Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO: __7779

Introduced by Representative Ma. Lucille L. Nava

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill aims to provide for the permanent validity of the certificates of live
birth, death, and marriage issued, signed, certified, or authenticated by the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA), the local civil registry offices and the National Statistics
Office (NSO).

The Certificate of live birth, the Certificate of Death, and the Certificate of
Marriage serve as permanent records of vital events of each individual in the Civil
Registry. The data therein do not change and cannot be altered unless, a
modification in information, a court order or administrative correction is indicated
as remark or annotation in the document. These certificates are required in
government and private transactions involving education, employment, and social
security benefits and serve as the primary requirements for securing vital
government-issued documents or identification cards such as a passport or driver’s
license.

The certificates of live birth, death, and marriage issued by the PSA and the
NSO are printed on a security paper (SECPA). In a June 2016 press statement, the
PSA clearly stated that some features, such as the color of the SECPA wherein the
document is being printed, are changed over time. This is done to prevent the
proliferation of counterfeit documents. However, the change in color does not
render the previously issued document invalid or expired, unless it has become


tattered or unreadable and there have been authorized annotations due to changes in
facts. The PSA emphasized that those certificates they issue should have no expiry
date and clarified that those issued by the NSO have no expiration and are the same
as those issued by the PSA.

Considering the confusion surrounding the validity of PSA-issued certificates,
it has been a known practice that a majority of our government agencies and
employers require applicants to submit the certificate of live birth, or death or
marriage printed on the latest SECPA and issued within the last six (6) months. This
is burdensome to Filipinos as it imposes inconvenience and unnecessary expenses,
most especially to those who live in remote areas in the countryside. The provisions
of this bill aim to remedy that.

In the absence of PSA-issued certificates of live birth, death, and marriage,
this bill likewise allows the submission of certificates or certified true copies of the
original issued and signed by the local civil registrar and the NSO. For this purpose,
developing a linkage between the PSA and local civil registry offices through a civil
registry database and virtual viewing facility will allow easy verification of civil
registry documents.

This measure further strengthens the objective of Republic Act No. 11032 or
the “Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018”
to streamline the current systems and procedures of government services.

In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

MA. LUCILLE L. NAVA


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. _7779

Introduced by Representative Ma. Lucille L. Nava

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AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE PERMANENT VALIDITY OF THE CERTIFICATES OF
LIVE BIRTH, DEATH, AND MARRIAGE ISSUED, SIGNED, CERTIFIED, AND
AUTHENTICATED BY THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY (PSA),
THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRY OFFICES, AND THE NATIONAL STATISTICS
OFFICE (NSO)

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Permanent
Validity of the Certificates of Live Birth, Death and Marriage Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is the policy of the State to establish an
effective system for providing copies of civil registry documents to all its citizens.
The State likewise promotes efficiency and economy by removing duplicitous
Processes and requirements involving the issuance and use of those documents.
Towards this end, the State shall enforce the permanent validity of the certificates of

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live birth, death, and marriage issued, signed, certified, or authenticated by the
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the local civil registry offices, and the
National Statistics Office (NSO).

SEC. 3. Permanent Validity. — The Certificate of Live Birth, the Certificate
of Death, and the Certificate of Marriage issued, signed, certified or authenticated
by the PSA, the local civil registry offices or the NSO, shall have permanent validity
regardless of the date of issuance, shall be recognized and accepted in all government
or private transactions or services requiring submission as proof of identity and legal
status of a person: Provided, That the document remains intact and readable, and
still visibly contains the authenticity and security features: Provided further, That
the entries in the certificates of live birth, death, and marriage do not require
administrative or judicial correction as provided under Republic Act No. 9048
entitled “An Act Authorizing the City or Municipal Civil Registrar or the Consul
General to Correct a Clerical or Typographical Error in an Entry and/or Change of
First Name or Nickname in the Civil Register Without Need of a Judicial Order,
Amending for this Purpose Articles 376 and 412 of the Civil Code of the
Philippines,” as amended by Republic Act No. 10172 entitled “An Act Further
Authorizing the City or Municipal Civil Registrar or the Consul General to Correct
Clerical or Typographical Errors in the Day and Month in the Date of Birth or Sex

of a Person Appearing in the Civil Register Without Need of a Judicial Order,

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Amending for this Purpose Republic Act Numbered Ninety Forty-Bight,” and
Republic Act No. 9255 entitled “An Act Allowing Illegitimate Children to Use the
Surname of their Father, Amending for the Purpose Article 176 of Executive Order
No. 209, otherwise known as the “Family Code of the Philippines.” Provided,
JSurther, That for the Certificate of Marriage, the marriage has not been judicially
decreed annulled or declared void ab initio as provided under the Family Code of
the Philippines or under any subsequent laws amending it. Otherwise, the person is
required to submit the newly-corrected copy of the Certificate of Live Birth or the
Certificate of Marriage.

This provision likewise applies to reports of birth issued by Foreign Service
Posts to Filipinos born overseas which are duly-registered at the PSA.

SEC. 4. Securing of Copies. - The permanent validity herein declared
notwithstanding, no person whose information on the occurrence and characteristics
of vital events is registered in the civil registry, or the authorized representative, shall
be prevented from securing a copy of civil registry documents in such number of
prints or as often as necessary, subject to applicable payment of relevant fees
prescribed by the PSA and the local civil registry office concerned. The initial
issuance of a certificate, and request for replacement due to loss or damage and

reissuance upon presentation of a Certificate of Indigency, shall be free of charge.

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SEC. 5. Prohibited Requirement. — National government agencies and
instrumentalities, government-owned and controlled corporations, local government
units, private companies, and other non-government entities are prohibited from
requiring the submission of a certificate of live birth, or death or marriage printed on
the most recent version of the security paper issued by the PSA or certified within
the past six (6) months.

SEC. 6. Non-Availability of PSA-Issued Certificate. — In all transactions or
services where a copy of the certificate of live birth, or death or marriage is required
and a PSA-issued certificate is not available, it shall be sufficient for the person
concerned or the authorized representative to submit to the end-user agency,
company or entity the original or a certified true copy of the original certificate of
live birth, or death or marriage issued and si igned by the local civil registrar or those
bearing NSO logo.

SEC. 7. Submission of Other Documents. — The submission of a PSA-
authenticated birth certificate shall be without prejudice to the submission of other
Supporting documents that the end-user agency, company or entity may use in
determining the identity of applicants, particularly those classified as special cases
such as dual citizens, female applicants with dissolved marriages, and those with late

registered certificates of live birth,

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SEC. 8. Civil Registry Database. — Within six (6) months from the effectivity
of this Act, the PSA, in coordination with the Department of Information and
Communications Technology (DICT), shall develop a civil registry database in local
civil registry offices and establish a virtual viewing facility where the certificates of
live birth, death and marriage may be verified for authenticity of the photocopy
submitted. The facility shall incorporate such controls and safeguards as are
appropriate and necessary to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to
the facility and the confidentiality of the information is protected at all times, in
accordance with the relevant provisions of Presidential Decree No. 603, otherwise
known as the “Child and Youth Welfare Code” as amended, and Republic Act No.
10173, otherwise known as the “Data Privacy Act of 2012.” The PSA may charge
reasonable fees for the use of the virtual viewing facility.

To maximize the ease and convenience offered by technological
advancements, the PSA shall continually upgrade the virtual viewing facility and
adopt appropriate policies towards the migration of the required submission of the
certificates of live birth, death, and marriage into a paperless process.

SEC. 9. Penalty. — Any person who violates Section 5 of this Act shall, upon
conviction, be punished with imprisonment of one (1) month and one (1) day to six
(6) months or a fine of not less than Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) but not more

than Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court.

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If the violation is committed by a public official or employee, an accessory
penalty of temporary disqualification to hold public office shall likewise be imposed.

If the violation is committed by a corporation, partnership, or association, the
board of directors, partners, trustees, officials, and employees who directly
participated in the commission of the unlawful act shall be liable.

SEC. 10. Appropriations. — The amount necessary for the implementation of
this Act shall be charged against the current appropriations of the National Economic
and Development Authority (NEDA). Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for
the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 11. Jmplementing Rules and Regulations. — Within sixty (60) days from
the effectivity of this Act, the National Statistician, in coordination with the
Secretaries of the Department of Interior and Local Government and the DICT, and
the Director-General of the NEDA, shall promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

SEC. 12. Separability Clause. — If any provision, section, or part of this Act
shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, such judgment shall not affect,

invalidate or impair any other provisions, sections or parts hereof.

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1 SEC. 13. Repealing Clause. — All other laws, rules and regulations, orders,
2 circulars, and other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the
3 _ provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

4 SEC. 14. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
5 publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

6 Approved,

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