Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña said the proposed Lived Identities and Recognition Act, also known as the “Sharmaine Bill,” includes safeguards to prevent abuse while simplifying the process of changing names and gender markers on official documents.
In an interview with Brigada NewsFM Manila, Cendaña said the measure aims to make the process more accessible and affordable for transgender, non-binary and intersex individuals through an administrative procedure at the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
According to the lawmaker, applicants would not be allowed to change their names without sufficient proof. He said they would be required to submit documents showing that they have long used the name they wish to adopt.
Cendaña also said a person would only be allowed to apply for the change once every 10 years. Each application would undergo verification to ensure the process is not used to evade legal responsibility.
He said the proposal seeks to recognize a person’s lived identity while preserving the integrity of the country’s civil registration system.
Cendaña added that the measure would not affect existing laws and that current legal safeguards would remain in place to prevent misuse of the system.
The lawmaker also clarified that the Sharmaine Bill differs from the previously filed Cagandahan Bill.
He said the Cagandahan Bill focuses on simplifying the process of changing the sex marker on the birth certificates of intersex individuals.
By contrast, the Sharmaine Bill is centered on recognizing the lived identities of transgender, non-binary and intersex individuals by making it easier to change their names and gender markers on official documents through an administrative process.
The proposed measure remains under legislative consideration.
