My wife will have my baby over there, in the Philippines.

I know what the US embassy procedures and requirements are, and its pretty simple.

They require an official NSO birth certificate for the baby. Period. No way around it.

I have had dealings with the NSO before, and have been, to put it mildly, disgusted and outraged at their slothfulness. They seemingly can't get a document from point A to Z in less than 4 months.

Has anyone here ever gotten a NSO birth certificate in the Philippines for a baby? How long did it take? At which branch?

Unfortunately, the process of getting a NSO-authenticated BC really takes a while especially if your child is born in the province. The process is shorter if the child is born within the Metro Manila area as it is near the NSO office. There is no branch office that you can work with as BC registration is centralized in the main NSO office in Manila.

Thanks.

Her hospital is Metro South Hospital, and its near the SM Molino mall, which, I believe is in Baccoor Cavite. I think its just outside the fringe of Metro Manila. Does that count, or do I need to switch hospitals? Or can she file in Metro Manila if she has the baby just outside it?

Greetings!

This is how my friend got her daughters birth certificate:
1. Visited the local registry ( where your son/ daughter will be registered).

2. Ask for an endorsement, Make sure to tell them your purpose which is to get the birth certificate printed on security paper.

3. They will attache an endorsement document to the local birth certificate. and will tell you as to where to send the papers. And becasue you are in Manila you are lucky as you may hand the document itself to the right person.

4. Get the direct number of that person in charge and the emial address as you may ask status of the application.

5. Make sure to tell the person in charge that you want the documents to be expedited.

6. Then they will tell you as to when you can get it, usually it takes a month but if its expedited it will only takes more or less than 2 weeks.

tips:

this is also the way on how to get MArriage certificate printed on NSO security paper. And because of the crazy process you might want to request and extra copies just incase you need one.


Sometimes i wondered of why they cannot have an online service linking between the two office.

All they got to do is register the birth cartificate in the main NSO data base inorder for the applicant to get a birth certificate , marriage etc. directly printed on NSO security paper.

I feel your problem ,Why? Because local registrar should submit this registration to the main NSO data base so that when it is requested it will be available at anytime. Isnt that bad for them to launch an online request via e-census only to be issued a neative certificate because your birth certificate/marriage certificate etc. could not be found in NSO date base. I got so mad, as i requested mine online before and i was issued a negative certificate so i went to the local registrar and asked for an endrsement and sent it to Manila as i am from Cebu City, it took them one month to finally send it back to me. The only difference is that it is printed on NSO security paper. so you would think that it takes only less than 10 minutes for them to register a name with details to NSO data base.


correction: attach

Based on my recent experience, they do not allow people to hand-carry documents between the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) and NSO. Everything has to be done by snail mail to avoid document tampering. LCR also waits until it gathers enough number of certificates before it's ready to be mailed out to the NSO. The wait and the unreliable mailing system in the Philippines result to delays.

I offered to hand-carry or pay the courier fee for the expedited delivery of my marriage contract but they would have none of that so I waited for one and a half months for my MC to go through the entire process.

Glen Charles, Bacoor, Cavite is not far from Manila so you'll probably get your child's BC in less than 2 months instead of the usual 4-6 months if it was born elsewhere. But you can also try to persuade LCR of Cavite if they will allow you to handcarry the BC to NSO. There's no harm in trying. Who knows, you'll get lucky.

Oh, and by the way, the baby will be registered in the city or town where she was born.

you can't import babies, glen!

corrections:

Well, in Cebu City. At the local registry office after endorsement is requested youll be asked if you want them to mail it for you or if not they will give you the right address and you can personally mail it. With my birth certificate i mailed personally. With regards to my marriage certificate i asked someone to go ahead in manila and get it for me right after an endorsement was requested...It only took less than one month....

pasted from nso:



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Releasing of Civil Registry Documents
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Releasing of documents such as:
Birth, death and marriage certificates local purposes or travel abroad (SECPA)
Proofs of Civil Status
Court Decrees/Legal Instruments, and
Certificate of Authority to Solemnize Marriage
is done at Vibal Building, Times St. cor. EDSA, West Triangle, Quezon City.


Copies of:
documents endorsed from the various Local Civil Registrar Offices and embassies,annotated documents,documents resulting from RA 9048 petitions, and other registered court decrees and legal instruments relating to the legal status of Filipino citizens may be requested at the NSO EDSA Office, located at Vibal Building, corner EDSA and Times St. beside Marco Polo Restaurant.
NSO EDSA
Vibal Building
Times Street corner EDSA
West Triangle, Quezon City
Tel.: (02) 926-73-33 / 926-73-29


For inquiries, call telephone numbers (632) 926-7274, 926-7294, 926-7204, 926-7282, or fax (632) 926-7329.
For questions and clarifications, e-mail Civil Registration Department


email address: for nso inquiries

L.Hufana@census.gov.ph