Your gender is one of the most important details in your PSA birth certificate. It is proof of your identity, after your name, that is why it must be clearly and accurately indicated on your birth certificate.
But what if they get your gender wrong and by mistake, indicate on your certificate of live birth that you are male instead of female, and vice versa? What’s worse, when that certificate of live birth finds its way to the PSA and is duly registered, you are sure to end up getting a PSA birth certificate that says you are not what you are supposed to be (male instead of female, and female instead of male).
How do you correct your gender on your PSA birth certificate? Does this type of corrections need to undergo a court proceeding?
According to R.A. 10172, an incorrect gender is considered a clerical and/or typographical error and can be corrected by filing a petition for correction at the LCR where the birth certificate is registered. This also applies for when you need to have the month and date of your birthday corrected.
What are considered as Clerical or Typographical errors on a PSA birth certificate?
Clerical or typographical errors refer to a mistake committed in the performance of clerical work in writing, copying, transcribing, or typing an entry in the civil register on the entry of day and month in the date of birth and gender of a person.
These mistakes are visible to the eyes or obvious to the understanding and can be corrected by simply referencing other existing records.
What are not considered as “clerical” errors?
Correction of clerical error does not cover corrections on legitimacy status of the birth certificate owner, nationality, and age (which means, you cannot “correct” the year of birth of a person by simply filing a petition for correction of clerical error).
What if the gender field in the birth certificate was left blank or both genders were checked (implying that the owner of the civil registry document is both male and female)?
This type of error on the gender field is not considered a clerical error. These types of cases are remedied by filing a Supplemental Report instead of a Petition for Correction.
Here are the specific details on how you can have your gender corrected on your PSA birth certificate:
- Who may file the petition?
- The owner of the PSA birth certificate must personally file the petition
- Where to file the petition?
- This may be filed at the LCR office where his or her certificate of live birth is registered or where his record of birth is kept.
- If the person was born abroad, he may file the petition at the Philippine Consulate Office where the birth was reported.
- Documentary requirements:
- PSA Birth Certificate showing the incorrect gender of the owner.
- PSA Marriage Certificate if the owner of the civil registry document is married.
- PSA Birth Certificates of the children of the document owner.
- Earliest school records or earliest school requirements
- Medical records issued by an accredited government physician that the petitioner has not undergone sex change or sex transplant.
- Baptismal certificate and other documents issued by religious authorities.
- A clearance or a certification that the owner of the PSA birth certificate has no pending administrative, civil, or criminal case, or no criminal record, which shall be obtained from the following:
- Employer, if employed;
- National Bureau of Investigation; and
- Philippine National Police
- Any two valid public or private IDs where the correction may be based such as:
- PRC license
- Driver’s license
- Bank records
- Company ID
- Voter’s ID
- SSS, GSIS, PhilHealth IDs
- Affidavit of publication from the publisher and a copy of the newspaper clipping.
- Fees
- Every petitioner shall pay a fee of Php 3,000 to correct the gender indicated in his PSA birth certificate. The LCR may also collect other document-related fees such as for publication and notarization.
- Indigent petitioners are exempted from paying the fee but they need to execute a certification from the DSWD (or the City/Municipal Social Welfare) that they are, indeed, indigent.
What is truly disappointing in having an error in your PSA birth certificate (or PSA marriage certificate, PSA death certificate) is that you are more likely to discover the mistake right when you are about to use your PSA certificate for an important transaction. It could be right before you submit your application for a marriage license, or when you are applying for a passport to fly to an overseas job, or when you are claiming your loan proceeds from a bank. That is why it pays to always check your PSA certificates ahead of time so you can have errors checked long before there is an important need for your civil registry document.
How to get a PSA birth certificate online
It is easy to get a copy of your and your family’s PSA birth certificates because now, you can simply order for a birth certificate online and have it delivered to you. PSAHelpline.ph is an accredited partner of the PSA for the online ordering and nationwide delivery services for PSA birth certificates, PSA marriage certificates, PSA death certificates, and PSA CENOMAR. This is more meaningful for Filipinos now that there is a pandemic because it provides an alternative way to get these important documents.
You can make a PSA online application for your PSA certificate needs and choose from the various payment channels available. If you live in Metro Manila, you will receive your orders in 3 to 4 working days! PSAHelpline.ph delivers nationwide and their service is backed by a customer service hotline and email support that you can reach out to if you have any questions about your order.
Check and review your PSA birth certificate for corrections in advance. If you find any discrepancies, consult the matter with the LCR and find out right away how you can have it repaired.
