Legally Speaking is Barney Almazar's column on Expat Media Special Edition magazine and expatmedia.net

Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar answers the most common questions regarding your legal options in various cases related to living and working in the UAE

A reader asks: I've been separated from my husband for over five years now, but we haven't gone through legal annulment. The problem is, I used his last name in my Philippine passport, and I now want to go back to using my maiden name. Is that possible, even without a court-issued annulment? Atty. Barney says: Yes, you can. Thanks to the New Philippine Passport Act (RA No. 11983), married women—especially those separated but not legally annulled—now have a one-time opportunity to officially revert to their maiden name in their Philippine passport without the need for court proceedings. Under Section 5(f) of the law, married women may opt to use their maiden names upon renewal of their passports, provided they meet the requirements. “For a woman who wishes to revert to the use of her maiden name, a duly authenticated birth certificate by the PSA: Provided, that she can only revert to her maiden name once and all her other existing identification cards and pertinent documents shall likewise reflect her maiden name. This provision is especially relevant to Filipinas in the UAE who, due to personal or professional reasons, prefer to use their maiden name but have not yet gone through the annulment process. This reversion can be availed only once. All other identification documents must consistently reflect your maiden name. Requirements • PSA-authenticated Birth Certificate • PSA-authenticated Marriage Certificate • Notarized Affidavit of Explanation • Valid Philippine passport • Valid government-issued ID reflecting your maiden name
This column also appears in the Expat Media Special Edition magazine. Do you have a question for Attorney Barney? Contact him at barney@gulflaw.info or know more about him here. Barney Almazar is a director at Gulf Law in the UAE, Philippines, UK and Portugal. He is a member of the Philippine Bar and holds a UAE legal consultancy license. He is listed by Thomsom Reuters as one of the Super 50 lawyers in the Middle East and North Africa. Asian Legal Business has ranked him as top lawyer in the Philippines, Southeast Asia and Middle East.
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