Philippine Legal and Practical Guide

A Philippine passport applicant is generally expected to present a Philippine Statistics Authority certificate of live birth, commonly called a PSA birth certificate, when applying for a passport for the first time. The difficulty arises when the person’s birth has only recently been registered with the Local Civil Registry Office, and the PSA copy has not yet become available.

The short practical answer is: usually, you cannot complete a regular first-time passport application using only a newly registered local birth certificate if the Department of Foreign Affairs requires a PSA copy and no PSA copy is available yet. However, there are important exceptions, supporting documents, and remedies depending on whether the birth was registered on time, late-registered, recently transmitted, unreadable, corrected, or not yet encoded by the PSA.

This article explains the legal and practical issues in the Philippine context.

1. Why the PSA Birth Certificate Matters in Passport Applications

A Philippine passport is not merely a travel document. It is also a government-issued proof of identity and Philippine citizenship. For first-time applicants, the birth certificate is used to establish:

the applicant’s identity;
date and place of birth;
parentage;
citizenship;
legitimacy or filiation in some cases;
consistency of civil registry records.

For this reason, the Department of Foreign Affairs generally relies on a PSA-issued birth certificate, not merely a Local Civil Registry copy.

A Local Civil Registry copy may show that a birth was registered in the city or municipality, but the DFA commonly requires the PSA version because it is the national civil registry record. The PSA copy is treated as the official centralized civil registry document.

2. What Is a Newly Registered Birth Certificate?

A newly registered birth certificate may refer to several situations:

A. Timely registration

This means the birth was registered within the period allowed by civil registry rules, usually shortly after birth. For newborns and young children, the Local Civil Registrar may already have the record, but the PSA copy may not yet be available.

B. Delayed registration

This means the birth was registered after the required period. Many adults who were never registered as children undergo delayed registration so they can obtain a birth certificate, apply for a passport, enroll, work, marry, or claim benefits.

C. Recently corrected or supplemented record

Sometimes the birth was already registered before, but the record was amended, corrected, annotated, or supplemented. The applicant may have a local copy of the updated record, but the PSA copy may not yet reflect the latest correction.

D. Recently endorsed record to PSA

The Local Civil Registry Office may have already forwarded or endorsed the record to PSA, but PSA has not yet encoded, archived, or released a certified copy.

These distinctions matter because DFA treatment may vary depending on the applicant’s age, the type of registration, and the documents presented.

3. Can You Use Only the Local Civil Registry Copy?

For most first-time adult passport applicants, a Local Civil Registry copy alone is usually not enough if the DFA requires a PSA-issued birth certificate.

A local copy may help explain the situation, but it does not ordinarily replace the PSA copy. The DFA generally wants a PSA certificate printed on PSA security paper or officially issued through PSA channels.

That said, applicants with newly registered births sometimes bring the following:

Local Civil Registry certified true copy of the birth certificate;
receipt or certification from the Local Civil Registrar;
endorsement letter to PSA;
negative certification from PSA, if applicable;
supporting IDs and documents;
affidavits explaining the delayed or recent registration.

These may be useful, but they do not guarantee passport issuance.

4. What If the PSA Copy Is Not Yet Available?

If the PSA copy is not yet available, the applicant may face one of the following results:

A. The DFA may not accept the application yet

This is common. The applicant may be told to wait until the PSA birth certificate becomes available.

B. The DFA may receive the application but require additional documents

In some cases, the DFA may allow the applicant to proceed only if the applicant submits additional proof of identity, citizenship, or civil registry status.

C. The DFA may put the application on hold

The application may be deferred pending submission of the PSA copy or other required civil registry documents.

D. The applicant may be advised to secure PSA endorsement or follow-up

The DFA may tell the applicant to coordinate with the Local Civil Registry Office and PSA so the record can be transmitted and made available.

The safest assumption is that a first-time applicant should obtain the PSA birth certificate before the DFA appointment, unless the applicant falls under a specific exception or has been expressly advised otherwise by the DFA.

5. Difference Between PSA Birth Certificate and Local Civil Registry Birth Certificate

A Local Civil Registry birth certificate is issued by the city or municipal civil registrar where the birth was registered.

A PSA birth certificate is issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority based on civil registry records submitted from local civil registrars nationwide.

The local record is the source record. The PSA copy is the nationally issued civil registry certificate commonly required by agencies such as the DFA, embassies, schools, courts, employers, and other institutions.

In passport applications, the PSA copy is preferred because it provides a standardized national record and helps prevent reliance on untransmitted, unverified, or recently created local documents.

6. Late-Registered Birth Certificates and Passport Applications

A newly registered birth certificate is often also a late-registered birth certificate. This is especially important.

A late-registered birth certificate may be valid, but it can attract closer scrutiny because it was created long after the birth occurred. The DFA may require more supporting documents to confirm the applicant’s identity and citizenship.

For a late-registered birth certificate, an applicant may be asked to present documents such as:

school records;
baptismal certificate;
Form 137 or school permanent record;
yearbook records;
voter’s certification;
employment records;
SSS, GSIS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, or TIN records;
marriage certificate, if applicable;
birth certificates of children, if applicable;
old government IDs;
NBI clearance;
police clearance;
barangay certification;
affidavits from relatives or persons with personal knowledge of the birth;
records showing consistent use of the same name and date of birth.

The exact documents depend on the facts of the case. The older the applicant and the more recent the registration, the more important supporting documents become.

7. Is a Recently Registered Birth Certificate Automatically Suspicious?

No. A newly registered birth certificate is not automatically fraudulent. Many Filipinos have delayed registration due to poverty, home birth, lack of awareness, remote residence, displacement, family issues, loss of records, or errors by parents or attendants.

However, for passport purposes, the government must verify identity and citizenship carefully. A newly created or late-registered record may require additional proof because the civil registry entry was not made near the time of birth.

The issue is not simply whether the birth certificate exists. The issue is whether the applicant can sufficiently prove that the civil registry record is genuine, accurate, and belongs to the applicant.

8. What Is a PSA Negative Certification?

A PSA negative certification is a document stating that PSA has no record of the person’s birth in its database or archive at the time of the search.

For someone with a newly registered birth, a PSA negative certification may be relevant if:

the birth was only recently registered;
PSA has not yet received or encoded the record;
there is no existing PSA record;
the applicant is undergoing delayed registration;
the Local Civil Registrar needs to endorse the record to PSA.

A negative certification does not prove birth by itself. It only proves that PSA could not find a record. It is usually paired with the Local Civil Registry copy and other supporting documents.

For passport purposes, a negative certification may help explain why the applicant cannot yet present a PSA birth certificate, but it does not necessarily replace the PSA birth certificate.

9. What Is Endorsement From the Local Civil Registrar to PSA?

When a birth record is newly registered or corrected, the Local Civil Registrar may need to endorse or transmit the record to PSA. The endorsement is a way of asking PSA to include, process, or update the record in the national civil registry system.

The applicant may request assistance from the Local Civil Registry Office for:

endorsement of newly registered birth;
endorsement of delayed registration;
endorsement of corrected birth record;
transmittal confirmation;
certified true copy of the birth certificate;
certification that the record exists locally;
proof that the record was forwarded to PSA.

Once PSA processes the record, the applicant may then request a PSA-issued birth certificate.

10. How Long Does It Take Before a Newly Registered Birth Certificate Appears in PSA?

There is no single guaranteed period. The processing time may depend on:

the Local Civil Registry Office;
date of registration;
transmittal schedule;
PSA processing time;
whether the record is complete;
whether the entry is handwritten, unclear, or defective;
whether the birth was registered late;
whether there are inconsistencies;
whether corrections or annotations are involved.

Some records become available in a few months. Others take longer, especially if there are errors, delayed registration issues, or missing endorsements.

For urgent passport needs, the applicant should coordinate directly with the Local Civil Registry Office and PSA to determine whether expedited endorsement, follow-up, or certification is possible.

11. Passport Application for Newborns Without PSA Birth Certificate Yet

The situation may be different for newborns or very young children.

Because newborns may not yet have a PSA birth certificate, the DFA may sometimes allow alternative documents such as a Local Civil Registry copy, depending on current requirements and the specific case. However, this is not something applicants should assume without checking the applicable DFA requirements at the time of application.

For minors, the DFA also usually requires documents relating to parental authority, identity of parents, and the child’s identity. These may include:

child’s birth certificate;
parents’ marriage certificate, when relevant;
valid IDs of parents;
personal appearance of the minor and parent or authorized adult companion;
special power of attorney or affidavit of support and consent in certain cases;
proof of legal guardianship, adoption, or custody, if applicable.

A newborn with only a local birth certificate may have a better practical argument than an adult with a newly late-registered birth certificate, but the acceptability of the document still depends on DFA rules and evaluation.

12. Adult First-Time Applicants With Newly Registered Births

Adult first-time applicants are usually scrutinized more closely, especially when the birth was registered only recently.

The DFA may ask: why was the birth registered only now, and what documents prove that this person has consistently used the name, date of birth, place of birth, and parentage stated in the newly registered certificate?

For adults, the applicant should prepare a strong documentary trail showing identity over time. Useful documents include:

earliest school record available;
baptismal certificate, if any;
old employment documents;
old government records;
voter registration record;
old IDs;
medical records;
community tax certificate records, if available;
barangay certification;
affidavits of two disinterested persons;
records of siblings or parents;
marriage certificate;
children’s birth certificates;
any court, administrative, or civil registry documents showing identity.

The goal is to show that the late registration is consistent with independent records created before the passport application.

13. What If the Applicant Already Has Valid IDs?

Valid IDs help, but they do not necessarily replace the PSA birth certificate. IDs prove present identity; the birth certificate proves civil registry identity and birth details.

For passport purposes, an applicant generally needs both:

proof of identity through acceptable IDs; and
proof of birth and citizenship through civil registry documents.

If the applicant has many IDs but no PSA birth certificate, the DFA may still require the PSA record or additional civil registry proof.

14. What If the Applicant Has No Valid ID?

A newly registered birth certificate plus lack of valid ID creates a more difficult application.

The applicant may need to first secure acceptable IDs or supporting documents. Depending on age and circumstances, possible identity documents may include:

national ID or related proof of registration;
school ID;
company ID;
voter’s certification;
postal ID, where accepted;
senior citizen ID;
PWD ID;
SSS, GSIS, UMID, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, or TIN-related documents;
NBI or police clearance;
barangay certification.

The DFA may require acceptable IDs under its current list. Supporting documents are not always substitutes for primary valid IDs.

15. What If the PSA Copy Comes Out With Errors?

Sometimes the PSA copy becomes available, but it contains errors. Common errors include:

misspelled name;
wrong gender;
wrong date of birth;
wrong place of birth;
missing middle name;
incorrect parent’s name;
blurred or unreadable entries;
double registration;
inconsistent annotation;
clerical or typographical mistakes.

The proper remedy depends on the type of error.

Minor clerical or typographical errors may be corrected administratively through the Local Civil Registry Office under civil registry correction procedures. More substantial changes may require a court order.

For passport purposes, the DFA may not accept a birth certificate with serious inconsistencies unless the record is corrected or supported by proper annotations and documents.

16. What If the PSA Copy Is Unreadable?

If the PSA birth certificate is blurred, unreadable, or incomplete, the DFA may require:

a clearer copy from PSA;
a Local Civil Registry certified copy;
Form 1A or civil registry certification;
supporting documents;
endorsement or reconstruction of the record.

An unreadable PSA copy is not the same as having no PSA copy. But if key details are unreadable, the applicant may still need a local copy or civil registry certification to clarify the entries.

17. What If There Is a Double Registration?

Double registration happens when two birth records exist for the same person, often with different details. This can happen when a birth was first registered late and then another record appears, or when parents registered the same birth twice.

Double registration can seriously affect a passport application because the DFA may need to determine which record is valid.

The applicant may need to resolve the issue through the Local Civil Registry Office, PSA, or court, depending on the nature of the conflict. The DFA may defer the application until the civil registry issue is resolved.

18. What If the Applicant Was Born at Home?

Home birth is common in older or rural records. A home birth can be validly registered, including through delayed registration. The applicant may need supporting documents such as:

affidavit of the attendant at birth, if available;
affidavit of parents or relatives;
barangay certification;
baptismal record;
school record;
medical or immunization records;
other records showing the applicant’s birth details.

The fact of home birth does not bar passport issuance. The issue is whether the birth was properly registered and documented.

19. What If the Applicant Was Born to Unmarried Parents?

If the applicant was born to unmarried parents, the birth certificate details matter. Issues may arise involving:

use of the father’s surname;
acknowledgment by the father;
affidavit to use the surname of the father;
middle name;
legitimacy status;
parental authority for minors;
consistency of the child’s name across records.

For adults, the main concern is consistency of identity. For minors, parental consent and authority can also become central.

A newly registered birth certificate involving unmarried parents may require additional documentation if the surname, acknowledgment, or parental details are incomplete or inconsistent.

20. What If the Applicant Was Legitimated, Adopted, or Had a Change in Status?

If the applicant’s birth record involves legitimation, adoption, recognition, or other status changes, the DFA may require the PSA copy showing proper annotation.

Examples include:

legitimation by subsequent marriage of parents;
adoption decree;
amended birth certificate after adoption;
recognition or acknowledgment by father;
court order affecting name or filiation;
administrative correction or annotation.

A local copy showing the update may not be enough if the PSA copy has not yet reflected the annotation. The applicant may need to wait for the PSA-annotated document.

21. What If the Applicant Is Illegitimate and a Minor?

For minors born outside marriage, the mother generally has parental authority, unless a court order or other legal arrangement applies. Passport applications for minors often require the personal appearance and consent of the parent with legal authority.

If the child has a newly registered birth certificate and no PSA copy yet, the DFA may scrutinize both the child’s civil registry record and the authority of the adult applying with the child.

Documents may include:

child’s birth certificate;
mother’s valid ID;
proof of custody or guardianship, if not accompanied by the mother;
special power of attorney or affidavit of consent, where required;
travel clearance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development in certain travel situations.

22. What If There Is an Urgent Need to Travel?

Urgency alone does not automatically waive civil registry requirements. A medical emergency, employment deployment, family emergency, scholarship, official travel, or immigration deadline may justify requesting priority processing, but the applicant still needs to prove identity and citizenship.

For urgent cases, the applicant should prepare:

proof of emergency or urgent travel;
local birth certificate;
PSA negative certification, if available;
proof of endorsement to PSA;
valid IDs;
supporting identity documents;
affidavit explaining the situation;
contact with the Local Civil Registry Office and PSA.

Even then, approval is discretionary and fact-dependent.

23. Practical Steps Before Going to the DFA

An applicant with a newly registered birth certificate should do the following before the passport appointment:

Step 1: Ask PSA whether the birth certificate is already available

Request a PSA copy. If no record appears, request a negative certification if needed.

Step 2: Ask the Local Civil Registry Office about transmittal

Confirm whether the birth record has been forwarded or endorsed to PSA.

Step 3: Request a certified true copy from the Local Civil Registrar

This may be useful as a supporting document, especially if the PSA copy is unavailable, blurred, or delayed.

Step 4: Secure proof of endorsement

Ask whether the Local Civil Registrar can issue a certification or endorsement showing the record was transmitted to PSA.

Step 5: Gather identity records

Prepare IDs and documents showing consistent name, birthdate, birthplace, and parentage.

Step 6: Check if the birth was late-registered

If late-registered, prepare additional documents explaining and supporting the delayed registration.

Step 7: Avoid relying on one document only

A newly registered local birth certificate alone is often weak for passport purposes. A complete packet is safer.

24. Documents Commonly Prepared in This Situation

Applicants commonly prepare the following:

PSA birth certificate, if already available;
PSA negative certification, if no PSA record exists yet;
Local Civil Registry certified true copy;
LCR certification of birth registration;
LCR endorsement or transmittal proof to PSA;
valid government ID;
school records;
baptismal certificate;
employment records;
voter’s certification;
NBI or police clearance;
barangay certification;
affidavits of delayed registration;
affidavit of two disinterested persons;
parent’s or sibling’s civil registry documents;
marriage certificate, if applicable;
birth certificates of children, if applicable;
proof of urgent travel, if any.

The specific combination depends on the applicant’s facts.

25. What Not to Do

Applicants should avoid the following:

submitting a fake PSA birth certificate;
altering a local civil registry document;
using another person’s birth certificate;
concealing a prior birth registration;
ignoring conflicting civil registry records;
booking travel before confirming document readiness;
assuming the DFA will accept a local copy alone;
relying on hearsay from fixers or unofficial agents;
paying fixers to “speed up” PSA or DFA processing;
submitting inconsistent affidavits.

False documents can result in denial, investigation, cancellation of passport, criminal liability, and future immigration problems.

26. Legal Importance of Truthful Civil Registry Records

Civil registry records are public documents. A false statement in a birth certificate, affidavit, or passport application can have serious consequences.

Possible legal issues may include:

falsification of public documents;
perjury;
use of falsified documents;
misrepresentation in a passport application;
cancellation or denial of passport;
immigration complications abroad.

A newly registered birth certificate must reflect the truth. It should not be treated as a shortcut to create a convenient identity.

27. Can the DFA Deny the Passport Application?

Yes. The DFA may deny or defer a passport application if the applicant fails to establish identity, citizenship, or compliance with documentary requirements.

The DFA may also require further verification if:

the birth certificate is late-registered;
the PSA copy is unavailable;
the local record was recently created;
records are inconsistent;
the applicant has no valid ID;
there is suspected fraud;
there are multiple birth records;
the birth certificate has unresolved errors;
the applicant’s name differs across documents.

A denial or deferral does not always mean the applicant is not Filipino. It may mean the applicant has not yet submitted enough acceptable proof.

28. Is the Passport Appointment Wasted If You Have No PSA Copy?

Not necessarily, but there is a significant risk that the application will not proceed. The applicant may be instructed to return with the PSA copy or additional documents.

For practical purposes, it is better to secure the PSA birth certificate before the appointment unless there is a valid reason to appear with alternative documents, such as a newborn case, urgent travel, or express instruction from DFA personnel.

29. What If the Applicant Has Previously Held a Passport?

A renewal applicant is in a different position from a first-time applicant. If the applicant already had a Philippine passport, the DFA may rely primarily on the old passport for renewal, subject to current rules and any discrepancies.

However, a PSA birth certificate may still be required in some renewal cases, such as:

lost passport;
mutilated passport;
change of name;
correction of personal details;
discrepancy in records;
old brown or green passport issues;
applicant previously issued a passport as a minor;
doubtful identity;
other special circumstances.

A newly registered birth certificate issue is usually more serious for first-time applicants.

30. What If the Applicant Needs a Passport for Overseas Employment?

Applicants for overseas employment often need a passport urgently. However, employment urgency does not remove the need for civil registry proof.

The applicant should coordinate early with:

Local Civil Registry Office;
PSA;
DFA;
recruitment agency, if any;
employer, if applicable.

The applicant should not submit false documents or use another person’s identity to meet employment deadlines.

31. What If the Applicant Is a Foundling?

Foundling cases involve special legal rules. A foundling may be recognized as a natural-born Filipino under Philippine law and jurisprudence, subject to applicable documentation.

Passport requirements for foundlings may involve:

foundling certificate;
PSA-issued foundling certificate or relevant civil registry document;
DSWD or child-caring agency records;
adoption records, if adopted;
court orders, if applicable.

A newly issued civil registry document for a foundling may require special evaluation.

32. What If the Applicant Was Born Abroad?

A person born abroad to Filipino parent/s may need a Report of Birth registered with the Philippine embassy or consulate and recorded with PSA.

A local Philippine birth certificate is not the usual document for a person born abroad. The applicant may need:

PSA Report of Birth;
consular Report of Birth;
foreign birth certificate;
parents’ Philippine passports or proof of citizenship;
marriage certificate of parents, where relevant;
recognition or citizenship documents, if applicable.

If the Report of Birth was newly filed and no PSA copy is available yet, the applicant may face a similar issue: the DFA may require the PSA-issued Report of Birth or other official consular documents.

33. What If the PSA Has No Record but the Local Civil Registrar Has One?

This usually means the local record has not been transmitted, encoded, or matched by PSA. The remedy is not to create another birth record immediately. The applicant should first coordinate with the Local Civil Registrar for endorsement or transmittal.

The applicant may need:

PSA negative certification;
Local Civil Registry certified true copy;
endorsement letter from LCR to PSA;
follow-up with PSA;
supporting documents.

Creating another delayed registration while a local record already exists can lead to double registration, which may create bigger problems later.

34. What If the Local Civil Registrar Has No Record Either?

If neither PSA nor the Local Civil Registrar has a birth record, the person may need delayed registration of birth.

Delayed registration generally requires documentary proof and affidavits. Requirements may vary by Local Civil Registry Office, but commonly include:

negative certification from PSA;
barangay certification;
baptismal certificate;
school records;
medical records;
affidavits;
valid IDs;
proof of parents’ identity or marriage, if available;
other documents showing birth facts.

After delayed registration, the applicant usually needs to wait until the record becomes available from PSA before applying for a passport, unless the DFA accepts alternative documents in the specific case.

35. What If the Birth Certificate Was Just Corrected?

If a birth certificate was corrected under administrative correction procedures or through a court order, the applicant should obtain the PSA copy with the proper annotation.

A local copy showing the correction may not be enough if the PSA record has not yet been updated. For passport purposes, the DFA generally prefers the PSA-issued annotated document.

Common corrections include:

spelling of first name;
spelling of surname;
gender correction;
date of birth correction;
parent’s name correction;
change from illegitimate to legitimated status;
annotation of court decree;
adoption-related amendment.

A passport should match the corrected civil registry record.

36. Affidavits: Helpful but Not Enough by Themselves

Affidavits can support a passport application, especially in delayed registration or unavailable-record cases. However, affidavits are usually secondary evidence.

Common affidavits include:

affidavit of delayed registration;
affidavit of two disinterested persons;
affidavit of discrepancy;
affidavit of one and the same person;
affidavit explaining lack of early records;
affidavit of birth attendant;
affidavit of parent or relative.

An affidavit alone rarely replaces a PSA birth certificate for a first-time passport application. It must be supported by independent documents.

37. Key Rule of Thumb

For first-time passport applicants in the Philippines:

PSA birth certificate first, passport application second.

A newly registered Local Civil Registry birth certificate may be an important supporting document, but it is generally not the final document expected by the DFA.

The applicant should obtain the PSA copy once available, especially if the birth was late-registered.

38. Best Documentary Strategy

The strongest approach is to prepare a layered file:

Primary civil registry documents

PSA birth certificate;
PSA negative certification, if no PSA record yet;
Local Civil Registry certified true copy;
LCR endorsement or transmittal certification.

Identity documents

valid government-issued ID;
school or employment IDs;
voter’s certification;
old IDs or records.

Historical records

school records;
baptismal records;
medical records;
employment records;
government membership records.

Explanatory documents

affidavit of delayed registration;
affidavit of discrepancy;
affidavits from persons with personal knowledge;
barangay certification.

Special documents

court order;
adoption decree;
legitimation documents;
DSWD clearance or certification;
consular Report of Birth;
proof of urgent travel.

This approach gives the DFA more basis to evaluate the applicant’s identity and civil status.

39. Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Newborn child, birth recently registered, no PSA yet

The parents may try to apply using the Local Civil Registry copy and required minor documents, but acceptance depends on DFA requirements. It is safer to obtain the PSA copy if time allows.

Scenario 2: Adult born in the Philippines, birth registered only this year

The applicant should expect additional scrutiny. A PSA copy, once available, plus old school, baptismal, employment, and government records will be important.

Scenario 3: PSA says no record, but LCR has a record

Request PSA negative certification and ask the LCR to endorse the record to PSA. Avoid filing a second birth registration without legal advice.

Scenario 4: PSA copy available but late-registered

Bring the PSA copy and supporting documents showing identity over time.

Scenario 5: PSA copy has wrong information

Correct the civil registry record first or secure the proper annotated PSA document before applying.

Scenario 6: Urgent travel but no PSA copy

Prepare proof of urgency, LCR copy, PSA negative certification, endorsement proof, valid IDs, and supporting records. Approval is not guaranteed.

40. Conclusion

A person with a newly registered birth certificate may be able to begin preparing for a Philippine passport application, but for a first-time applicant, the DFA generally expects a PSA-issued birth certificate. A Local Civil Registry copy alone is usually not enough, especially for adults and late-registered births.

The applicant’s best course is to secure the PSA birth certificate as soon as it becomes available. If it is not yet available, the applicant should obtain a PSA negative certification, Local Civil Registry certified true copy, proof of endorsement to PSA, valid IDs, and supporting documents showing consistent identity.

A newly registered birth certificate is valid if properly issued, but for passport purposes, the applicant must still satisfy the DFA that the record is genuine, accurate, and sufficient to prove identity and Philippine citizenship.