File for legitimation: City 

LCR urges newly-weds

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, March 2, (PIA)—Even with a consummated wedding during the free mass wedding which Tagbilaran City Government gave, the ceremony is not enough to change the status of illegitimate children, without the couple applying for legitimation procedures. 

This sums up the gist of what Tagbilaran City Civil Registrar Vilgilia Ingcog said during a side interview a few minutes after the Kasalan ng Bayan February 14, 2020, at the City Hall Atrium. 

Tagbilaran City Mayor John Geesnell Yap, on authority granted by law, solemnized the wedding of 42 Tagbilaran City couples who have been living together, outside the bond of marriage, 

Ingcog bared that among those wed were couples who had already borne kids. 

Even with paternal consent for the born child to use the father’s surname, by operation of law, the child is still illegitimate. 

Even the marriage can not change the status of the children born before marriage, local civil registrars emphasize, as legitimation can only happen through a process in which parents will have to process, Ingcog said. 

Over this, the city registrar suggested that the newly-weds visit the City Civil Registrar so they could get the checklist and comply with the requirements for processing the legitimation. 

For one, parents, or the newly-wed couple have to jointly execute an affidavit of legitimation and submit three original copies of this affidavit to the City Registrar. 

The legitimation process, according to the City LCR would also require 3 original copies of Affidavit of Admission of Paternity, where the husband attests to that fact of his being the father to the child. 

With the wedding solemnized at the City Hall Atrium, it would be easy for the couple to pick the next requirement: a machine certified copy of the Marriage Certificate or Marriage Contract, which was made available by February 14. 

For the child, the parents who would be seeking for the child’s legitimation would be asked to submit three certified machine copy of the Certificate of Live Birth for every child to be legitimated. 

This document, according to City Registrar Incog has to be accompanied by the original copy of the Certificate of No Marriage and two machine copies of such. 

The couple seeking legitimation of kids also need to submit a photocopy of a government identification card or that which is issued by a company, SSS, GSIS, Drivers License, Voters ID, Postal ID and any other form of identification card. 

As to the paternity claim, the legitimation would be bolstered with the submission of any document that shows the father claiming tax exemptions for the child, employment records, SSS or GSIS record, PhilHealth Members Data Record, Insurance, immunization card, statements of assets and liabilities, income tax returns and Baptismal certificate. 

Incog also advanced the information that the legitimation process only costs P100, but with the documents up for PSA endorsement, payment is P1,280.00. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

LEGIT. City Registrar is now urging couples wed during the latest Kasalan sa Tagbilaran to process the legitimation of their kids who were born before they were married. Kids born outside of marriage, are, by law, considered illegitimate and can only be legitimated after the parents executive the process of legitimation. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)