Twenty-eight
years of my life and of my existence and still my life hasn't move on into the
life I was always dreaming of. Why? Because from the start of it, I wasn't even
settled into the right way. Funny and dramatic but it's the reality. Yes, for
some 'first name errors', on a serious matter, I still can't move on.
I was born
on February 21, 1984 with my parents' happiness
as my mom gave birth to a cute baby girl(love your own :)). With the
excitement they had, together with the elders whom had they took advice on how
to take good care of a child, they named me after my father's first name,
Dionessa. Please don't gave any comment about it, I wasn't even giving any. :)
I was left at the hospital for I had to be confined for the reason that I ate
some of the wastes on my mother's womb. After a month, it was then I finally
got home. But for the first three months, I wasn't enjoying my baby life for I
was always getting sick.
The
Life-changing Decision
Filipinos
respect their elders and every opinion they gave really affects each family
they get involved. So as one of the elders gave an advice to my parents whom
are very young at their age at that moment, that the reason behind my sickness
was I myself doesn't like the name they had gave me. Yes, I wasn't liking my
name, as the elders said. How'd they know? We'll, maybe I wasn't really liking
my name at all. Don't even mention it to my father. Anyways, I was baptized in
the name of Mary Charmaine Ness Nioda and eventually after the
'baptism', the sickness I was suffering
faded away.
I wonder
how I went to school with the conflict I had in my birth certificate. I haven't
even realize how hard it is when the legal papers matter. Guess what? As of
now, I am using
Ma. Charmaine Ness Nioda, as you can see on
myprofile here. I know, you feel like I'm riding on a roller coaster with
different angles and heights. Wish you weren't like me.
Anyways, I
did notice that I had a 'forge' birth certificate when I went to college and
settle my own requirements by myself,
although, in my entire life I did know all about my name. But the
university I attended to, haven't even questioned the certification I submitted
to them. So I was thinking it was ok then.
Along the
college days, my friends and I decided for us to get a job at the same time.
So, we look for jobs during the day for we
attended school during late times at the day, an evening students. So we
went looking on fast food chains and given the requirements, I was stunned! One
of the requirements should be NSO(National Statistics Office) authenticated
birth certificate. Whew!!! That was it. I, having different names, wasn't
getting the job I was looking for, mainly with the reason of conflict legal
birth certificate.
That was
one of the discouragement I had until some things did change my life. Have you
had the feeling of not getting into somewhere you were dreaming of? That was
what I feel until now.
I did look
for jobs but jobs whom doesn't require any legal papers at all. What was the
reciprocity? No benefits at all; Phil health, SSS, Pag-ibig etc. only with a
much lesser salary that the law requires to. The worst was, I cannot even work
abroad for we all know that there is much chance of a lightier life when you
work abroad. A chance for you to get your dreams much closer than working here
in the Philippines, as we all know, economy reality, but not degrading the
government at all.
I'm not
even blaming my parents for I understand that what they did was for my own sake
but risking in reality. But how I really wish they haven't done this at all.
Now, being a mom and a woman, I see to it that I am using the right
thing to my children when in terms of their names. I rest assured that
what's registered on the Civil Registry, the baptismal and the name they are
using is not conflicting with each other. I am into this trouble, so I won't
even wanted my children or anyone get
into this. I just hope the parents would really see to it and assured
themselves the security to their children because my whole life change at all
the moment my parents change my name.
But it's
not at all too late. :) I did research on the internet and do some work on
going to the Civil Registry Office to do the homework. What I found out that it
was really not too late for me to fix this trouble at all. What just made me
discourage was the amount I should spend on to fix this. I heard that the
processing fee is three thousand pesos plus the other requirements plus the two
weeks publishing and the four to six months processing. See, it's even harder
but at least there is this chance.
I went to
the Civil Registry office one day to ask for the requirements for me to get
fix my first name error. But the officer in-charge told me to present first
my Certification of Live Birth. So what I did was I look for other sources and
finally found out the requirements I should submit in terms of fixing my first
name errors. What I found was:
RA 9048
(known as) correction of clerical error birth, marriage & death (CCE) and
change of first name (CFN)
·
Certificate of Live
Birth, Marriage & Death
·
Secondary &
College Transcript of Records
·
Valid
Identification Card
·
Affidavit of Two
Disinterested Person
That's it
but here's the steps to be followed (the hard-long steps):
❶Receiving/Review
of Petition
❷Payment of
Fees(Treasury Office) -which I heard was P3,000
❸Preparation
& Posting (10 days)
❹Publication
of Petition ( 2 weeks)
❻Submission
of Petition (NSO Manila)
See?
Reading these would let you imagine the money you should spend, the time you
should spare, and the patience you should hold. So you realize the simplier way
to fix your mind on your children's first name.
My mother,
whom I told the processes I should go, told me to get an advice from legal
office on changing my first name error. She said that if following my live
birth certificate name would spend a much lesser time, effort and money, then I
should do follow it rather than changing it at all. I answered her, I would've
get sick again. :) I just really love my name today.
Although,
in reality, I just really don't know where to get the financial support for
me to fix things up, but I know at least
I had the chance. I had started to gather the requirements I needed and all I
hope was for me to fix my first name error for the better future ahead
of me being a mom and a woman of today.
I am hoping
to hear from you guys about how you had in a way involve for fixing first
name errors and share it with us. :)
