Quote Originally Posted by lordna View Post
Back from holiday!!!!

After going through the UK adoption process we were under the impression that this was recognised in the Philippines and it was a minor formality to just get the records updated. At the time we started the adoption process this certainly WAS the case. Once the UK adoption was completed, a form WAS available on the London Philippine embassy website to effectively notify the NSO that the birth certificate of the adoptee needed to be changed to include the new surname details and details of the step parent.

I sent off my step daughters BRItish passport to get it updated to her new surname, enclosing her Philippine and British passports in her old name. They refused to issue a passport in her new name as she held a passport (Philippines) in her old name. I pointed out that the process to get the Philippine passport changed first would take longer which is why i had decided to get the British one done first. However they still refused to issue it but did eventually return the passports and refund my fee. This enabled my daughter to go on her school trip.
When she returned i decided to contact the Philippine embassy because the form to notify them of the adoption was no longer available on their website. They wrote back the following:-

Dear Mr XXXXXX,

This is with reference to your letter dated April 2016 regarding your step-daughter xxxxxxxxxx who has already assumed your surname upon adoption.

You may wish to note the following:-
1) Recognition of the UK adoption order
- Pursuant to amendments made on the rules of court of the Philippines, the recognition of the Adoption issued by foreign courts are no longer just reported (through a report of Adoption) to the Philippine civil registry.
- Any decree or judgement of a foreign court, such as the adoption order issued by the UK family court, has to be submitted to a Regional Trial Court in the Philippines for judicial recognition.
- Once the Philippine Court issues the Order recognising the adoption, the Order must be submitted to the Philippines StatisticsAuthority (PSA), the Philippine's main civil registry authority, for the annotation of xxxxxxxx Philippine birth certificate, to show the fact of her adoption and the name change done on adoption.

2) Issuance of a Philippine passport as xxxxxxxxxx "new surname"
- the issuance of a Philippine passport under the assumed on adoption can only be done on the basis of the annotated Philippine birth certificate.
- the original annotated birth certificate and a photocopy thereof will have to be submitted along with the other standard passport renewal requirements when the application is filed.

3) documentation in the citizenship re-acquisition/retention.
- the documents issued during your wife's reacquisition of Philippine citizenship will not require change as these were true and correct details at the time of the event.

I trust that this addresses your concerns on the matter.

Very truly yours,

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Consul General

Hi,
I just wanted to ask if you were able to change your stepdaughter's name in her Philippines Birth certificate to her new name? Did you have to use an attorney in the Philippines, how much did it cost and how long did it take?
We are on the process of changing my daughter's name but the attorney we consulted wanted PHP150K which we find to be very extortionate.

Some advice will be appreciated.

Thanks.