• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The correction of clerical and typographical errors on birth certificates is now free of charge for qualified Bacolod indigents, as per the Executive Order (EO) No. 020.
According to City Civil Registrar Atty. Hermilo Pa-oyon, the EO is specifically for administrative corrections under Republic Act No. 9048 and Republic Act No. 10172, which allow for the non-judicial correction of obvious errors like misspelled names and errors in the day or month of birth.
“Our city mayor issued this executive order, in order to provide [the] free legal service to our indigent,” Pa-oyon said.
The qualified recipients include indigent residents with financial incapacity, and fresh graduates or first-time jobseekers.
Pa-oyon added that without the free legal assistance, an applicant can spend more or less P2,000 for the process.
Meanwhile, the city government conducted a mass wedding on Saturday at the Rodolfo Medel Elementary School in Barangay Tangub, officiated by Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya.*
