New Digital System Speeds Up Civil Registry Corrections

The Philippine Statistics Authority has launched a new digital system called the Administrative Petition for Correction Automated System to automate the correction of civil registry documents, the PIA reports. This initiative digitizes the previously manual process of correcting errors and changing first names on birth, marriage, and death certificates, reducing the waiting period from up to a year down to just 21 working days.

In La Union, 18 local government units have already adopted the system as of August 20, 2026. The City of San Fernando served as one of the initial pilot areas starting in November 2025, while 17 other municipalities implemented the system in July 2026.

A total of 384 petitions have already been processed through the digital platform. Registration Officer II Girard Francis M. Casuga explained the drastic change in processing times.

“Yung mga benefits po nito, dati tumatagal talaga ito ng 6 months or year, ‘yung pag-file pa lang ng petition palang iyon. Ngayon po dito sa APCAS, tumatagal nalang po siya ng 21 working days o humigit kumulang isang buwan,” Casuga emphasized.

The system auto-generates petitions to prevent document loss and reduce entry errors. While the system itself is free to use, standard filing fees still apply under local ordinances:

• P1,000 for clerical corrections
• P2,000 for changing a first name
• Applications must be filed at the Local Civil Registry Office where the document was originally registered.

Casuga urged residents with uncorrected documents to visit their local offices for assistance.

“Pero huwag po kayong mawawalan ng pag-asa sa mga hindi pa nako-correct ang kanilang mga birth certificate, puwede po kayong lumapit sa aming opisina para i-follow up ‘yung inyong mga petitions o pinapaayos ninyong mga dokumento,” Casuga stated.

Technical supervision and troubleshooting support remain under the PSA La Union provincial office.

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SOURCE: PIA