How to correct errors on birth certificate

Individuals who seek to correct errors on their birth certificates such as names, birth dates, religion, and other details may file a petition for correction, according to a “24 Oras” report by Emil Sumangil.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said under Republic Act 9048, city or municipal civil registrar or the consul general is authorized to correct a clerical error or typographical error in an entry and/or change the first name or nickname in the civil registrar without need of a judicial order.

“Pwede silang magfile ng petition for correction under Republic Act 9048 sa atin po itong mga local civil registrar, sa kanyang place of birth, para maitama po ito,” said Marizza Grande, Assistant National Statistician, PSA-Civil Registration Service. 

(They can file a petition for correction under Republic Act 9048 with local civil registrars, in his place of birth, so that it can be corrected.) 

In cases where a child’s birth certificate has erroneous entries, parents may file the petition and comply with the required documents. 

“Kailangan nila ng mga proof na talagang roman catholic yung kanilang relihiyon. For example, yung baptismal records ng magulang maging proof nila or earliest records na may information about religion,” said Grande. 

(They need proofs that their religion is really roman catholic. For example, the parents' baptismal records may serve as proof or the earliest records that have information about their religion.) 

At least P1,000 processing fee is needed in these types of clerical error.

The process of correcting the error can take a month.

“Ang magulang kasi sila po ang pumipirma, sila yung informant. So bago po nila pirmahan yung birth certificate, kailangan pong i-review mabuti para wala pong mali," Grande noted. 

(The parents are the ones who sign the certificate, they are the informants. So before they sign the birth certificate, it needs to be reviewed carefully to avoid mistakes.)  —Sherylin Untalan/LDF, GMA Integrated News