1) The short truth: you don’t “change” civil status by request

In the Philippines, civil status is a legal consequence of a valid (or recorded) marriage, reflected in the civil registry. A person does not simply file a form to revert from married to single. As a rule, you become “single” again only when the law treats the marriage as non-existent from the beginning (void marriage declared void) or terminated/dissolved in a way the law recognizes (annulment of a voidable marriage; recognized foreign divorce in mixed-nationality cases; divorce under Muslim personal law).

Just as important: even when the marriage is later voided or annulled, the civil registry record is usually annotated, not erased—meaning the marriage record remains but is marked with the court decree or recognized divorce.

2) “Married,” “Single,” “Separated,” “Widowed,” “Divorced,” “Annulled/Nullified”: what these mean legally

Married

You are married if:

your marriage is valid, or
there is a recorded marriage that has not been annulled/declared void/recognized as dissolved (for registry and documentary purposes).

Single

In common Philippine usage, “single” means you currently have no subsisting marriage. In strict legal effect, you return to “single” most cleanly after:

a judicial declaration of nullity (void marriage; treated as if it never existed), or
an annulment (voidable marriage; valid until annulled, then terminated), or
a recognized divorce (in applicable situations).

Separated (legal separation)

Legal separation does not end the marriage. Spouses remain married and cannot remarry. Civil status remains married (though “legally separated” may appear in some contexts).

Widowed

Your spouse’s death ends the marriage, but your civil status becomes widowed, not single.

Divorced

For most Filipino citizens, there is generally no Philippine “absolute divorce” under the Family Code framework—except:

divorce under Muslim personal law (for qualified Muslims), and
foreign divorce that may be recognized in the Philippines in certain mixed-nationality situations, affecting the Filipino spouse’s capacity to remarry.

Annulled / Nullified

Philippine documents and forms sometimes use “annulled” or “nullified” as a practical label. Legally:

Annulment applies to voidable marriages.
Declaration of nullity applies to void marriages.

3) The legally recognized paths that can move you away from “married”

Path A: Judicial Declaration of Nullity of Marriage (Void Marriage)

A void marriage is treated as invalid from the start. However, in most real-world situations, you still need a court judgment to establish that fact and to correct/annotate civil registry records and allow remarriage without legal risk.

Typical grounds for a void marriage (Family Code):

No essential or formal requisites, such as:
- marriage solemnized by someone without authority (with limited exceptions),
- no marriage license (subject to exceptions like marriages in articulo mortis, remote locations, etc.),
Bigamous or polygamous marriages (a prior marriage exists and is valid),
Mistaken identity (one party thought they married someone else),
Psychological incapacity (Article 36),
Incestuous marriages and void marriages by public policy (e.g., certain close relationships).

Effect on “civil status”:

In legal theory, parties are treated as if they were never validly married.
In civil registry practice, the marriage record is typically annotated with the final court decree declaring the marriage void.

Path B: Annulment (Voidable Marriage)

A voidable marriage is valid until annulled. After the court grants annulment and it becomes final, the marriage is terminated and parties regain capacity to remarry (after compliance with recording requirements).

Common grounds (Family Code):

Lack of parental consent (for marriage within the age bracket covered by the Code),
Unsound mind,
Fraud (within legally defined forms),
Force, intimidation, undue influence,
Physical incapacity to consummate and incurable,
Serious sexually transmissible disease existing at the time of marriage and incurable.

Effect on “civil status”:

After final annulment and proper registration, the person is no longer in a subsisting marriage. In everyday terms this is often treated as returning to “single,” but many institutions will treat it as “annulled” or “single (previously married)” depending on their form categories.

Path C: Recognition of a Foreign Divorce (for certain marriages involving a foreign spouse)

Philippine law can recognize a foreign divorce so that the Filipino spouse is considered capacitated to remarry under Philippine law, but this is not automatic. It requires a court petition for recognition of the foreign judgment (and typically proof of the foreign law and the divorce decree’s authenticity/finality).

Key points in practice:

This is most commonly relevant where the marriage is between a Filipino citizen and a foreign citizen, and the divorce was obtained abroad.
Philippine jurisprudence has developed rules on when the Filipino spouse may benefit from the foreign divorce and how to prove it in court.
Once recognized, the PSA/LCR records are typically annotated to reflect the recognized divorce.

Effect on “civil status”:

Many Philippine systems may still show “married” historically but with annotation; some forms allow “divorced.” Documentary handling depends heavily on the agency’s categories and how the PSA record is annotated.

Path D: Divorce under Muslim Personal Law (P.D. 1083)

For qualified Muslims (and in certain mixed situations under Muslim law), divorce may be available through the Shari’a courts or appropriate proceedings under Muslim personal law.

Effect on civil status:

Upon proper adjudication and registration, civil registry records can be annotated to reflect the divorce.

Path E: Correcting or Cancelling an Erroneous “Married” Entry in the Civil Registry

Sometimes “reverting to single” is not about dissolving a real marriage, but about fixing a wrong registry record, such as:

a marriage record that pertains to a different person (identity mix-up),
a simulated/forged marriage record,
clerical mistakes that created the appearance of a marriage.

What matters legally: changing civil status is generally a substantial correction, not a simple clerical edit.

Two major routes exist:

Rule 108 (Rules of Court) – judicial petition for cancellation/correction of civil registry entries, commonly used for substantial corrections (often requiring an adversarial proceeding, publication, and notice to affected parties and the government).
R.A. 9048 / R.A. 10172 – administrative correction for specific items (mostly clerical errors and certain changes like first name/nickname, day/month of birth, and sex under defined conditions).
- In general, a true change of civil status (married ↔ single) is not treated as a mere clerical correction; courts are typically required where the correction is substantial.

Effect:

If the “married” status exists because of an erroneous entry, the objective is to correct the record so it accurately reflects the truth, potentially restoring the person’s record to “single” in the registry.

4) What will NOT revert you to “single” (common misconceptions)

Legal separation

Ends cohabitation and can address property relations, but does not dissolve the marriage.
You remain married and cannot remarry.

Separation in fact (“hiwalay”)

No matter how long spouses have lived apart, mere separation does not change civil status.

“Affidavit of separation” or private agreements

Useful for documenting arrangements, but does not dissolve marriage and does not change civil status in the PSA/LCR.

Declaration of presumptive death (for remarriage)

A spouse may seek a court declaration of presumptive death of the absent spouse for purposes of remarriage (subject to statutory conditions). This does not retroactively make the spouse “single,” and it is not a general “status reset.” It is a narrowly framed remedy to allow remarriage under specific conditions.

5) The court-and-registry mechanics: how the PSA record actually changes

Even after winning a case (nullity, annulment, recognition of foreign divorce, Muslim divorce), your status often remains practically “married” in databases until the documents are properly recorded and annotated.

Typical documentary chain (varies by case type and court)

Decision/Judgment granting nullity/annulment/recognition
Entry of Judgment / Certificate of Finality
For annulment/nullity: the Decree of Annulment or Decree of Absolute Nullity
Proof of registration of the decree/judgment with:
- the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) where the marriage was registered, and
- the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) (via endorsement/transmittal procedures)

What you usually end up with

An annotated PSA Marriage Certificate reflecting the court decree or recognized divorce.
A PSA-issued certification (often requested as a “CENOMAR”/marriage advisory) that may reflect the annotated status.

Important practical point: Many institutions rely on PSA documents. If the PSA record is not yet annotated, you may face repeated issues even if you already have a court decision.

6) Using “single” on forms after annulment/nullity/divorce recognition: practical, risk-aware guidance

Because forms vary, there are two competing realities:

Legal reality: you may have no subsisting marriage after nullity/annulment/recognized divorce.
Documentary reality: your official civil registry record might still show a marriage history, with or without annotation.

Safer practice in high-stakes contexts (government, immigration, employment, loans):

Use the civil status category that matches your final legal status, and be ready to present:
- the annotated PSA marriage certificate, and/or
- the court decree / recognition judgment and proof of finality/registration.

If the form does not have “annulled/nullified/divorced” as an option and only asks “single/married,” institutions differ:

Some treat a person post-nullity/annulment as “single,”
Others expect “single” but will still require annotated PSA proof,
Some prefer “single” with disclosure in remarks (if a remarks field exists) to avoid allegations of concealment.

What to avoid:

Declaring “single” while a marriage remains legally subsisting (no decree, no recognition, no valid dissolution), especially if the declaration is used to obtain benefits or to contract another marriage.

7) Criminal and civil consequences of getting it wrong

Bigamy risk

Entering a subsequent marriage while a prior marriage is still subsisting can expose a person to bigamy liability and render the later marriage problematic. Even if you believe the first marriage is void, remarrying without a proper legal basis and documentation can be dangerous.

Perjury / falsification risks

Misstatements of civil status in sworn documents, government filings, or official forms can create perjury or falsification exposure depending on context and intent.

Collateral consequences

Civil status affects:

property relations and inheritance,
benefits (SSS/GSIS, insurance, employment benefits),
immigration petitions and dependent status,
legitimacy/presumptions related to children,
spousal consent requirements in some transactions.

8) Effects on surname and identity documents

Using the husband’s surname is generally optional

Under Philippine civil law traditions, a married woman may use her maiden name, her husband’s surname, or hyphenated/combined forms—subject to agency rules and document consistency. Many women adopt the husband’s surname in practice, but it is commonly treated as a right, not an absolute duty.

After annulment or declaration of nullity

In practice, many revert to the maiden name after finality and annotation, but agencies typically require:

annotated PSA records, and
consistency across government IDs.

After legal separation

Legal separation does not dissolve the marriage; surname issues can become more nuanced and fact-specific in implementation.

9) Children and legitimacy: a frequent concern

“Reverting” civil status often raises questions about children’s status. General principles under the Family Code include:

Children conceived or born within a valid marriage are presumed legitimate.
In annulment of a voidable marriage, the marriage was valid until annulled; children are generally treated as legitimate.
In void marriages, legitimacy rules can vary depending on the ground and special provisions (for example, jurisprudence and statutory provisions treat certain children as legitimate even if the marriage is later declared void in specific circumstances).

Because legitimacy affects surname use, support, and inheritance rights, these issues are typically addressed (or at least carefully documented) in nullity/annulment proceedings and in subsequent registry annotations.

10) Choosing the right remedy: a checklist by situation

You married, and the relationship failed

Not “revert to single” by request.
Possible remedies depend on facts:
- annulment (voidable marriage),
- declaration of nullity (void marriage),
- legal separation (if you do not seek capacity to remarry).

Your spouse is a foreign citizen and obtained a divorce abroad (or you did abroad)

Consider judicial recognition of the foreign divorce and annotation with the PSA/LCR.

You are Muslim (or the marriage is governed by Muslim personal law)

Consider divorce under P.D. 1083, with proper adjudication and registration.

You never married, but records show you are married

Consider civil registry correction/cancellation (often via Rule 108), especially in cases of identity theft, erroneous entries, or forged/simulated records.

11) Bottom line

In the Philippines, reverting civil status from “married” to “single” is not an administrative preference—it is the end result of a legally recognized process (nullity, annulment, recognized divorce in applicable cases, Muslim divorce, or correction of an erroneous registry record), followed by proper registration and annotation so the civil registry and PSA documents reflect the updated legal reality.