Dabawenyos can seek the services of the Davao City Civil Registrar’s Office (CCRO) for clerical and typographical errors on their civil registry documents.
CCRO section head Orlando L. Alvaira, during the Madayaw Davao program of 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Tuesday, March 21, said they have been catering to administrative corrections mandated under Republic Act (RA) RA 10172, which amends RA 9048.
RA 10172 modifies Section 1 of Republic Act No. 9048, which now states that no changes or corrections can be made to entries in a civil register without a judicial order, except for cases involving clerical or typographical errors, changes to a person’s first name or nickname, or corrections to the day and month of their date of birth or their recorded sex. If it is clear that a clerical or typographical error has been made, the concerned city or municipal civil registrar or consul general can correct or change the entry in accordance with the Act and its rules and regulations.
Alvaira said that with RA 10171, the CCRO is capacitated to correct errors on date of birth, first name or nickname, and gender without the need for a court order.
“Ang dili pwede sa amoa kanang citizenship, nabutang foreigner imbes nga Filipino, kana judicial correction na. Pati kanang i-declare nimo nga married maski wala diay makasal para ma legitimate ang bata, sa court proceedings na pud na (What is not possible for us is that citizenship, if the entry is foreigner instead of Filipino, that would need a judicial correction. Even if you declare that you are married, although you are not, to legitimize the child, it will require court proceedings again),” he said.
That’s why he urged Dabawenyos to meticulously input correct data in all their civil registry documents to prevent similar concerns in the future.
Section 5 of RA 10172 provides guidelines for filing a petition for correction of clerical or typographical errors or changing a first name or nickname. The petition should be in affidavit form and supported by a certified true copy of the registry book and two public or private documents showing the correct entry. Additional relevant documents may be submitted.
If the petition involves a correction of birth date or sex, the earliest school record, and a certification from a government physician are required. The petition must be published in a newspaper for two consecutive weeks for first name or nickname changes or correction of birth date or sex. The petitioner must provide a certification of no pending criminal cases or records from appropriate law enforcement agencies. The petition and supporting documents must also be filed in three copies and distributed to the concerned civil registrar or consul general, the Office of the Civil Registrar General, and the petitioner.
Meanwhile, Alvaira referred a netizen who questioned registering an adopted child to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) first, as the latter knows the procedure better.
He also said that illegitimate children, who are acknowledged by their biological fathers in their live birth certificates, can use the document to seek support.
CCRO provides various services, including applications for timely or delayed registration of birth, out-of-town registration of birth, and marriage license. It also offers services related to timely or delayed registration of death, registration of legal instruments, legitimation, admission of paternity, and supplemental report.
Other services include applications for correction of entry and change of first name, registration and annotation of court decrees, requests for security paper and electronic endorsement, and certified or authenticated copies of civil registry records.
For more information, visit the CCRO website (https://ccro.davaocity.gov.ph/) or contact 082-241-1000 Local 366. CIO
