House passes bill seeking permanent validity of birth, death, marriage certificates

PROOF OF BIRTH. A typical queue of applicants for birth certificates at the Manila civil registrar’s office. INQUIRER file photo / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives approved on final reading Tuesday the bill providing for the permanent validity of the certificates of live birth, death, and marriage issued and certified by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the National Statistics Office (NSO).

With 199 affirmative votes, zero negative, and no abstention, the lower chamber approved during Wednesday’s session House Bill No. 9175 or the “Permanent Validity of the Certificates of Live Birth, Death, and Marriage Act.”

Under the measure, the certificates of live birth, death, and marriage issued, signed, certified, or authenticated by the PSA and its predecessor, the NSPO, and local civil registries shall have permanent validity regardless of the date of issuance and shall be recognized and accepted in all government or private transactions or services requiring their submission.

“National government agencies and instrumentalities, government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units, private companies, private and public educational institutions and other non-government entities are prohibited from requiring the submission of another or newer copies of certificates of live birth, death, or marriage, and reports of birth, death or marriage when a valid certificate can already be presented,” the bill states.

The documents, however, have to be intact, readable, and still visibly contain the authenticity and security features, the bill states.

For the certificate of marriage, the bill states that permanent validity is only applicable where the marriage has not been judicially decreed annulled.

“In cases when the texts on the certificate appear illegible, or an administrative correction or a judicial decree has been approved, the concerned person shall thus submit new, amended, or updated certificate,” the bill states.

JPV