What is an NSO authenticated birth certificate?

An NSO (National Statistics Office) authenticated birth certificate is a document every Filipino must have, in order to secure other legal documents, with the following being some examples:

1. A Philippine passport from the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs)

2. To marry anyone, another Filipino or a foreigner

3. To secure a learner's (student) or conductor's license

Please Note: Do not confuse this document with a birth certificate that has been issued by the local registrar's office, where the person in question was born. These are two completely different documents, although both provide the same information. Never try to submit a birth certificate from the local registrar's office, in place of an authenticated document from the NSO. The application will be refused.

Below is an example of what a birth certificate should look like, if it is an official certified copy from the NSO.