Ang proseso ay nakadepende kung gustong palitan ay first name, last name, o pareho.
First Name
Kung first name lang ang gustong palitan, puwede yang gawin administratively at hindi kailangang dumaan sa korte.
Ayon sa RA 9048 at RA 10172, puwedeng ipabago ang first name basta meron ang sumusunod na grounds:
- The petitioner finds the first name or nickname to be ridiculous, tainted with dishonor or extremely difficult to write or pronounce;
- The new first name or nickname has been habitually and continuously used by the petitioner and he has been publicly known by that first name or nickname in the community; or
- The change will avoid confusion.
Para magawa ito, kailangan lang mag-file ng verified petition sa local civil registry office ng city o municipality kung nasaan ang birth certificate. Ang general requirements para rito ay:
- A certified true machine copy of the certificate or of the page of the registry book containing the entry or entries sought to be corrected or changed.
- At least two (2) public or private documents showing the correct entry or entries upon which the correction or change shall be based; and
- Other documents which the petitioner or the city or municipal civil registrar or the consul general may consider relevant and necessary for the approval of the petition;
- Publication of petition at least once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation;
- Certification from the appropriate law enforcement agencies that he has no pending case or no criminal record.
Para magabayan siya sa proseso, puwedeng lumapit sa local civil registry office kung saan siya nakarehistro. Ang directory ay makikita dito: https://psa.gov.ph/lcr-directory.
Last Name
Kung last name naman ang gustong pa-palitan, o parehong first at last name (buong pangalan), kailangan talagang dumaan sa paglilitis sa korte .
Puwedeng mag-file ng Petition for Change of Name sa ilalim ng Rule 103 ng Rules of Court.
Sa kasong ito naman, kailangang ipakita na meron ang alinman sa sumusunod:
- (a) the name is ridiculous, dishonorable or extremely difficult to write or pronounce;
- (b) the change results as a legal consequence of legitimation or adoption;
- (c) when the change will avoid confusion;
- (d) one has continuously used and been known since childhood by a Filipino name and was unaware of alien parentage;
- (e) the change is based on a sincere desire to adopt a Filipino name to erase signs of former alienage, all in good faith and without prejudice to 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.
Mas magandang kumuha ng abogado para magabayan sa pagsasampa ng kaso.