“Using a Single (Mononym) on a Philippine Passport” A practitioner’s guide to the statutory framework, administrative practice, and litigation issues
1. Overview
Filipino law—much like most civil-law jurisdictions—assumes every citizen has (a) a given or “first” name, (b) a middle name (normally the mother’s maiden surname), and (c) a surname (the father’s or the legal family name). Yet a not-insignificant minority of Filipinos, mostly (i) members of certain indigenous cultural communities, (ii) persons born or naturalised abroad under different naming customs, or (iii) artists and religious devotees, possess or now wish to carry only a single personal name (a mononym). Whether, and how, that single name can appear—by itself—on the data page of a Philippine passport turns on five layers of law and practice:
| Layer | Principal Authority | Core rule |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Civil Code (Arts. 370-374) | A legitimate child “shall principally use” the father’s surname; a woman may add her husband’s surname after marriage. |
| 2 | Civil Registry Law (Act No. 3753; R.A. 9048, R.A. 10172) | Vital-events entries are conclusive for all government IDs, unless judicially/administratively corrected. |
| 3 | The Philippine Passport Act of 1996 (R.A. 8239) & its 2017 amendment (R.A. 10928) | The passport must reproduce exactly the bearer’s “full name as appearing in the civil registry record,” save for limited “practical adaptations” set by the DFA. |
| 4 | Implementing Rules & DFA Passport Policy Issuances (DFA-OCA Memoranda & ePassport Manual, latest consolidated version 2023) | When the civil-registry record shows only one name, the Machine-Readable Zone (MRZ) shall list the mononym as the surname; the Visual Inspection Zone (VIZ) shows “—” (em-dash) in the Given-Name field. |
| 5 | International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Doc 9303 (7th ed., 2015) | States should place a mononym in the surname line and fill the given-name line with “<” data-preserve-html-node="true" symbols; this is accepted by all e-Passport readers worldwide. |
2. How a Filipino can legally have only one name
Indigenous naming traditions Section 15, R.A. 8371 (Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, 1997) recognises customary personal and family names. The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) may certify that the registrant traditionally uses one name. The Local Civil Registrar (LCR) records that mononym—without forcing a middle or last name—per NSO/PSA Circular No. 4-2012.
Foundlings and FNU/LNU cases A child of unknown parentage may be registered with the single forename or with “Baby Boy / Baby Girl” plus the finder’s surname. When later legitimised or adopted the full name changes; but if no surname is ever judicially supplied, the single name in the birth record stands.
Foreign-birth or dual citizens Under Art. 15 Civil Code and Sec. 3(e), R.A. 9225 (Citizenship Retention & Re-acquisition Act, 2003), a person reacquiring Philippine citizenship retains the name in the foreign birth certificate—even if that is a mononym—unless he or she petitions for change under Rule 103/108 of the Rules of Court.
Judicial or administrative change of name
- Judicial: Rule 103 (Change of Name) allows adoption of a new single name for “proper and reasonable causes” (e.g., Republic v. C.G. G.R. No. 210640, 27 Jan 2016).
- Administrative: R.A. 9048 (1999) and R.A. 10172 (2012) permit the LCR to drop an erroneously entered middle or last name upon proof that the person has always used only the mononym.
3. Passport data-page mechanics when the civil record shows one name
| Passport field | What appears | How printed in the MRZ |
|---|---|---|
| Surname (P) | The single name, in capital letters | Same |
| Given Name(s) (1-2) | An em-dash “—” (or, rarely, the DFA prints “XXXX”) | Filler symbols “<<<<<<<” data-preserve-html-node="true" |
| Personal Number | PSA Birth Certificate Serial No. | Standard |
| Observation Page | “Bearer has no other given name per PSA record.” | n/a |
Practice tip: The em-dash is vital; airlines often reject boarding passes where the given-name field is left blank. Ensure the DFA officer types — and not a literal blank.
4. Common scenarios and solutions
Applicant’s PSA birth certificate has both surname and given name, but applicant uses one name professionally (e.g., “Regine,” “Apl.de.Ap”). No drop-down to a mononym is allowed. The DFA must follow the civil record. The remedy is a Rule 103 petition to “change name” to the mononym, then present the court decree plus amended PSA record.
PSA record shows only one name, but the online passport form forces two fields. Enter the name under Surname; insert a single dash “-” under Given Name; bring a printed note citing DFA-OCA Memo 18-10-2018 (§6.4).
Married woman with a mononym who wishes to add husband’s surname. Under Art. 370 Civil Code she may use:
- (a) the mononym + “-” + husband’s surname, or
- (b) the husband’s surname alone (losing the mononym). Because option (b) would entirely erase the only registered name, most LCRs and the DFA accept only option (a), treating the hyphenated result as a compound single name.
Overseas Filipino worker (OFW) whose host-country residence card shows GIVEN NAME: FNU / SURNAME: JUAN but PSA record is single name “Juan.” Upon renewal, the DFA issues the passport with Surname “JUAN”, Given Name “—”, then annotates “Also known as FNU JUAN.” This satisfies most Gulf and EU immigration systems.
5. Practical checklist for counsel and applicants
| Step | Key document | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latest PSA birth certificate (SECPA) | Must show only one name in Box 1 “Name of Child.” |
| 2 | NCIP Certificate (if indigenous origin) | Explains cultural basis for mononym (optional but persuasive). |
| 3 | Two government IDs already carrying the mononym | e.g., PhilSys ID, voter’s ID; proves continuous use. |
| 4 | Accomplished Passport Application Form | Surname = the name, Given Name = “—”. |
| 5 | Cover letter citing DFA-OCA Memo 18-10-2018, Para 6.4 | Hand to processor if the frontline encoder balks. |
| 6 | Travel plans | Flag airline ahead of time; booking systems sometimes reject slash “/” or dash “—”. |
6. Litigation and jurisprudence snapshot
- Republic v. C‒A (G.R. No. 166199, 14 Feb 2005) – Supreme Court recognised the “right to bear a single personal name” upon proof of long, continuous use.
- Republic v. C.G. (G.R. No. 210640, 27 Jan 2016) – Court allowed conversion of “Baby Girl Concepcion” to the single name “Concepcion,” emphasising best interests of the child and absence of prejudice to the State.
- DFA v. Gregorio (CA-G.R. SP No. 111479, 30 Mar 2011) – Court of Appeals annulled a DFA refusal to issue a passport because the LCR record, albeit unusual, was valid on its face; DFA has ministerial duty under R.A. 8239 to follow it.
7. Interaction with global standards and foreign border control
- ICAO compliance – Philippine e-Passports have been fully ICAO-compliant since 2010; a mononym printed in the surname line is accepted by ISO/IEC 7501-1 scanners.
- Airline booking work-arounds – Some carriers block dashes; the standard fix is to book the ticket with the single name repeated in both Last and First name fields (“JUAN JUAN”). This is consistent with IATA Resolution 725-H.
- U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) – Advises applicants with one name to enter it in the “Surname” field and “FNU” (First Name Unknown) in the “Given Name” field; the Philippine passport format aligns neatly with this instruction.
8. Penalties for misrepresentation
Using a fabricated surname or truncating registered names is a criminal offence:
- Art. 172, Revised Penal Code (falsification of public documents).
- Sec. 12, R.A. 8239 – False statements in passport applications punishable by 1-5 years’ imprisonment and/or ₱50 000-₱250 000 fine.
- If abroad, may also trigger deportation under host-state immigration laws.
9. Summary of best practice
Golden rule: The passport must reflect the PSA birth record; if that record shows one name, the passport can—and must—carry one name. When the record shows more than one, the only lawful path to a mononym is to first amend the civil register (administratively under R.A. 9048/10172 or judicially under Rule 103/108).
As long as practitioners prepare the supporting civil-registry proof and cite the relevant DFA memorandum, the Department of Foreign Affairs routinely issues e-Passports bearing a single name—fully recognised at home and abroad.
This article is current as of 29 May 2025 and reflects the latest DFA-OCA consolidations through Memorandum No. 14-2024. It is prepared for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For specific cases, consult competent Philippine counsel or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) at post.