Short answer. Yes, if travelling back would be impractical. RA 9048 lets a petitioner who has already migrated to another place in the country file with the local civil registrar where he is presently residing, when appearing at the registrar keeping the record would be unreasonable in cost, time and effort.
What the law says
In case the petitioner has already migrated to another place in the country and it would not be practical for such party, in terms of transportation expenses, time and effort to appear in person before the local civil registrar keeping the documents to be corrected or changed, the petition may be filed, in person, with the local civil registrar of the place where the interested party is presently residing or domiciled.
RA 9048, Section 3 — Who May File And Where. Read the full provision →
The general rule: file where the record is kept
RA 9048 starts from the ordinary rule that a petition to correct a clerical or typographical error, or to change a first name, is filed with the local civil registry office of the city or municipality where the record being sought to be corrected or changed is kept. For most people that is the town where the birth was registered. The law also requires that you file in person with a verified petition. So the default expectation is that you appear at the registry that holds your record, which is usually your birthplace.
The migration exception lets you file where you live
The law recognises that people move. If you have already migrated to another place in the country, and appearing before the registrar that keeps your record would not be practical in terms of transportation expenses, time and effort, the petition may instead be filed in person with the local civil registrar of the place where you are presently residing or domiciled. That is the exact situation you describe. You do not have to travel back to your hometown; you may lodge the petition where you now live, provided the impracticality of returning is genuine.
The two registrars coordinate
Filing near your home does not cut the birthplace registry out of the process. Under the same section, the two (2) local civil registrars concerned will then communicate to facilitate the processing of the petition. The registrar where you file receives your verified petition in person, then coordinates with the registrar that actually holds the record so the correction reaches the right document. This is why you must still file in person and cannot simply mail it in from wherever you are — the personal appearance and the coordination between offices are both built into the law.
Limits worth knowing
A few boundaries apply. The exception is for petitioners who have migrated within the country; Filipinos residing or domiciled abroad file instead with the nearest Philippine Consulate. The relief is also not unlimited: the law provides that petitions for these clerical or typographical errors and changes of first name may be availed of only once. And this administrative route covers the specific corrections the Act allows — it is not a way to make every kind of change to a civil register entry. If your correction falls outside what the Act permits, a different procedure may be required.