A PSA Birth Certificate is a legal document that records the birth of the child, including his/her name, date and time of birth, birth place, and parents’ names. This certificate is required to be registered in the office of the civil registrar. Section 5 Act No. 3753 indicates that the declaration of birth must be registered not later than thirty (30) days after the birth. However, a birth that was not registered within the given period is considered delayed birth registration.
Who are Responsible for Reporting the Occurrence of Birth?
The following individuals are responsible to report the occurrence of birth to the local civil registry office:
- If the birth occurred in the hospital or clinic, the administrator is responsible for the birth registration.
- If the birth did not occur in the hospital or clinic, the physician, nurse, midwife, ‘hilot’, or any person who might have witnessed or known the birth is responsible to register the birth and certify the information.
- If the birth occurred abroad in a vehicle, vessel, or airport while in transit, the driver, captain, or pilot and the child’s parents are responsible to report the birth.
- Either parent of the newly born child may report and register the birth of their child.
In addition, the attendant at birth must certify to the following information: (a) date of birth, (b) sex and nationality of the infant, (c) names, citizenship and religion of the newborn’s parents or mother, if the father is unknown, (d) civil status of parents, (e) place of birth, and (f) other information that may be required under the regulations of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
What are the Exceptional Cases for the Place of Registration of Birth?
The following cases are exception for the place of registration of birth:
- If a child is born abroad in a vehicle, vessel, or airplane while in transit within Philippine territory, the birth shall be recorded in the civil register office of the city or municipality of the mother or where she resides.
- If the child is born abroad in a vehicle, vessel or airplane going to the Philippines, the birth shall be recorded in the civil registrar of the place where the mother resides. However, this only applies if either or both of the child’s parents are Filipino citizens and reside in the country. Additionally, if both parents are foreign nationals and not reside in the Philippines, the birth may be recorded in the civil register of Manila, if they desire.
- For delayed registration of birth, it shall be recorded in the city or municipality of the child’s mother, which has jurisdiction over the reported place of occurrence of birth.
What are the Requirements for Delayed Registration of Birth?
The following documents are required when filing for a delayed or late registration of birth at the local civil registry office:
- If the applicant is a minor, they must submit the following:
- Four (4) copies of the Certificate of Live Birth
- Affidavit of two disinterested persons who might have witnessed or known the applicant’s birth
- Duly accomplished Affidavit of Delayed Registration at the back of the Certificate of Live Birth, which shall be filled up by the child’s father, mother, or guardian, with the following details:
- Name of the Child
- Date and place of birth
- Name of the father (if the illegitimate child has been acknowledged by the father)
- Date and place of the parent’s marriage (if the parents are married)
- Reasons for not registering the child’s birth within thirty (30) days after the child is born
- If the applicant is eighteen (18) years old or older, they must submit the following:
- Four (4) copies of the Certificate of Live Birth
- Affidavit of two disinterested persons who might have witnessed or known the applicant’s birth
- Certificate of Marriage (if already married)
- Duly accomplished Affidavit for Delayed Registration at the back of the Certificate of Live Birth, with the following details:
- Date and place of birth
- Name of the father (if illegitimate and has been acknowledged by the father)
- Date and place of the parent’s marriage (if the parents are married)
- Reasons why the birth has not been registered within thirty (30) days after being born
How to File an Application for Delayed Registration of Birth?
To file an application for delayed registration of birth, the applicant must follow these procedures:
- Visit the Civil Registrar Office. The application for the delayed registration birth must be filed at the office of civil registry of the place where the applicant was born.
- Submission of Documents. The applicant is required to submit their Certificate of Live Birth and other necessary documents.
- Examine and Evaluate. After submitting the requirements, the civil registrar shall examine the Certificate of Live Birth and the other documents application for late registration of birth shall be examined by the civil registrar. Additionally, the statements made in the Affidavits and the personal interview with the applicant will be evaluated, if necessary.
- Posting of Pending Application. The pending application for delayed registration shall be posted for ten (10) consecutive days on the bulletin boards of the city or municipality where the birth occurred, as notice to the public.
- Review the Application. If the civil registrar does not receive any disagreement of the registration after the given consecutive days, they will proceed on reviewing the application.
- Verification and Registration. After reviewing, the civil registrar must verify and register the late birth registration.
Why is it Important to Register a Birth?
It is important to register a birth since it authenticates an individual’s identity and nationality. It also gives the individual an access to healthcare and social services, participate in education, receive their inherent property, and obtain valid government issued IDs. More importantly, it protects the individual’s rights and prevents any crime, such as child exploitation.
Need further information and assistance regarding Delayed Registration of Birth? Talk to our team at Duran & Duran-Schulze Law to know more about the requirements and process. Call us today at (+632) 8478 5826 or +63 917 194 0482, or send an email to info@duranschulze.com for more information.
