Requiring Certificate of No Marriage gets positive feedback

The Certificate of No Marriage required by the National Statistics Office before anyone can secure a marriage license has been successful in preventing bigamous marriages.

NSO - 7 information officer Noel Rafols, NSO-7 said that since the implementation of the requirement last March, there have been several marriage license applicants who have been found to have already gotten married in the past.

He said the offices of the Local Civil Registrar often have "stories to tell" since the Cenomar requirement was implemented.

Rafols said the NSO has a database of all the marriage licenses and contracts obtained in the country, which can be accessed anytime. The local civil registrar uses this database when verifying the status of a marriage license applicant.

"It will automatically appear whether the applicant is entitled to a Cenomar or that he or she already has a certificate of marriage," Rafols said.

Talisay City Civil Registry officer Gemma Ladion said that on the average, the office denies at least one marriage license applicant in a week after finding out that the applicant already obtained a certificate of marriage at some point in the past.

Ladion said there was even a time when a foreigner exploded in anger upon knowing that his bride-to-be already had an existing and enforceable certificate of marriage.

There was also an instant when both the bride and groom-to-be were found to have already entered into a contract of marriage.

Before the implementation of the Certificate of No Marriage requirement, couples who want to get married are only required to be of legal age. Those below 18 are required to have parental consent. - Ferliza C. Contratista