SMTalE Difice of the see veng TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session FEB 19 A9:21 SENATE RECEIVED BY S. No. 1869 Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR AN ACT MODERNIZING THE PROCESS FOR THE CORRECTION OF ENTRIES IN THE CIVIL REGISTER BY ESTABLISHING A DIGITAL NOTICE SYSTEM, AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9048 AND REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10172 EXPLANATORY NOTE The process for correcting entries in the civil register under existing laws, Republic Act No. 9048 and Republic Act No. 10172, remains outdated and financially prohibitive for a majority of Filipinos, especially our marginalized kababayan. Currently, petitioners are required to publish notices in newspapers of general circulation and submit a corresponding publication affidavit - a requirement that now imposes excessive costs, with publication fees ranging from Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00) to Thirty-Five Thousand Pesos (P35,000.00) depending on the newspaper and scope of the notice. With fees ranging from 20,000 to 35,000, these amounts are often far beyond what an average low-income family can allocate in a single month, and many are compelled to forgo correcting their civil registry entries entirely. This forces them to sacrifice access to education, employment, healthcare, and social protection programs- rights that our kababayan is entitled to enjoy without hardship. This bill aims to modernize the civil registry correction process by establishing a National Civil Registry Digital Notice Portal, replacing costly newspaper publication with accessible digital and physical posting requirements. This will ensure that no Filipino is denied access to accurate civil registry records due to poverty or outdated systems.
In the interest of social justice and digital transformation, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. zovi MARK A. VILLAR
59011.111 dolice of the 2 TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 26 FEB 19 A9:21 SENATE RECEIVED BY S. No. 1869 Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR MODERNZZING THE PROCESS FOR TAE CORRECTION OF ENTRIES IN THE CIVIL REGISTER BY ESTABLISHING A DIGITAL NOTICE SYSTEM, AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9048 AND REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10172 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 "Civil Registry Entry
Correction Accessibility and Modernization (CREAM) Act."
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
promote social justice in all phases of national development and to give priority to the needs of the underprivileged, as mandated by Article II, Section 10 of the 1987 Constitution. To give effect to this social justice mandate, the State shall modernize the civil registry process by establishing a digital notice system that is cost-effective and accessible and responsive to the needs of all citizens, thereby ensuring that all citizens may secure correct civil registry entries without undue financial burden.
Sec. 3. Amendment of Section 5 of R.A. No. 9048 and R.A. No. 10172. - Section
5 of Republic Act No. 9048, as amended by Republic Act No. 10172, is hereby further amended to read as follows: "SEC. 5. Form and Contents of the Petition. - xxx The petition for change of first name or nickname, or for correction of erroneous entry concerning the day and month in the date of birth or
the sex of a person, as the case may be, shall be published at least once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation. "THE PETITION FOR CORRECTION OF A CLERICAL OR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR, OR FOR CHANGE OF FIRST NAME OR NICKNAME, CORRECTION OF DAY AND MONTH OF BIRTH, OR THE SEX OF THE PERSON (DUE TO ENCODING ERROR) SHALL NO LONGER REQUIRE PUBLICATION IN A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION. IN LIEU THEREOF, THE CITY OR MUNICIPAL CIVIL REGISTRAR SHALL POST THE PETITION ON THE DIGITAL NOTICE PORTAL AND THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OR VERIFIED SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE OF THE CONCERNED LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT FOR A PERIOD OF FIFTEEN (15) CONSECUTIVE DAYS. THE CITY OR MUNICIPAL CIVIL REGISTRAR SHALL ALSO POST THE PETITION IN A CONSPICUOUS PLACE WITHIN THE PREMISES OF THE OFFICE OF THE CIVIL REGISTRAR FOR THE SAME PERIOD, TO ENSURE ACCESSIBILITY FOR NON-DIGITAL USERS."
Sec. 4. National Civil Registry Digital Notice Portal. - Within 120 days from the
effectivity of this Act, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), in coordination with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), is hereby directed to establish and maintain a National Civil Registry Digital Notice Portal. This portal shall serve as the official online platform for the posting of all petitions for the cancellation or correction of entries in the civil register.
Sec. 5. Use of Portal in Judicial Proceedings. - To further reduce the cost of
litigation for the public, the National Civil Registry Digital Notice Portal established under Section 4 hereof may be utilized for the posting of jurisdictional requirements in petitions for the cancellation or correction of entries under Rule 108 of the Rules of Court, subject to the rules and guidelines as may be promulgated by the Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines.
Sec. 6. Proof of Compliance. - The PSA or the Local Civil Registrar shall, after
the required period, issue a Certificate of Digital Posting to the petitioner upon completion of the 15-day posting period. This certificate shall be admissible in all
courts and administrative bodies as prima facie evidence of compliance with notice requirements and shall fully replace the newspaper publication affidavit for all civil registry correction cases covered under this Act, R.A. No. 9048 and R.A. No. 10172.
Sec. 7. Fees for Posting. - All fees for civil registry entry corrections shall be
set at nominal rates to ensure accessibility. The digital posting fee shall be uniform across all Local Government Units, while the administrative processing fee shall be established by the PSA, and no additional charges shall be imposed. Indigent petitioners certified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 9 or the Local Social Welfare and Development Office (LSWDO) shall be fully exempt from all fees. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) shall monitor compliance to prevent unauthorized fee impositions.
Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). - Within ninety (90) days
from the effectivity of this Act, the PSA shall serve as the lead agency and promulgate the necessary IRR in consultation with DICT, DILG, DSWD and the SC of the Philippines.
Sec. 9. Monitoring and Evaluation. - The PSA shall lead an inter-agency
monitoring committee, composed of representatives from all relevant agencies to conduct annual evaluations of the implementation of this Act. A progress report shall be submitted to Congress within sixty (60) days after the end of each calendar year.
Sec. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder thereof not otherwise affected by shall remain in full force and effect.
Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
letters of instruction, proclamations, or administrative regulations that are inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
Sec. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,