Problems with NSO Birth Certificate : Are You a “Baby Boy” or “Baby Girl”?

Us Pinoys have a penchant for naming anything small, cute, and cuddly, Baby, including our children.  We often disregard the fact that these babies will soon grow up to become boys and girls, and eventually, men and women.  Imagine being the Chairman of the Board of a multi-national company and your team calls you “Sir Baby”.

A common problem encountered by parents (and their children!) is when they realize that the word “Baby” has been included in the first name field of the Certificate of Live Birth document and is now essentially considered as the first name of their child.  So that if they named their child James, his full name would then be Baby James.  Worse, if it was the hospital that committed the error, the name would even be something like Baby Boy James (“Baby Boy” being the default identification for male infants; this is written on the baby’s name card while housed at the Nursery).

So how do you remove the “Baby Boy” or “Baby Girl” in your name?  Believe it or not, it has a lot to do with the year you were born.  Here is a quick guide:

If the child was born before 1993

a. A supplemental report has to be filed at the Local Civil Registry of the city or municipality where the birth was registered.  If the child was born abroad, the report must be filed with the Philippine Consulate of the country where the birth was reported.  In case the child is now residing in the Philippines, the report may be coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Office of Consular Affairs.

b. Apart from the owner of the birth certificate, the following may also file on behalf of the owner: owner’s spouse, children, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, guardian, another person duly authorized by law or by the owner of the document sought to be corrected.

c. If the owner of the record is a minor or physically or mentally incapacitated, the petition may be filed by his spouse, or any of his children, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, guardians, or persons duly authorized by law.

d. Bring an affidavit indicating the entry missed in the registration and the reasons why there was a failure in supplying the required entry.  The LCR may require other documents as deemed necessary.

If the child was born in 1993 onwards

a. A petition for change of the first name under R.A. 9048 must be filed with the local civil registry office of the city or municipality where the birth is registered.  In case the owner has transferred to an area that is far from his place of birth (within the Philippines), the petition may be filed with the civil registry office of his current residency.  If the owner was born abroad, he must file the petition at the Philippine Consulate where his birth was reported.

b. Apart from the owner of the birth certificate, the petition may also be filed by the owner’s spouse, children, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, guardians, another person duly authorized by law.  The same is applicable if the owner of the record is a minor or physically or mentally incapacitated.

c. The petitioner must bring the following documents upon filing:

• Certified machine copy of the birth record containing the entry to be corrected;
• Not less than two (2) private or public documents upon which the correction shall be based like baptismal certificate, voter’s affidavit, employment record, GSIS/SSS record, medical record, business record, driver’s license, insurance, land titles, certificate of land transfer, bank passbook;
• Notice / Certificate of Posting;
• A filing fee of Three Thousand Pesos (P3,000) if in the Philippines and $150.00 or equivalent value in local currency if filed abroad;
• NBI / Police Clearance, Civil Registry records of ascendants and other clearances as may be required;
• Proof of publication and other documents that may be required by the civil registrar.

Take heart, Babies!  You can actually outgrow your name on record.  You do not have to carry the burden of being called a Baby Boy or a Baby Girl until you’re old enough to have babies of your own.  This information was lifted from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), feel free to visit their website for more information on your birth certificate.

We have a summary of solutions to the most common PSA birth certificate problems!  Read our blog, Common PSA Birth Certificate Problems (and their solutions!).

Source: http://www.psa.gov.ph/civilregistration/problems-and-solutions/child-born-1993-onwards

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