As citizens of a country, it is important that you have solid proof of your identification. Here in the Philippines, it has become an open joke that getting valid identification is so difficult that a lot of people just don’t get it. The government is currently on the move in fixing that. One of the more important documents you should have handy is your birth certificate.
If you’ve been living under a rock, a birth certificate is proof that you are born here in the country and that you are a Filipino citizen. It’s currently being considered as a secondary identification document. There are instances, however, that you might find yourself in where you’ll see that you have a negative intact label on your birth certificate.
Read: How to get NSO/PSA Certificate Online – Birth, Marriage, Death or CENOMAR
The National Statistics Office (NSO) is the one responsible for our birth certificates. They’re now currently known as the Philippine Statistics Office (PSA) and they’re now responsible for it. You can file a request to get a copy of your birth certificate in any office. As a matter of fact, a lot of institutions are now supporting the process of securing a birth certificate.
What is a negative intact?
In securing personal identification documents, you will encounter the word “HIT.” Hit is the term they refer to when government personnel needs to conduct further checking on your application. The term hit originated in getting NBI Clearances. This is due to many reasons:
- You might have a previous case which is already closed;
- Your name might be common. Hence, the system might be seeing multiple people with the same name
This goes for the NBI Clearance. When it comes to birth certificates, however, the hit is referred to as a negative intact. According to the NSO/PSA helpline, bearing a negative intact profile means that you currently do not have any record readily available in the PSA database and storage. Meaning, they won’t be able to help you process a birth certificate. It’s kind of a hassle to just think about it but you don’t have to worry because we’re here to help.
Read: Requirements and Procedure for Late Registration of Birth Certificate in the Philippines
How do you fix these negative implications if I’m applying for either the NBI or the PSA birth certificate?
The National Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Clearance is one of the major requirements if you’re applying for a job, a loan, and is considered a valid secondary identification card. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the documents that would prove that you’re a citizen of good moral and character. In the event that you apply for the NBI clearance and you’re not able to get it when you apply, that means you have a HIT. It could either be because of your name, it could be because you have a case, and so forth.
What do I do if I have a hit?
- If you know for a fact that you’re not a criminal and you don’t have any reason to be held, just stay calm and don’t protest about it. It could possibly be because of your name.
- The officer will then tell you to come back maybe after a week or so to claim your NBI clearance. You can come back to the branch where you applied for first.
- Don’t forget to bring the receipt where the officer stamped on for you to come back.
- If you have a case pending or a previous case, the officer will instruct you on what to do in order for you to claim your NBI Clearance.
Having a PSA-certified birth certificate is a must because first and foremost, it doesn’t expire. Once your birth certificate is PSA-certified, it will not expire. You can get multiple copies for a multitude of reasons. But what if when you apply, you get the negative intact notice? If you get this, here’s what you need to do:
1. Firstly, you need to check your documents with your local civil registrar. You do this if you have a previous and existing record of your NSO-certified birth certificate.
- If you have existing records, you have to ask your local civil registrar to endorse your NSO-certificate record to PSA.
- On the other hand, if you do not have any records, you will file for late registration.
2. If you’ve done this correctly, you now should have a secured PSA copy.
3. Now, you can go and proceed to rrequest for your PSA certificate.
What if I haven’t done any of these?
If you have not done any endorsement or late registration yet, you have the option of availing PSA’s partner’s consultation services. In this, you’ll be able to view and find out information about your current situation. To check on this, visit http://verified.teleserv.ph.
Read: How to Correct Erroneous Entries in Birth Certificate
Now that you know what you can do when you encounter negative intact on your PSA birth certificate, don’t stall. Fix it as early as you can in order for you not to have a difficult time when you need it.