Job seekers in favor of bill providing permanent validity of PSA certificates

Job applicants are in favor of a proposed measure seeking to give permanent validity to birth, death and marriage certificates issued by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and local civil registries.

According to Vonne Aquino's State of the Nation report, two job seekers said the bill, once passed into law, will be less leg work for completing requirements.

"It would be less hassle, at the same time, the documents that we already have will still be used. There will also be less expenses,"  Sarah Santos said in Filipino, while waiting at the PSA where she will get a birth certificate for her new job.

For William Saranto, who is getting a marriage certificate for his job requirement, the proposed measure will also decrease frequent visits to the PSA office.

At the House of Representatives, its version of a bill seeking to grant lifetime authenticity to PSA certificates already passed on second reading.

House Bill 9175 or the Permanent Validity of Certificates of Live Birth, Death, and Marriage Act also indicates a punishment for those requiring newer copies of death, birth and marriage certificates if there is already an available and valid certificate that can be presented.

In addition, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate, one of the authors of the measure, underscored the need to put permanent validity on the certificates especially during the pandemic where people flocking to government offices could cause risk of transmission.

"After a year, if the copy of a certificate is already old, the institution will ask for another copy," said Zarate, in Filipino.

"We don't know how long these health restrictions will be imposed. Can you imagine that there are long lines at offices just to get these documents," the lawmaker added.

PSA, for its part, already clarified that the authenticity of its documents have no expiration date. It added that institutions can contact PSA offices if there are doubts on documents that need to be verified.

"So even before, the NSO,  they can accept provided that these documents are clear, readable, and intact. Of course, security features are there. No signs of tampering to be accepted," Marizza Grande, officer in charge of PSA's Civil Registration Service, said in mixed Filipino and English.

Despite admitting that the bill will decrease its profit, PSA said it will welcome its passage because the move would be beneficial to job applicants, among others.  -- BAP, GMA News