G.R. No. L-22712 November 29, 1965
CANDIDO UY alias RICARDO UY, petitioner-appellee, vs. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, oppositor-appellant.

FACTS

Candido Uy alias Ricardo Uy, a Filipino citizen by naturalization who took his oath on October 9, 1959, filed a petition for change of name on March 10, 1961, in the Court of First Instance of Pampanga. He sought to change his surname from “Uy” to “Baluyot.” Petitioner, born in 1933, has resided in San Fernando, Pampanga, where he operates a furniture business. He stated that despite his naturalization, he is frequently mistaken for and identified as a Chinese citizen due to his Chinese surname “Uy,” causing him chagrin, embarrassment, disappointment, and prejudice to his business and social life. For his new surname, he chose “Baluyot” after former Secretary Sotero Baluyot, a close family friend and his father’s godfather, who gave written consent. The Republic opposed the petition, arguing insufficient showing of prejudice from the continued use of his present name. The trial court granted the petition on November 22, 1961. The Republic appealed to the Court of Appeals, which certified the appeal to the Supreme Court as it involved only a question of law.

ISSUE

Whether petitioner has shown a “proper and reasonable cause” to warrant his change of name under Rule 103 of the Rules of Court.

RULING

Yes. The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s judgment, holding that petitioner presented a proper and reasonable cause for a change of name. The Court emphasized that the determination of “proper and reasonable cause” is left to the sound discretion of the court, and the evidence need only be satisfactory. The trial court found petitioner’s desire to erase traces of his former Chinese nationality and be recognized as a Filipino to be sincere and in line with the policy of naturalization laws. While the surname “Uy” is used by some native-born Filipinos, it remains basically Chinese and, in petitioner’s community, causes him to be mistaken for a Chinese, hampering his business (e.g., time lost explaining his status to government agencies) and social life (e.g., difficulty joining civil organizations like the Lions Club). No fraudulent intent was shown, and no prejudice to the government or any individual was presented. Thus, a sincere desire to adopt a Filipino name to eliminate undue handicaps from a former alien nationality constitutes a proper and reasonable cause, not being trivial, whimsical, or capricious. The judgment was affirmed without costs.