Digital innovations to prevent fraud in birth registrations

THIS week, I stumbled upon a piece of news about suspected 200 fake birth certificates issued in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. The Philippines has faced significant challenges with the issuance of fake birth certificates, a problem that both locals and foreigners have exploited. With a birth certificate, they can apply for other documents like driver's licenses, voter IDs and passports, further entrenching their false identity within the legal system.

Fake birth certificates usually originate from corrupt practices within the local civil registrars' offices. Officials and/or staff may accept bribes to approve fake documents or collude with applicants to produce fraudulent records. Inadequate verification processes allow fraudulent documents to be accepted without thorough checks.