OVER 1,600 SUSPICIOUS BIRTH CERTIFICATES LINKED TO FOREIGN NATIONAL - PSA

Philippine government blocked more than 1,600 birth certificates of foreign nationals due to the false documents that were submitted (Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN News)

Around 14.89 million late birth registrations have been discovered by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) submitted for 14 years between 2010 and 2024, and more than 1,600 birth certificates were linked to foreign nationals that was illegally obtained.

Senator Grace Poe revealed that the PSA has already blocked 1,627 suspicious birth certificates linked to foreign nationals, 18 cases were endorsed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) for official cancellation.

The names of foreign nationals were shared to the BI (Bureau of Immigration), DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs), and NBI (National Bureau of Investigation).

Poe noted that the 14.89 million late registrations will be reviewed to verify their authenticity, adding that the PSA is currently auditing 50, 532 birth certificates for signs of falsification and irregularities.

“The names of implicated government employees have been forwarded to the local mayor, while the NBI conducts its own investigation," Poe said. 

As part of PSA reforms, the agency now requires photo and biometric submissions alongside birth registrations to strengthen identity verification and align with the national ID system. 

According to Poe, there is a need to beef up the PSA’s evaluation of late registration of birth certificates after 15 local registrants has been reported engaging in the improper issuance of birth certificates to foreigners.

Based on PSA records, 5 million Filipinos nationwide remained unregistered in 2019. Of this number, 40% were children aged 0-14 years old. 

The issue came to light after Senator Risa Hontiveros inquired during the Senate plenary deliberations on the General Appropriations Bill for 2025 if the PSA is conducting audits on birth certificates to address potential abuses in the registration process.

Source: GMA Integrated News 

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