QC civil registry explains requirements, fees

This is in reference to the letter about the alleged irregularities in the Quezon City civil registry department. (Inquirer, 11/3/11)

Applications for late registration of birth are processed immediately by the city’s civil registry department, contrary to the claim of the letter-sender, who said that late registration takes several months to process due to red tape and unnecessary pre-requirements.

Clearly, our constituents can appreciate the rationale of requiring the submission of supporting documents, which are all relevant to applications for late registration of birth—e.g., such as baptismal certificate, school records and medical certificate from the hospital/clinic where the child was born—to ascertain the veracity of everything written on the application form.

We also would like everyone, including the letter-sender, to know that there is a 10-day posting period required by law before the birth certificate is entered into the official book of the register of birth. Thus, a certified true copy may be issued to the applicant only on the 11th day, provided that all requirements have been met and complied with.

On allegations of exorbitant fees being charged, our office does not determine the amount to be charged for the processing of these documents. All these fees are set forth in the Quezon City Local Tax Code.

Pertaining to the submission of requirements for legitimation, the Quezon City civil registry department maintains that the Cenomar, which has been described by the letter-sender as unnecessary, is a requirement imposed by the National Statistics Office (NSO), and not by our department or  Quezon City Hall. The NSO will not accept the registration of legitimation without the Cenomar.
Additional documents to support paternity are required only to establish the identity and relationship of concerned parties to each other.

The Quezon City civil registry department charges P400 for legitimation and P150 for legal instrument.

If there are complaints about the fees being charged, my office and I shall appreciate that this matter be immediately brought directly to our attention so we can attend to them personally.

—RAMON M. MATABANG,

civil registrar,

Civil Registry Department,

Quezon City