Safeguard PH’s birth registration system

I am quite shocked that a remote municipality in Davao del Sur was able to issue 1,501 birth certificates to foreigners from 2016 to 2023. This is only the beginning, as local officials and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are expanding their investigation to encompass earlier years.

News of foreigners caught with fake passports saturates the internet. In August 2016, a news article reported that 177 Indonesians had successfully obtained fake Philippine passports. In November 2023, there was news of 300 fake birth certificates used to apply for Philippine passports by Filipinos and foreigners alike.

It seems that the proliferation of fake birth certificates and passports has been going on for quite some time now, with criminal syndicates becoming more ingenuous to evade technological detection. However, the situation in the Philippines is not as dire as it seems. The shenanigans don't require the use of advanced scientific techniques. All they have to do is manually register, with the assistance of corrupt government personnel concerned with late birth registrations.

Fraudsters cannot copy the unique features of the security paper or SECPA used in Philippine birth certificates. For instance, if you submit a Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) birth certificate to any office, you are required to submit an original copy together with the official receipt from that office. This ensures the document's authenticity.

Regrettably, there is currently a surge in the issuance of genuine PSA SECPA birth certificates, often containing fraudulent information. According to many government officials, the crackdown on the issuance of birth certificates now poses a national security threat.

A birth certificate is the most basic document for a citizen of the Philippines. The United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) defines a birth certificate as “a permanent and official record of a child’s existence and provides legal recognition of that child’s identity.”

Indeed, a birth certificate authenticates one’s identity and nationality. It is mandatory to have access to education, among other things. It is also a mandatory requirement when acquiring a passport and a driver’s license. Therefore, it is not surprising that those found to have spurious passports did so by using fake information in their application. The fake birth certificates were used to create false identities and may complicate law enforcement efforts to track individuals, especially in criminal investigations. There are now foreigners with fake birth certificates who are able to buy lands, houses, lots, and condominiums in our country. Our officials are uncovering these cases thanks to the vigilance of residents.

There is no doubt that the town mayor in Tarlac obtained her Filipino birth certificate at the age of 17. Republic Act 3753 requires the physician or midwife in attendance at the birth, or either parent of the newly born child, to register a live birth with the civil registrar "not later than 30 days after birth."

In the case of the 1,501 spurious registration in Sta. Cruz, Davao Oriental, the town mayor stated during a Senate hearing that the midwife who allegedly facilitated the deliveries is non-existent. The NBI is preparing to prosecute those responsible for issuing fraudulent birth certificates in the aforementioned municipality. The local civil registrar (LCR), who processes birth certificates in collusion with fixers and notaries, has identified the culprits.

The LCRs are responsible for the local government unit's civil registration program. Among those recorded are birth and death, marriage, legitimation, and adoption, among others. If you register a late birth within 30 days of the child's birth, it will be considered late or delayed. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the PSA strictly guide late or delayed registration. Only the LCRs can explain the violations of this circular.

The local government officials and NBI's findings in the municipality of Sta. Cruz include the following: both parents are not Filipinos, and the midwife does not exist. The applications lack attachments that are mandatory in the joint circular. Despite this, the LCR approved the applications and issued birth certificates. According to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian during a Senate hearing, fake birth certificates cost PHP300,000. It is a relief that the NBI is also filing cases to cancel fake birth certificates.

Late birth registration for Filipinos is common in the Philippines, but it is mostly from indigenous groups. Senator Jinggoy Estrada's bill reveals that 3.7 million Filipinos lack birth certificates for a variety of reasons.

The Philsys Birth Registration Assistance Project (PBRAP), a specific program of the PSA, deploys teams to areas where the population lacks birth certificates. Launched in February 2022, the BRAP aims to increase the level of birth registration among the indigenous peoples, Muslim Filipinos, and the poorest sector in the country. The PSA received a total of 1,471,938 birth records as of January 2024.

Senator Estrada has filed a bill to institutionalize the requirements and procedures for delayed birth registration in order to curb spurious birth certificates. The current late registration is prone to abuse. The senator stated that with the proposed bill, the procedure for delayed birth registration will be more effective and will ensure that the birth certificates are a genuine and truthful representation of the person's identity. The bill will likewise impose stricter penalties for false statements.

It is a relief that various government agencies are cracking down on syndicates that undermine the country's birth certification system. Concerned government agencies, especially the PSA and the local government units, must continue their education and advocacy initiatives to increase awareness of the importance of birth registration, especially among indigenous peoples. By addressing the gaps in the civil registration system, more Filipinos can exercise their rights and access essential services, contributing to greater equity and inclusion.

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the foregoing article are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) or any other office under the Presidential Communications Office.