Need Advice: Can I not use my maiden surname after I take my husband's surname?

[shellenic]

Hi mga sis, I need advice.

My boyfriend is Malaysian Chinese. We are planning to get married (someday, sabi nya next year, pero most likely 3-4 years pa). We are planning to get married here because he wants my family attend my wedding, since hindi makakapagabroad ang grandma and mom ko kasi may diperensya ang mga documents nila. My grandma cannot travel overseas either due to health reasons. So, ang pangit naman kung magpapakasal kami sa Malaysia tapos ako lang yung nandoon.

How sad diba?

So anyways, most likely, dito kami magpapakasal. Kaso, ayokong gamitin ang maiden name ko sa legal docs kasi sa Malaysia kami titira at kailangan kong sundin (ata?) ang Chinese naming convention kagaya sa magiging asawa ko.

So for example (this is not our real names haha)

Husband lastname: Zhang
My name: Maria Aurora F. Catacutan

So, kung legal documents dito sa Pinas, magiging Maria Aurora D. Zhang.
Sa Malaysia, magiging Maria Aurora Zhang Catacutan

Oh my gosh. Pwede bang wag ko nalang gamitin ang middle initial/maiden surname ko? Both in PH and MY?

[Priceless]

Maybe you can inquire with a lawyer in Malaysia, but I don't think there is even a requirement for you to take on his name upon marriage. In fact, ang dami kong Malaysian & non Malaysian chinese friends who retain their maiden names (their father's surname and their given chinese + christian/western names) after marriage. Now if your bf were Muslim, maybe that will be different.

I suggest you ask a lawyer, I think changing names will only apply to your Philippine documents (i.e. Passport) from which any future residency documents in Malaysia will be based on. So kung ang Passport mo will reflect Ma. Aurora C. Zhang, then any Malaysian residency documents will be based on that.

I know that for Chinese, if they want to change names, it is actually a long and cumbersome process (e.g. do a deed poll) before you can actually adopt your husband's name. And culturally, they prefer to maintain their father's names anyway - they don't take on their husband's name. I might be wrong, but as far as I know, this is the reason why most my Chinese friends (totally non-Filipinos) don't change their chinese name even after marriage.