Puwede po itong gawin, batay sa paliwanag ng Korte Suprema sa kasong Alanis v. Court of Appeals .
Sabi ng korte, totoo na sa batas natin, ang legitimate children ay gagamitin ang apelyido ng tatay.
Sa Family Code, nakasaad:
“Article 174. Legitimate children shall have the right: (1) To bear the surnames of the father and the mother, in conformity with the provisions of the Civil Code on Surnames[.]”
Sa Civil Code naman:
“Article 364. Legitimate and legitimated children shall principally use the surname of the father.”
Pero, in-explain dito na hindi eksklusibo sa apelyido ng tatay ang pwede ninyong gamitin bilang last name:
“Indeed, the provision states that legitimate children shall ‘principally’ use the surname of the father, but “principally” does not mean ‘exclusively.’ This gives ample room to incorporate into Article 364 the State policy of ensuring the fundamental equality of women and men before the law, and no discernible reason to ignore it….
There is no legal obstacle if a legitimate or legitimated child should choose to use the surname of its mother to which it is equally entitled.”
Ibig sabihin, hindi po kayo obligado na gamitin ang apelyifdo ng tatay ninyo, at may option kayong gamitin ang sa nanay. Sa paggamit ng apelyido, hindi nangingibabaw ang lalake sa babae.
Alinsunod ito sa prinsipyo ng gender equality, na sinisiguro ng ating 1987 Constitution.
Habang pwedeng mamili kung kaninong apelyido ang gagamitin, may batas ring kailangang sundin para ipapalit ang apelyidong nai-rehistro na.
Para rito, kailangan pong mag-file ng petition for change of name sa korte, sa ilalim ng Rule 103 ng Rules of Court. Ang civil registrar at sinumang may interes sa pagpapalit ng last name ay dapat ring isama sa kaso.
Para ma-grant ang change of name, dapat maipakitang meron ang alinman sa sumusunod na grounds o basehan:
- (a) When the name is ridiculous, dishonorable or extremely difficult to write or pronounce;
- (b) When the change results as a legal consequence such as legitimation;
- (c) When the change will avoid confusion;
- (d) When one has continuously used and been known since childhood by a Filipino name, and was unaware of alien parentage;
- (e) A sincere desire to adopt a Filipino name to erase signs of former alienage, all in good faith and without prejudicing anybody; and
- (f) When the surname causes embarrassment and there is no showing that the desired change of name was for a fraudulent purpose or that the change of name would prejudice public interest
Kung mula pagkabata ay apelyido na ng nanay ang gamit sa lahat ng kakilala, sa school records, at siguro pati employment records–
Masasabing sapat na basehan na baguhin ang pangalan sa inyong birth certificate to avoid confusion. Kung buong buhay ninyo ay apelyido ng nanay ang gamit niyo- nakakalito naman talaga kung iba ang lumalabas sa rehistrasyon niyo.
Kaya, pwedeng-pwede pong hingin na ipabgo at ipa-tanggal ang apelyido ng tatay sa inyong birth certificate.