House panel OKs bill exempting IPs from paying birth, marriage certificate fees

MANILA, Philippines — The House committee on ways and means approved Monday a measure seeking to exempt indigenous peoples (IPs) from the payment of fees in recording of their birth, marriage, and death.

During its online meeting, the committee approved the tax provision of the substitute bill of House Bills No. 1332 and 2812 or “An Act Providing for a Free and Culture-Sensitive Civil Registration System for Indigenous Peoples.”

Section 6 of the said measure states that IPs shall be exempted from the payment of all fees in the recording of their birth, marriage, and death at the Local Civil Registry Office, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and other agencies that charge fees on certain processes or documents for registration.

The exemption also extends to any fine or free for late registration, the bill states.

“They are likewise exempted from the payment of notarial fees and documentary stamp tax in cases where the recording of the birth, marriage, or death requires the execution of affidavits or sworn statements and similar documents,” the bill states.