UPON ASSUMPTION into office last year, Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. has ordered the immediate release of 3,158 birth certificates that were held by the Ospital Ning Angeles (ONA) for failure of patients to settle their bills. Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel revealed the ‘hostage’ birth certificates are from years 1991 to present. The birth certificates were released free of charge to indigent patients.
* The birth certificate is one of the most highly requested civil registry documents. This is because the birth certificate is one of the documentary requirements for employment, educational financial assistance, social security benefits, travel purposes and for securing a number of vital government-issued documents and identification cards such as a passport or driver’s license. Birth certificates certified by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) are printed in security paper (SECPA). Each copy costs Php 155 while the cost including delivery of the birth certificate printed on SECPA is Php 365 per copy.
The SECPA over the years have changed in appearance in order to keep the proliferation of fraudulent birth certificates and identities at bay. According to the PSA however, changes in the color of the SECPA does not remove the validity of the birth certificate. In spite of this, some government agencies require that applicants submit a birth certificate printed in the most recent version of SECPA issued within the past six months, thereby causing additional expenses and inconveniences every time an individual has to provide a birth certificate.
Senator Ralph Recto filed Senate Bill No. 600 to eliminate the unnecessary expense and inconvenience on people in requesting for a birth certificate whenever they will have to apply from the government for services and documents that require proof of their names and birth date. This bill mandates that government agencies requiring birth certificates for services be prohibited from compelling applicants to provide a birth certificate that has been requested from the PSA within the past six months.
Furthermore, it will establish an effective system that will improve the efficiency of delivery of government frontline services, particularly civil registry documents. As such, based on this bill the State shall enforce a lifetime validity on birth records certified by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). It shall apply to all national government agencies that require the submission of a birth record certified by the PSA for the delivery of government services and issuance of documents and government agencies are prohibited from requiring applicants to government services to submit birth records printed on the most recent version of the security paper used by the PSA, or certified within the past six (6) months. The birth certificate certified and issued by the PSA shall not expire and shall be considered valid at any time: Provided that the birth records do not require administrative corrections as provided under Republic Act Nos. 9048 and 10172.
Application made in person by the owner or by his/her representatives will be received at different Census Serbilis Centers. Documents applied at the East Avenue Census Serbilis Outlet will be released on the same outlet on the date specified in the receipt or through the web visit the e-Census website. If the request is done through a conventional postal service system or through e-mail, the certification shall be sent to the requesting party also through a conventional postal service system. Information to be provided for the issuance of Birth Certificate: Complete name of the child (first, middle, last), complete name of the father, complete maiden name of the mother, date of birth (month, day, year), place of birth (city/municipality, province), whether or not registered late. (If registered late, please state the year when it was registered, complete name and address of the requesting party, relationship to the child, number of copies needed, and purpose of the certification.
The records of a person’s birth shall be kept strictly confidential and no information relating thereto shall be issued except on the request of any of the following: The person himself/herself, or any person authorized by him/her; Spouse, parent or parents, direct descendants, or the guardian or institution legally in charge of him/her, if he/she is a minor; the court or proper public official whenever absolutely necessary in administrative, judicial or other official proceedings to determine the identity of the child’s parents or other circumstances surrounding his birth; and In case of the person’s death, the nearest of kin. Any person violating the prohibition shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment of at least two months or a fine in an amount not exceeding five hundred pesos, or both, at the discretion of the court.