to be filed in court.
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Atty Fred:
Gud day,po..Ano po ang dapat kong gawin para ma change ang surname ng anak ko..kasal po ako jan 8, 1992 at ipinanganak sya apr 16, 1992..pero, naregister sya sa LCR ng parents ko, sa apelyido ko sa pagkadalaga nuong june 4, 1992.Ano po ang legal procedure para magamit niya ang apelyido ng tatay niya?Maraming salamat po,atty.
Sir gud day!
ask ko lang po kung may iba pang way para kumuha ng RA9048 dahil sa layo ng pupuntahan namin para lang doon sa mindanao pa daw kami kukuha may iba pa bang paraan para kumuha nalang dito sa manila?
Salamat po!
good day! i would like to ask the same question as of Jing.
ano po ba ibig sabihin ng Migrant Petition? ano po ba napapaloob jan.
Kasi po ang pagkakaintindi ko, pag malayo ka na sa original LRO kung san nakalagay ung maling records, at hassle na ang pag biyahe at magastos ang pagparot-parito, pwede daw yung Migrant Petition.
Baket always and almost all the time pag nag inquire ako nang Migrant Petition parang hindi nila kilala. Laging sabi dapat dun sa LRO kung san nakalagay records mo. Sa papaanong paraang po ba mapapa ayos ung mga taga Manila na, tapos yung record nila is naiwan sa mga sulok ng Pilipinas?! Is there really a way other than going to that place away from Manila. Not to mention all the hassle effort and expense…
sana po matulungan nyo kami.. Salamat po!
Magandang gabi po, ano po bng maaari kong gawin kasi po iba po yung date ng aking registration sa date ng pagkapirma ng nagrehistro sa akin at iba din po ung date ng registration kapag kumukuha po ako ng ng lokal birth certificate. Ito po:
Birth Certificate: Informant Date:Nov. 7, 1985
Registration Date=Oct.7,1985
LOcal Birth Certificate: Registration Date= Nov.8,1985
ang Birthday ko po eh Nov.6,1985.
Maraming Salamat PO!
Good day sir!
Mgtatanong po ako ng legal advice sir. I am already married, but a girl I had a one-night stand with had a child, claiming it was mine. My name was not in the birth certificate (bcoz of the law of unwed mother), but she placed my name (as father) in the baptismal certificate. Is there a way I can have my name removed sir? What legal actions can I take?
Thank you sir..
sir, i have custody of my kids one son has my last name, the other has the last name of his mom on his birth certifacate but has my last name on his soc.securiy card- how do i get my last name put on his birth cert. he goes by my last name since birth-and can this be done without spending alot of money
Hi Atty,
I have a problem on my NSO birth certificate – mispelled name (1 letter) and gender. How will I go about this? I understand that this will take a lot of work and money. I just wanted to know how much will this cost me (estimate) and how many months will it take of my time? I’m really bothered by this problem.. Gusto ko po mag-apply ng work overseas but this hinders me from getting a passport. 1 more thing po, can I get a passport though my name’s not yet corrected provided that I will submit an affidavit of undertaking to correct my name and gender, and will sbumit to DFA the corrected NSO birth certificate once my passport expires and due for renewal? Pls help me.. I am looking forward to your feedback regarding my query ASAP po sana on my e-mail (kit_joseph@yahoo.com). SALAMAT PO!!!
Sir,ask ko lang kung paano gawin namin sa birth certicate ng anak ko, nakalagay sa bc nya ay kasal kami ng father nya at me date and place sa wedding date but that time di pa kami kasal ng husband ko at nakaregister ang family name ng anak ko sa husband ko.Nagpakasal kami after 7 years. Gusto lang namin maayos ito ngayon kasi me balak kaming magmigrate in the future.Thanks.
Hi Atty,
My brother has the same name registered at NSO and Municipal Registrar.It’s JUN MARK but all his id’s he used JUN only.He needs to get a passport asap but they are asking his id’s.What will we do.Help.Thanks.
dear atty.,
ang kaibigan ko po ang name nya sa BC ay marina sa baptismal at sa lahat ng records (school, insurance, sss, pag-ibig, phic, marriage, driver’s license & BC ng kanyang anak & etc.)ay marian never po nyang nagamit ang name na marina. maari na po ba syang mga file ng correction or change of name sa BC? na rehistro ang kanyang BC sa cotabato city pro nanirahan na sya sa davao city, maari po bang sa davao na lang sya mag-file? hindi na po ba kailangan ang court dito at ang pagpapalathala sa newspaper? kung sakali man magkano kya ang estimate na gagastusin? salamat po
hello everyone, im sitting-in for atty fred to answer some queries here: (practice lang)
@ jennifer – the law says you need to file a “verified petition with the local civil registry office of the city or municipality where the record being sought to be corrected or changed is kept” so i am afraid you have to go back to your homeplace to do this.
@ cynthia – i would recommend that you file for a correction of name with the lcr and use just cynthia because as you said, you have been using that name eversince and the law provides that one of the grounds for change of name is when the new first name or nickname has been habitually and continuously used by the petitioner and he has been publicly known by that by that first name or nickname in the community.
@ maja – di applicable ang 9048 dito kasi date yan eh. you need judicial order for this one so i recommend that you seek the help of a lawyer for this.
Good day Atty.
I was born in 1971. My first name registered in NSO is Jarid. I have never used this name in any of my public/private undertakings. In fact, my Baptismal Certificate indicated Jared. Our names including that of my siblings are Biblical (there is no Jarid in the Bible) plus the capital “I” in the typewriter can be mistaken as “E” that’s why my parents did not noticed it immediately. When I request for NSO Birth Certificate, I put Jared as the First Name and I don’t have problems getting the documents which could mean that NSO recognizes that there was an error.
Will this fall under “Correction of Clerical Error” or “Change of Name”. How long does it take to process the correction for clerical error ?
Thanks in advance.
dear atty,
nagpa clerical error po ako but i takes forever. till now wala prin last april 2008 pa ako nag paayos, and i kept on calling them sabi wala pdaw eh kailangan ko na po yun para maka pag apply nang passport. SO IS THIER ANY NA MAGAPPLY NANG PASPORT KHIT WALA PA YUNG?? AFFIDAVIT PO BA AY PEDE..
PLEASE HELP.
MARAMING SALAMAT PO IN ADVANCE.
Nang makuha ko po ang birth certificate ko sa probinsya, nakita ko na ang surname ko po ay matis, but since elementary, high school, nagtrabaho ako ang ginamit ko ay mates. covered po ba ito na RA 9048. ano po ang requirements at saan ako punta
Ano po ang gagawin ko, napa correct na po ng nanay ko sa Manila City Hall, Registrar Office ung Birth certificate ko. Kaya lang ng kinuha ko ung birth certificate ko eh un pa ding d corrected. Eto po ba cover pa rin RA 9048. Nakita ko rin po ung birth place ng nanay ko ay iba sur instead of norte, ung pangalan ng tatay ko julian nakalagay juliano.