June 23, 2014

BI OPERATIONS ORDER NO. SBM-2014-027

GUIDELINES IN PROCESSING THE PETITION FOR RE-ACQUISITION/RETENTION OF PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP OF PETITIONERS WITH VARYING NAME

WHEREAS, Administrative Order No. 91, series of 2004 designated the Bureau of Immigration as the implementing agency for Republic Act No. 9225 (Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003); AIHTEa

WHEREAS, in the course of processing petitions thereof, some applicants' name in the Birth Certificate or other documents varies from the name appearing in their foreign-issued passports;

WHEREAS, to establish that the varying names of the same applicant refer to one and the same person, there is a need to submit proof of such fact;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 2 of Administrative Order No. 91, series of 2004, the following guidelines are hereby ordered:

In case of variance between the applicant's name as appearing in his/her Birth Certificate or other documents to prove his/her being a former natural-born Philippine citizen and his/her name in the foreign passport's machine readable zone (MRZ) or biographical page or Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship or any document proving foreign citizenship, applicant shall submit substantial proof on how he/she acquired the varied name/s, such as but not limited to:

1. Marriage Certificate;

2. Annotation in the passport or Birth Certificate of the varied name;

3. Judicial Decree of Change of Name, Adoption, Annulment or Declaration of Nullity of Marriage, and Divorce or equivalent document;

4. Annotation in the Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship of the varied name; or

5. Philippine issued official document indicating the varying name/s.

Foreign documents must have English translation if written in other foreign language.

Further, applicant shall execute and submit an Affidavit of One and the Same Person acknowledging all obligations, responsibilities and liabilities under both names and an explanation of the discrepancies.

This Operations Order takes effect immediately upon signing hereof.

Furnish a copy of this Order to the Office of the National Administrative Register (ONAR), U.P. Law Center, Diliman, Quezon City. HcTDSA

(SGD.) SIEGFRED B. MISONCommissioner