Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan  Hills,  Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
House  Bill  No. 9572
RECEIVED
I    DATE
EE--
?  -2Z.'STY)y,,
Introduced by
SPEAKER FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ
YEDDA MARIE K.  ROIVIUALDEZ
FERDINAND ALEXANDER A. MARCOS
JUDE A. ACIDRE
and
ANGELICA NATASHA CO
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND RESPONSIVE CIVIL REGISTRATION
AND  VITAL  STATISTICS  SYSTEM,  PROVIDING  FUNDS  THEREFOR,  AND  FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This  bill  seeks to  establish  a  comprehensive  and  responsive  civil  registration
and  vital  statistics  (CRVS)  system  which  is  a  fundamental  element  in  the  everyday
lives  of Filipinos.
On one hand,  civil  registration serves as the principal  means for individuals to
establish  legal  identity,  civil status,  and family  relations, thus,  essential for accessing
health,   education,   and   other  public  and   social   services.   On   another  hand,   vital
statistics reveal crucial demographic and  health information for policy-makers.
Civil  registration,  when  universal  and  of high  quality,  is  widely  recognized  as
the best source of vital statistics in terms of accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
At  present  in  the  Philippines,  however,  it  takes  three  years  to  produce  a  full  vital
statistics report using civil registration as the data source.  In the interim period, some
vital  statistics  based  on  civil  registration  records are  released  in  varying  time frames,
including  birth,   marriage,  and  some  mortality  indicators.  Other  important  mortality
indicators, such as maternal mortality and causes of death, are largely dependent on
various household surveys, which can be expensive and  unreliable.


Other key challenges that must be addressed to improve the Philippine CRVS
system  are  the  geography  and  population,  linking  different  levels  of  government,
reaching Muslims, indigenous peoples and the poor, training in ascertaining causes of
death  and  the  International  Statistical  Classification  of Diseases and  Related  Health
Problems,10th  revision (ICD-10) coding, and collecting  information about deaths that
take place outside of health facilities.
To  address  these,  this  bill  aims  to  establish  a  more  efficient  and  inclusive
standardized   and   modernized   system   with   increased   coverage   and   enhanced
involvement  from  the  barangays,  has  incorporated  key  international  human  rights
frameworks, and shall be used as the evidence base for social, economic, and health
policy.   This   bill   also   mandates  the   digitalization   of  records   as  well   as  the   free
registration of vital civil  registry events and delayed  registration program.
In view of the foregoing,  approval of this bill  is earnestly sought.
RIapF_T&HK4#AI
Representative,  1 st District of Leyte
lN G.  ROMUALDEZ
Rep. FERDINAND ALEXANDER A. MARCOS
Representative,  1 st District of llocos Norte
Rep. YEDDA
Representa
ARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
e, Tingog  Sinirangan
TASHA CO
Representative, BHW


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan  Hills, Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
'  House  Bill  No.
9572
Introduced by
SPEAKER FERDINAND IVIARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ
YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
FERDINAND ALEXANDER A. MARCOS
JUDE A. ACIDRE
and
ANGELICA NATASHA CO
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A COIVIPREHENSIVE AND RESPONSIVE CIVIL REGISTRATION
AND  VITAL  STATISTICS  SYSTEM,  PROVIDING  FUNDS  THEREFOR,  AND  FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
SECTION  1.  Short 7T.I/e.  -This Act shall  be  known  as the "Civil  Registration
and Vital  Statistics (CRVS) Act."
SECTION  2.  Dec/arafi.on of Po//.cy. -The  State shall  promote  and  maintain
an efficient,  responsive,  inclusive,  and  accessible civil  registration and vital statistics
system.    Towards   this   end,    standardization   and    modernization    of   registration
procedures is necessary to establish the identity of an individual for administrative and
legal purposes. Moreover, efficient and simplified procedures in recording vital events
must be applied in civil registration in order to establish the most precise identity of an
individual for the benefit of the general  public.
The State declares the  registration of all births, deaths, and  marriages without
discrimination as a  national  State policy.


ln the implementation of the policy stated above, the State, in enacting this Civil
Registration  and  Vital  Statistics  Act,  institutionalizes  and  hereby  maintains  a  legal
framework  related  to  the  Civil  Registration  and  Vital  Statistics  (CRVS),  ensuring  a
system that provides equal access that is affordable, available, and protects the rights
of  all  citizens,  especially  children.  Such  system  will  also  ensure  the  gathering  of
statistics and easier retrieval and  recording of statistics.
The  enactment  of this  policy,  reaffirms  the  commitment  of the  State  to  the
international   standards  and   recommendations,   according  to  the   principles  of  the
universal  human  right to be recognized as a  person before the law (UDHR Art.Vl), to
children's  right  to  nationality,  registration  after  birth  (UN  CRC  Art.  Vll),  the  right  to
identity (UN CRC Art. Vlll), the right to be protected from discrimination based on race,
sex, colour,  language,  religion,  national or social origin (ICCPR Art. XXIV), the right to
nationality  of   persons with  disabilities  (CRPD Art.  XVIII),  the  right of adolescents to
birth  registration  (UNCRC  GC 20, Art. VIll),  the  right of children  in street situations to
be proactively supported to obtain legal identity documents and the right of all children
at all ages to free, accessible,  simple and  expeditious birth  registration  (UN  CRC GC
21, Art. XV),  and the right of all  Filipino migrant workers to be recognized  as a  person
of the law (lcMW, Art. XXIV) on CRVS.
The State shall endeavor to facilitate the  realization  of the people's rights and
support   good   governance,   health,   and   development   through   the   universal   and
responsive  CRVS  system.  In  this  light,  the  State  shall  work  towards  reaching  the
following goals from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Declaration
of Civil  Registration  in Southeast Asia:
Goal  1:    Universal  civil  registration  of all  births,  deaths,  marriages,  and  other
vital events based on accurate data;
Goal 2:   Entitlement of all individuals to legal documentation of civil  registration
of their births, deaths, marriages and other vital events, as necessary, to claim
identity, civil status, and  ensuing  rights;
Goal  3:   Production  and  dissemination  of accurate,  complete,  and  timely vital
statistics  (including  the  cause  of death)  are  processed  based  on  registration
records.


Goal 4:  Free,  accessible,  simple, and expeditious birth  registration is provided
to all at all ages.
Goal   5:  The  civil   registration  documents  are  used   as  main  tools  for  child
protection  in  relation  to  education,  health,  and  other  social  services,  justice,
inheritance, and family reunification.
SECTION 3.  Coverage. -This law shall embrace all acts, events, and judicial
and administrative issuances affecting the civil status and vital statistics of persons in
the  Philippines and  all  Filipino citizens abroad,  including  all children with  at least one
Filipino parent,
SECTION  4,   Def/-n/-f/.or) of Te/ms. -As  used  in this Act, the following terms
are defined as follows:
a)   Abanc/onecJ  cht./c/   refers   to   a   child   who   has   no   proper   parental   care   or
guardianship, a foundling, or on who has been deserted by one's parents for a
period of at least three (3) continuous months, and has been declared as such
by the National Authority for Child Care  (NACC);
b)   Abandoned   Filipino   child   in   foreign   country  rofers  to  an  unreg.is;tered   or
undocumented   child   found   outside   the   Philippine   territory,   with   known   or
unknown  facts  of  birth,  separated  from  or deserted  by  the  biological  Filipino
parent  guardian,  or  custodian  for  a  period  of  at  least  three  (3)  continuous
months and  committed to  a foreign  orphanage  or charitable  institution  or in a
temporary informal  care,  and  has been declared  as such  by the  NACC,  upon
recommendation  of the  Office  of the  Social  Welfare  Attache  (OSWA)  of the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), or the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA);
c)   Barangay  Civil  Registration  System  (BCRS)  refers to  a  scheme to fac.il.itate
extensive civil  registration at the barangay level  involving all barangay officials
assisting  the  Local  Civil  Registrars  in  civil   registration  work,  as  provided   in
Section  394(d)(5)  of  Republic  Act  No.  7160,  otherwise  known  as  the  Local
Government Code of 1991 ;
d)   Bt.rfh  Affenc/ant  refers  exclusively  to  persons  with   midwifery  skills  such  as
licensed  doctors,  midwives,  and  nurses who  have been trained to  proficiency


in the skills necessary to manage normal deliveries and diagnose,  manage,  or
refer obstetric complications;
e)   Ch/./d refers to any person  below  18 years of age or  18 years or older who is
unable   to   fully   take   care   of   himself/herself  from   abuse,   neglect,   cruelty,
exploitation,  or  discrimination  because  of  a  physical  or  mental  disability  or
condition;
D    Children  in  Need of Special  Protection  (CNSP)  rofers to all ch.irdren who are
vulnerable    to    or    are    victims    of    abuse,    neglect,    exploitation,    cruelty,
discrimination   and   nature   or   human-induced   violence,   which   includes  the
following:
•     abused sexually or physically;
•     in commercial sexual exploitation;
•     inconflictwiththelaw;
•     in situations of armed  conflict;
•     engaged in worst forms of labor;
•     with  mental,  physical,  learning, and  otherdisabiljtjes;
•     with  HIV, AIDS, or other sexually-transmitted  infections;
•     in streetsituations;
•     affected by the use of illegal substance;
•     affected bythewaron drugs;
•     abandoned orwithout primary caregiver;
•     internally     displaced,      refugees,      statelessness,      and      at-risk     of
statelessness; and,
•     abandoned  children or abandoned  Filipino children in a foreign  country.
g)   Ct.rcui.I Regt.sfrar refers to the Clerk of Court of a Shari'a Circuit Court performing
as Circuit Registrar of Muslim marriages, divorces, revocations of divorces, and
conversions with the respective courf's jurisdiction, as provided in Title Vl, Book
Two of Presidential  Decree No.  1083, otherwise known as the Code of Muslim
Personal  Laws of the Philippines  (P.D.  No.1083);
h)   C/.vi./    Regt.straf/.on    refers    to    the    continuous,    permanent,    universal    and
compulsory documentation of occurrences and characteristics of vital events in
the  life  of a  person,  including  any  modifications thereof during  his lifetime and
until  his death, as provided for by this Act;


i)     C7.vt./ Beg;'sfer refers to the various civil  registry  books  and  related  certificates
and documents where registrable acts,  events,  and judicial and administrative
issuances concerning the civil status of a person are recorded and kept in the
archives  of the  Civil  Registrar's  Offices,  Philippine  Consulate  Offices,  Shari'a
District and  Circuit Courts, and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA);
j)     Ct.vt./ Regt.sfrar /CR/  refers to the  head  of the  Local  Civil  Registry Office  (Civil
Registrar's   Office),   the   Consul   General   (CG)   in   the   Philippine   Consulate
Offices,  or the Clerk of Court in Shari'a  District and  Circuit court;
k)   C/.vt./ Regt.sfrar Genera/ /Cf?G/  refers to the  head  of the  PSA who  is  also the
National Statistician of the government of the Philippines;
I)    Consu/ Genera/ /CG/ refers to the head of a Philippine Consulate Office acting
as  Civil  Registrar of all  civil  registry  documents  involving  Filipinos  in  a  foreign
country;
in)  Cr.vt./ Peg/.sfry Documer}f refers to a certificate or any document relating to the
civil  status  of a  person which  is  recorded  and  kept in the  archives of the  Civil
Registrar's  Offices,  Philippine  Consulate  Offices,  Shari'a  District  and  Circuit
courts, and the PSA;
n)   Dt.sfn.cf Recorder /DR/  refers to the Clerk of Court of the Shari'a  District Court
performing  civil  registration-related  functions  as  District  Recorder  of  Muslim
marriages,    divorces,    revocation    of   divorces,   and    conversions   with   the
respective  court's  territorial  jurisdiction,  as  provided  in  Title  Vl,  Book  Two  of
P.D.  No.1083;
o)   Fount//i.ng refers to a deserted or abandoned child or infant with unknown facts
of birth  and  parentage  and  this  shall  also  include  those who  have  been  duly
registered  as a foundling during  her or his infant childhood,  but have  reached
the  age  of  majority  without  benefitting  from  adoption  procedures  upon  the
passage of this law,  pursuant to  Republic Act No.11767,  otherwise known as
the Foundling  Recognition and  Protection Act;
p)   Lega/ /nsfrunenf refers to any legal documents that would  be officially issued
pursuant to this act;
q)   Lt.ve  B/.rfh  refers  to  a  complete  expulsion  or  extraction  from  its  mother  of  a
product/s  of conception,  irrespective  of the  duration  of the  pregnancy,  which
after such  separation,  breathes  or shows any  other evidence  of life,  such  as


beating  of the  heart,  pulsation  of the  umbilical  cord,  or definite  movement  of
voluntary  muscles,  whether  or  not  the  umbilical  cord   has  been  cut  or  the
placenta is attached;
r)    Loca/  Archt.ve   Author7.fy   (LAA)   refers   to   the   Local   Civil   Registrar   or  the
authorized  representative of the  Local  Civil  Registrar's Office of each city and
municipality  who   has  the   duty  to   establish,   keep,   and   maintain   the   local
archives, to  include  its mandatory digitization  of all  civil  registry documents for
the  herein  provided  Digital  Linkages  and  lnterconnection  of All  Participating
LRCOs.
s)   Loca/ Ct.v/./ Regt.sfrar /LCR/ refers to the head of the Civil  Registrar's Office;
t)    Ivafi.ona/ Sfaft.sfi.ct.an  refers to the  head  of the  PSA acting  as the CRG for the
purpose of this Act;
u)   Ottf-of-Tovm Reporfi'r}g refers to the occurrence wherein  the certificate  of live
birth  or death  is presented to the civil  registrar of a city or municipality which  is
not the place of birth or death, not for registration but to be forvarded to the civil
registrar of the city or municipality where the birth or death occurred and where
it should be registered; and,
v)   Pht./t.ppt.ne  Sfafr.sfr.cs Authon.fy /PSA/  refers to the central  statistics authority of
the Republic of the  Philippines headed  by the National Statistician.
SECTION 5.  Duties and Function of the Civil Registrar General (CRG). -The
Office of the Civil  Registrar General shall  have the following duties and functions:
a)   Po/t.oy-maki.r}g Funcfi.ons.   The CRG  has the following  policy-making functions
and  responsibilities on the Civil  Registry System:
1.   Prepare    and    promulgate   the    implementing    rules   and    regulations
pertaining to civil registration laws and all subsequent issuances relative
thereto, in close collaboration with the DILG and the PACR; and,
2.    Issue    circulars    and     memoranda     pertaining    to    civil     registration
enhancements as part of the functions of the OCRG;
b)   Provision of Technical Support to Local Civil Registry Offices
1.    Provide   technical    supervision   to   the   City/Municipal   Civil    Registrar
(C/MCRs) and  other Local Civil  Registry Officers; and,


2.   Provide ways and means to assist Civil Registrars for the reconstruction
of Local Archives as the need arises; and,
c)   Ivafr.or7a/ Ct.vt./ Regi.stry Dapost.tory. Act as the  national  central depository of all
civil   registry  documents  submitted  to  the  OCRG  for  archiving  from  all  civil
registry offices of the Philippines, for back up database and statistical analysis
purposes only.
SECTION 6. Duties of the City/Municipal Civil Registrar. -The appo.ir\+meut Of
C/MCRs shall be mandatory for city and  municipal governments.
The  C/MCR  shall  be  responsible  for the  civil  registration  programs  in  the  local
government  unit  concerned,   pursuant  to  this  Act,   other  existing   laws,   rules  and
regulations.
The C/MCR shall develop plans and strategies and  upon approval thereof by the
mayor, implement the same, particularly those which pertains to civil registry programs
and  projects.
The C/MCR shall:
a)   As much  as practicable,  assist in the  preparation,  and  accept and  register all
registrable   events   and   documents   occurring   within   his   or   her  jurisdiction
affecting the civil status of persons;
b)   File registrable certificates and documents presented to him or her for entry;
c)   Compile copies of every document  registered  and  transmit to CRG within the
first ten (10) calendar days of the succeeding month;
d)   Issue certified  transcripts or copies  of any certificate  or document  registered,
upon payment of the prescribed fees;
e)   Classify,  digitize,  index,  and  preserve all  registered  documents in accordance
with the appropriate archiving  procedures;
f)    Administer oaths, free of charge, for civil registry purposes;
g)   File, keep, and preserve in a secure place the civil registry book as required by
law;


h)   Receive  all  registrable  documents  and  transcribe  jn  the  corresponding  civil
register all documents accepted for registration;
i)     Receive   applications   for   the   issuance   of   a   marriage   license   and,   after
determining  that the  requirements  and  supporting  certificates and  publication
thereof for the  prescribed  period  have  been  complied  with,  issue  the  license
upon payment of the authorized fee for the local treasurer;
j)    Conduct community education campaigns on vital registration and assist in the
preparation  of demographic  and  other statistics for the  local  government  unit
concerned;
k)   Recommend   to  the   legislative   bodies   and   collaborate   with   administrative
agencies   in   the   formulation   of  systems,   procedures,   policies,   rules,   and
regulations on  civil  registration;
I)    Submit status  reports to the  CRG  on the  condition  of civil  registry documents
filed  in  his  civil  registry  office  whenever there  are  substantial  changes  in  the
state of his/her files,  in case of fire, flood, earthquake and  other natural and  or
manmade calamities;
in)  Reconstruct   destroyed    civil    registry   records    upon   compliance   with   the
requirements following the procedures established by the CRG;
n)   Make civil  registry forms available at all times in the civil  registry office;
o)   Exercise quasi-judicial functions in the following cases:
1.   clerical  or typographical  errors  and  change  of first  name  or  nickname,
the  day  and  month  in the  date  of birth,  or sex  of a  person  where  it  is
patently clear that there was a clerical or typographical error or mistake
in the entry;  or,
2.   petitioner for the change of first name or nickname finds the first name
or nickname to be  ridiculous, tainted with dishonor or extremely difficult
to write or pronounce, has been habitually and continuously used by the
petitioner  and   has   been   publicly   known   by  that  first   name   in   the
community or the change will avoid the confusion as provided for under
existing  laws.
SECTION 7.   Ci.vi-/ Regi.sfry Boofrs. -The Civil Registrar shall keep,  update, and
preserve the following books in their offices:


a)   Register of Births -the  records of birth  in the civil  registry;
b)   Register  of  Births  of  Person  without  Known  Parents  or  Facts  of  Birth  -  the
records of abandoned children in the civil register;
c)   Register of Deaths -the records of death of a deceased in the civil register;
d)   Register of Marriages -the records of solemnized marriage in the civil register;
e)   Register of Court  Decrees  or  Orders  -the  records  of court  decree  or order
concerning the status of a person in the civil  register;
f)    Register  of  Legal  Instruments  -  the  records  of  legal  instruments  executed
affecting the vital events of a person in the civil register;
g)   Register  of Applications  for  Marriage  License  -the  records  of application  of
marriage  license in the civil  register;
h)   Register of Conversion to Islam -the records of conversion to Islam religion of
a person  in the civil  register;
i)     Register  of  Muslim  Filipino  Marriages  -the  records  of  marriage  of a  Muslim
Filipino  in the civil  register;
j)     RegisterofMuslim Filipino Divorces -the records of divorce ofa Muslim Filipino
in the civil  register;
k)   Register  of  Indigenous  Cultural  Communities/Indigenous  Peoples  (lcc/lps)
Marriage  Dissolutions -the  records of ICCs/lps dissolution  of marriage  in the
civil  register;  and  Register of lccs/lps  Revocation  of Marriage  Dissolutions  -
the records of ICCs/lps revocation of marriage dissolutions.
SECTION  8. Regi-sfrab/e Acts and Events. -The following are the Registrable
Acts and Events:
1.     Birth;
2.    Death;
3.   Application for Marriage License;
4.    Marriage;
5.   Court Orders or Decrees; and,
6.    Legal  Instruments;
The  Registrable Orders or Decrees of Courts and  other competent authorities
are the following:


1.    Adoption;
2.    Rescission of Adoption;
3.   Annulment of Marriage;
4.    Declaration  of Nullity of Marriage;
5.    Declaration of Presumptive Death;
6.    Compulsory Recognition  of Illegitimate Child;
7.   Voluntary  Recognition  of Minor Illegitimate Child;
8.   Appointment of Guardian;
9.   Termination of Guardianship;
10. Judicial  Determination of Filiation;
11.All forms of naturalization;
12. Cancellation  of Naturalization;
13. Judicial  Determination of the Fact of Reappearance,  if Disputed;
14. Separation of Property;
15. Revival of Former Property Regime;
16. Repatriation ;
17. Foreign Court Orders Decided Abroad; and,
18. Other orders/decrees that pertain to the civil status and vital statistics of
a person.
The civil registrar shall properly enter the registrable events and court orders or
decrees.
SECTION  9.  Free  Registration  of  Vital  Civil  Registry  Events.  -  The
registration  of  births,  deaths  and  marriage  are  hereby  declared  a  national  policy.
Therefore,  no fees shall be imposed and collected  in the registration of these events,
whether or not these are registered on time. All supporting documents as prerequisite
to birth registration shall also be free.
The  first  copies  of civil  registration  certificates  shall  be  free.  For  issuance  of
succeeding  copies of civil  registry documents,  a  minimal fee  prescribed  by the CRG
may be collected.


For  registration  of registrable judicial  and  administrative  issuances  or orders,
and legal instruments, a standard fee shall be collected.
SECTION 10. Registration and Certification of Birth. -The declaratlion Of
the   physician,   midwife,   nurse,   birth   attendant,   finder   or   in   default  thereof,   the
declaration of either or both parents or any person who has knowledge of the facts of
birth  of the  newborn  child  shall  be  sufficient  for  the  registration  of  birth  in  the  civil
register.
The  duly accomplished  Certificate  of Live  Birth  (COLB)  containing  the  above
declaration shall be submitted for registration to the  Civil  Registrar's Office in the city
or municipality where the  birth  occurred  within thirty  (30)  calendar days from date  of
birth by the aforementioned  persons, declaring the following when available:
a)   Full  name of the child;
b)   Sex;
c)   Date of birth;
d)   Place of birth or where found;
e)   Name of mother;
f)    Citizenship of the mother;
g)   Name of father;
h)   Citizenship of the father;
i)    Date and place of marriage of parents; and,
j)    Such otherdata as may be identified in the implementing rules and regulations
of this Act.
Birth and other civil  registry records of persons when any or some of the following
information  is  absent/missing  shall  have  equal  acceptability  and  shall  be  respected
before all  government,  public,  private,  commercial,  and  business transactions where
these documents are presented:
a.    usual  middle initial  or middle  name;
b.   citizenship,  if stateless;
c.    names of parents, if unknown;


d.   date of marriage,  if inapplicable;
e.   when an individual  has only one birth  name;  or,
f.     any analogous circumstances.
All  regulatory  bodies  such  as,  but  not  limited  to,  the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  and  Bangko Sentral  ng  Pilipinas shall  adhere to this  law and  adopt the
necessary rules and  regulations to implement this act.
The fetus is considered  born if it is alive at the time it is completely delivered from
the mother's womb and shall be considered as live birth and shall be registered in the
Register of Births.
However,  if the fetus  had  an  intra-uterine  life  of less than  seven  months,  it is  not
deemed born if it dies within twenty-four (24) hours after its complete delivery from the
maternal womb.
All cases of birth on board a vessel or airplane en route to the Philippines shall be
recorded  in  the  civil  register  of the  city  or  municipality  where  the  mother  habitually
resides  if either of the  parent  is  a  citizen  of the  Philippines  or both  are.    When  the
parents  are  both  foreigners  but  not  residents  of the  Philippines,  the  birth  may  be
recorded  in any civil  registry office in the Philippines,  if they so desire.
Abandoned   children   or  foundlings  whose   parents,   guardians   or  relatives  are
unknown,  or  children  committed  to  an  orphanage  or  a  child-caring  institution  with
unknown  facts of birth  and  parentage,  shall  be  registered  by the finder or charitable
institution concerned within thirty (30) days from the date of finding or commitment of
the child with the C/MCR of the place where such  person was found. The CRG shall
issue a COLB to these children.
All   LCR/PSAs  in   partnership  with   LGUs  shall  provide   mobile  birth   registration
services  especially  in  all  Geographically  Isolated  and   Disadvantaged  Area  (GIDA)
under their jurisdiction.


SECTION 11. De/ayed Regi.sfraf/.on of Bi-rfh. -A person, regardless of age, who
has not been  registered with the Civil  Registrar's Office at the place of birth or where
found  shall  apply  for  delayed  registration  within  the  prescribed  period  of thirty  (30)
calendar  days  upon  discovering  that  no  entry  of  birth   has  been   recorded   in  the
Register of Births.
For  delayed   registration,   resorting   to  out-of-town   registration   of  birth   may  be
allowed, where the place of application for registration  is other than the place of birth
of the person seeking to be registered. The LCR and PSA shall issue a COLB free of
charge regardless of delay. A person who has not been registered before the office of
the C/MCR and  PSA where he or she was born within the prescribed  period of thirty
(30)  calendar days  shall  apply  on  the  basis  of his  or  her nearest kin.  The  informant
and affiant must show authentic proof of the identity of the person to be registered, the
facts of his birth, his parentage and other relevant data.
ln the  implementation  of this  act,  the  LCR/PSA should  conduct regular review to
assess  the  accessibility  of  registration   and   design  and   implement  programmatic
interventions  to  address  gaps  in  CRVS,  with   PSA  as  the  central  office  for  data
management and standards.
The record of a person's birth shall be kept strictly confidential, and any treatment
thereof shall  be fully  compliant with  the  Republic Act  No.10173,  also  known  as the
Data Privacy Act of 2012.
SECTION 12. Culturally-Sensitive Registration System to be known as the
Indigenous  Peoples  Civil  Registration  System (IPCRS). -PSA, .in cot)aboration
with  the  National  Commission  for  Indigenous  Peoples  (NCIP),  National  Commission
on  Muslim  Filipinos  (NCMF),  Bangsamoro Autonomous  Region  in  Muslim  Mindanao
(BARMM),  Philippine Association of Civil  Registrars,  National Commission on Culture
and Arts (NCCA),  and distinguished anthropologists and selected elders and  leaders
of lps shall establish an  Indigenous Peoples Civil Registration System (lpcRS) that is
sensitive and appropriate to the unique cultural practices and identification systems of


lps: Prov/.c/ed, That the lpcRS shall be harmonized with existing laws and systems on
civil  registry.
ln  recording  the  birth  of lps  delivered  in  the  traditional  customs  and  practices  of
the  indigenous community, the  report as to the circumstances of the  birth  by any of
the  parents or by the tribal doctor or tribal  midwife who attended to the delivery shall
be conclusive upon the Local Civil  Registrar without need for further proof and  PSA.
The  lpcRS  shall  take  into account the various ethnic affiliations of the  lps  in the
country. Forthis purpose, the PSA Head, acting as the Civil Registrar General, instead
of issuing  separate forms for the  IPCRS,  shall cause the amendment of the existing
civil  registry forms, for uniformity of all civil  registry documents to ensure acceptability
by  end-user  agencies  or  institutions  of the  facts  and  information  contained  in  said
documents and ease of establishing filial bonds between or among parents or parents
and  child.
ln the absence of any identifying document, the self-ascription or ascription by any
of the parents or tribal leader or elder shall suffice to establish the identity of lps when
applying with the LCR/PSA for recording birth, marriage, or death.
SECTION 13. Mandatory Continuing Education and Training Program. -To
ensure that the  efficient and  effective  delivery of civil  registration  services  meet the
demand for quality civil registrars who shall perform civil registration functions, the Civil
Registrar   General   together   with    local   government   units   (LGU),    shall   conduct
continuing  education   and  training   program  for  Civil   Registrars,   Consul   Generals,
District Recorders, and Circuit Registrars and their staff,  in collaboration with relevant
partners  in  government,  academe,  industry,  and   non-governmental  organizations.
Such   training   programs   shall   be   initiated,   conducted   based   on   Training   Needs
Analysis, and evaluated regularly throughout the year to ensure constant upgrading of
skills   of  the   Civil   Registrars,   Consul   Generals,   District   Recorders,   and   Circuit
Registrars, and their staff.


SECTION 14. Barangay Civil Registration System (BCRS). -The Clv.il F`eg.istrar
General shall establish a systematic civil registration procedure at the barangay level,
to be called as the Barangay Civil Registration System, where elected and appointed
barangay  officials  shall  be  mandated  to  assist  in  the  facilitation  of  civil  registration
within their area or jurisdiction, subject to the provision of this Act.
The  Barangay Captain shall submit to the Civil  Registrar's Office of his/her city or
municipality  the   names  of  the   Barangay  Secretary  as   Ex-Offlcio   Barangay   Civil
Registration Officer (BCRO) and another deputized barangay official as Barangay Civil
Registration Assistant (BCRA) who shall assist in the  registration of all vital events of
every individual within their area of jurisdiction.
The CRO shall engage the barangays to support in the implementation of the law,
including the provision  of fiscal and  budgetary support.
Proper networking,  interconnection,  and  collaboration  between the  barangay and
its respective Civil Registrar's Office shall be ensured in order to attain mandatory civil
registration of all born  Filipinos. The PSA,  LGUs,  a  national  professional organization
of local civil  registrars duly registered with the Securities and  Exchange Commission,
and  other accredited  government or private  institutions shall conduct regular training
and capacity building programs to upgrade the knowledge and skills in civil registration
functions of all partners in the barangay.
SECTION 15. Free De/ayecl Regi-sfraf/.on Program. -Local government units are
mandated to implement a free delayed  registration program for persons whose births
have not been registered and certified due to such factors as poverty, distance, or lack
of  literacy.  The  Sangguniang   Barangay  shall  assist  in  the   implementation  of  the
program through the  Barangay Civil  Registration System.
The OCRG, the  Department of the  Interior and  Local  Government (DILG) and the
National  Commission  on   Indigenous  Peoples  (NCIP)  shall  jointly  prepare  a   Free
Delayed   Registration   Program   for   Indigenous   Peoples   (FDRIP)   which   shall   be


implemented  by the  local  government  units and the  NCIP  regional  or local  offices  in
the localities concerned.
SECTION 16. Strict Confidentiality of Birth Records. -The record Of a person's
birth  shall  be  kept  confidential  and  no  information  relating  thereto  shall  be  issued
except upon  request of the following:
a)   The concerned  person herself/himself, or any person authorized  by him;
b)   Spouse;
c)   Any  or  both  the  parents,  direct  descendants,  or  the  guardian,  or  institution
legally in-charge in case of a  minor;
d)   The   Court  or  appropriate   public  official  whenever  absolutely   necessary  in
administrative, judicial,  or other official  proceedings to determine the identity of
the child's parents or other circumstances surrounding the birth; and
e)   The nearest kin in case of a person's death.
SECTION 11.  Registration and Certification of Death. -No human body shall
be  buried  or cremated  unless  the  proper death  certificate  has  been  presented  and
recorded  in the Civil  Registrar's Office.
The  physician  who  attended  the  deceased,  or  in  his  default,  the  health  officer
concerned,   any   member  of  the   family   of  the   deceased   or  any   person   having
knowledge   of  the   death   shall   immediately   report  the   same   to   the   local   health
authorities who shall issue a death certificate and shall order the same to be recorded
before the Civil Registrar's Office of the city or municipality where the death occurred .
The  death  certificate  which  shall  be  issued   by  the  attending   physician  of  the
deceased or, in his default, by the authorized health officer, shall indicate the following
data, which shall be furnished  by the person reporting the death to the civil  registrar:
a)   Full name of the deceased;
b)   Sex;
c)   Age;
d)   Civil  status;
e)   Nationality;


f)     Dateofbirth;
g)   place of birth;
h)   Date of death;
i)     Placeofdeath;
j)    Full names of the deceased's parents;
k)   Cause of death; and
I)    Such other relevant data that may be required.
The surname to be entered  in the registry of death and the Death Certificate shall
be the surname used prior to his/her death.   In case the deceased is a legally married
woman,  informants shall register the death using the surname she chose as a legally
married  person.
The  registration  of death  shall  be  made within  thirty  (30)  calendar days from  the
time  and  date  of death  before  the  Civil  Registrar's  Office  of the  city  or  municipality
where  the  death  occurred,  or the  Philippine  Consulate  Office  in  the  foreign  country
where the death happened.
ln   the   absence   of   the   city   or   municipal    health   officer   or   his   authorized
representative  in  the  place  of registration,  or when  it  is  a  non-working  day  and  the
health officer or his authorized  representative is not expected to be in the office, the
death  shall  be  reported  by the  nearest kin  of the deceased  or by any person  having
knowledge of the death within forty-eight (48)  hours after its occurrence, to the mayor
or to the vice  mayor or any member of the  Sangguniang  Bayan  or to the  municipal
secretary, who shall issue and sign the medical certification of the Certificate of Death
for burial, cremation, and  registration  purposes.
When the death is subjected to a medico-legal examination, or the cause of death
js under investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBl) or other concerned
government   office   and   the   body   of  the   deceased   is   subjected   to   autopsy   or
examination of the medico-legal officers and  no record of death  has been registered,
the head of the NBl or other investigative agency or the duly authorized representative
shall cause the registration of such death through the City or Municipal Health Officer


of the  city  or  municipality  where  the  death  occurred.  The  medico-legal  officer  shall
accomplish and sign the medical certification portion of the certificate of death, subject
to the  review of the City or Municipal  Health Officer.
SECTION  18.  De/ayed Reg/.sfrafi.on of Death. -A deceased  person's facts of
death that have not been  registered within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of
death  shall  be  allowed  delayed  registration  before the  Civil  Registrar's  Office  at the
place of death.
ln any case, out-of-town  registration of death may be allowed.
SECTION  19.  Registration  of  the  Application  for  Marriage  License.  -  Am
application for marriage license shall be filed by the contracting parties before the Civil
Registrar's Office of the city or municipality where one of the parties resides. The Civil
Registrar  shall  enter  all  applications  in  the   Register  of  Applications  for  Marriage
License  strictly  in  the  order  of  receipt  of  applications.  The  CR  shall  record  in  said
register the  names  of the  applicants,  the  date  on  which  the  marriage  license  was
issued, and such other data as may be necessary.
No application  shall  be  received  by the  CR  unless supporting  documents are
attached thereto  and  no application  shall  be  posted  unless  it is  received  by the  CR.
Registration of the application shall only take place after the completion of the posting
period.
All   applications   for   marriage   license   shall   be   governed   by   the   pertinent
provisions  of Executive  Order  No.  209,  otherwise  known  as the  Family Code  of the
Philippines.
SECTION 20. Regi-straf/.on of Marri.age. -All marriages shall be registered by
the solemnizing officer before the Civil Registrar's Office of the place where they were
solemnized.
a)   ln case of marriages solemnized while in transit:


i.       En  routeto, orwithin the  philippines, the marriage shall  be registered at
the place of residence of either party; or
ii.       Leavingthe philippines,the marriageshall be registered attheconsulate
of the  Philippines  in  the  place  of  destination  of the  parties,  or  in  the
absence thereof,  to the  nearest  Philippine  consulate from the  place  of
destination.
b)   In  cases  of registration  of traditional  marriages  and  dissolution  of marriages
among and between lps.
The  report  of marriage  among  and  between  lps  solemnized  in  accordance  with
customary  laws,   rites,  traditions,  and   practices  by  the  person  duly  authorized  to
perform the ritual or ceremony and  by the parties to the marriage shall  be conclusive
upon the LCR or PSA without need for further proof.  For this purpose, the NCIP shall
submit to the PSA a list of lps recognized by each indigenous community to solemnize
marriage   according   to   its   customary   laws   or  practices.   The   PSA  shall   issue   a
Certificate of Registration of Authority to Solemnize Marriage (CRASM) to such lps for
free.
In the case of indigenous communities whose traditional marriage ceremony does
not  require  the  presence  of a  solemnizing  officer,  as  determined  by  the  NCIP,  the
report by the  contracting  parties  shall  be  conclusive  upon  the  LCR/PSA without the
need  for further proof except personal confirmation,  orally or in writing,  by any of the
parents or by a tribal leader or elder of the indigenous community to which any of the
spouses belong.  For this purpose, the NCIP shall furnish the PSA and the LCR with a
list  of indigenous  communities  falling  under this  paragraph:  Prow.bed,  That  pending
the submission of such list, the oral or written confirmation of the tribal leader or elder
shall be conclusive upon the LCR/PSA.
The  dissolution   of  marriage   of  lps  following  customary  indigenous   laws  and
practices   shall   be   directly   recorded   with   the   LCR/PSA   without   need   of   court
intervention: Provt.ded, That such facts and  information shall be confirmed orally or in
writing  by  a  tribal  leader  or elder  of the  indigenous  community  to  which  any  of the
spouses belongs.


All   marriages  shall   be  registered  within  thirty  (30)  days  from  the  date  of  the
marriage.  Marriages  registered  after  the  stipulated  period  shall  be  considered  late
registration and  an administrative fee shall  be  imposed  on the solemnizing  officer.  In
no case shall double or multiple registration of marriages be allowed, except for cases
provided  by law.
SECTION  21. Mu/I/.p/e Reg/.sfraf/-on. -ln cases of multiple registrations of birth,
marriage  or death,  the first duly  registered  document shall  prevail,  unless the  Court
orders otherwise.
For multiple  marriages  by and  between the  same  parties,  the first marriage  shall
prevail, and  not the first registered  marriage of such parties.
SECTION  22.  Registration of Solemnizing Officers. -AIl  solemn`iz.ing Offiicers
shall  be registered with the Office of the CRG,  except those who are  not required to
be so registered as provided for by law or existing  rules.
The  Mayor,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Civil  Registrar's  Office,  shall  determine
documents pertaining to the existence of religious sects.
SECTION 23.  Regi.sfrati.on of Court Orders. -ln case of court issuance or order
concerning  the  status  of  a  person,  the  Clerk  of  Court  shall  advise  the  successful
petitioner  to  register  such  document  before  the  Civil  Registrar's  Office  which  has
jurisdiction on the issuing court.
ln  cases  of legal  separation,  absolute  nullity of void  marriages and  annulment of
voidable  marriages,  the  prevailing  party shall  cause the  registration  of the decree  in
the  Civil  Registrar's  Office  where  the  marriage was  registered,  the  Civil  Registrar's
Office where the family court is situated, and in the PSA. Such party shall report to the
Court compliance with this requirement within thirty (30) days from  receipt of the copy
of the decree.


ln case a person other than the petitioner shall apply to register a court order before
the Civil  Registrar's Office, the LCR has the responsibility to verify the veracity of the
court issuance or order, otherwise, registration thereof shall be refused.
The Civil Registrar's Office where the event was registered shall forward a certified
true copy of the order to the Civil Registrar's Office where the vital event affected was
originally  registered.   The  Civil  Registrar's Office where the vital  event was  originally
registered  shall  make  proper  annotations  in  the  document  and   in  the  applicable
registry  book.  The  Civil   Registrar's  Office  which   has  jurisdiction  over  the  original
registry shall send a certified true copy of the annotated document and the registered
court order to the CRG.
Each  corrected  document shall  be  reported  to the  Office  of the  CRG  during  the
usual  reporting  month.
All court orders shall be registered within thirty (30) days after its finality, otherwise
it shall be considered as delayed  registration.
All court orders shall be affected through annotations in the civil registry document
except  in  an  adoption  case  when  the  child  shall  be  entitled  to  the  issuance  of  an
amended COLB.
SECTION  24.  Registration  of a  child  born  abroad  to  at  least  one  Filipino
parent.  -  The  parents  shall  cause  the  registration  of the  birth  of their  child  to  the
Philippine  Consulate  which   in  turn  shall   issue  a   Report  of  Birth  within  thirty  (30)
calendar  days  from  date  of  birth  of  a   Filipino  child   declaring  the  following  when
available:
a)   Full  name of the child;
b)   Sex;
c)   Date of birth;
d)   Place of birth or where found;
e)   Name of mother;
f)    Citizenship of the mother;


g)   Name of father;
h)   Citizenship of the father;
i)    Date and place of marriage of parents; and,
j)    Such other data as may be required  in the implementing  rules and  regulations
of this Act.
SECTION 25.  Registration of Persons without Known  Parents. -AIl w.ithout
known  parents,  guardians  or  relatives,  or  a  person  committed  in  an  orphanage  or
charitable  institution with  unknown facts of birth and  parentage,  shall  be  reported  by
the finder to the  Barangay Chairperson  or any member of the  Barangay Council  for
the Protection of Children (BCPC)  of the place where the person was found, or to the
Philippine  National   Police  Women  and   Children's  Protection   Desk  (PNP-WCPD),
whichever is  nearer or convenient to the finder,  stating the facts and  circumstances
surrounding the finding  of the  person.  When the  report is duly noted, the finder shall
bring the child to the nearest Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
office in the region, for proper screening, assessment, and evaluation by an authorized
social worker within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of finding or commitment
of the child. The finder shall execute a sworn statement before the Barangay Captain
stating the facts and circumstances surrounding the finding of the person.
ln case of foundlings found in Philippine Consulates, embassies and territories, the
relevant Philippine Consulate shall be governed by Republic Act No.11767, otherwise
known  as  the  Foundling   Recognition  and   Protection  Act,  the  finder  or  charitable
institution  concerned  shall  cause  the  registration  before  the  Civil  Registrar's  Office
where  such   person  was  found  within  thirty  (30)  calendar  days  from  the  date  of
entrustment to the  institution.
Any  report  made  after  the  thirty  (30)  day  period   shall   be  considered   late
registration, and the concerned  party shall  be required to state in a sworn statement
the circumstances that caused the late reporting to the civil  registrar.
Should the foundling become adopted, the Local Civil Registrar shall stamp the
simulated birth record "cancelled" with an annotation of the issuance of a new rectified


certificate  of birth  in  its  place.  The  rectified  birth  certificate  bearing  the  names  of the
biological parents of the child or the foundling certificate shall then likewise be stamped
"cancelled" with the annotation of the issuance of a  new birth  record  in  its place, and
shall be sealed  in the civil  registry records.  Thereafter, the  Local Civil  Registrar shall
record,  register,  and  issue a  new certificate of birth which shall  not bear any notation
that  it  is  a  new or amended  issue,  as  stated  in  Sec.12  of Republic Act  No.11222,
otherwise known as the Simulated  Birth  Rectification Act.
SECTION  26.   Regi-sfraf/.on of Adopt/.on. -The decree of adoption shall be
recorded  in the civil  register within thirty  (30) days after the date  of issue of the final
judgment of the court.
After  registration  of the decree  of adoption,  the  Civil  Registrar's  Office  where
the birth of the adopted was registered shall immediately issue an amended COLB.
Such  COLB of an  adopted  child  shall  not bear any  mark or annotation  or any
indication of the facts of adoption.   It shall  have the same entries as those appearing
in the original  records of birth, except for the following  items of information:
a)   Name of the adopted -The first name of the adopted child shall be the same
as in the original COLB unless the order of adoption carried an order changing
it to another name. The middle name of the adopted child shall be the same as
the middle name of the adopter, except when the husband and the wife jointly
adopted the child,  in which case, the middle name of the adopted  shall be the
surname of the adopting mother.
The surname of the adopted child shall be that of the adopter.   If the husband
and wife jointly adopt the child, the adopted child shall use the surname of the
adopting father.
b)   Names of parents -The names of the natural parents of the adopted child shall
be  substituted  by  the  names  of the  adopting  parents,  to  be  indicated  in  the


appropriate spaces  in the  COLB as the father or mother,  as the case  maybe;
and,
c)   Other  information  -  Other  information  about  the  adopting  parents  such  as
citizenship  and  religion  shall  be  indicated  in  the  appropriate  spaces  of  the
amended certificate of live birth.
The birth order of the adopted and other information about the adopted shall follow
the information given by the adopting parents, unless the court order states otherwise.
In cases where legally married  husband and wife jointly adopt the child, the date and
place of marriage of the adopting  parents shall be entered  in the appropriate spaces
of the amended certificate of live birth of the adopted child.
ln  all  cases  of adoption,  no  amendment or changes  shall  be  affected  in  the  civil
registry  books  where  the  original  birth  records  were  duly  registered,  except  for the
marginal annotation by virtue of the adoption decree.
In case the adopted child  has no known parents, the basis for the issuance of the
amended COLB shall be the court order.
SECTION 21. Registration of Presumptive Death. -A iud.ic.ial order or clecree
declaring a person presumably dead for purposes of remarriage shall be registered in
the office of the  local  civil  registrar of the  place where the  marriage was solemnized.
It shall be annotated and recorded. The registration shall be annotated in the marriage
register as well as in the marriage certificate.
SECTION   28.   Registration of Foreign Court Orders  Decided Abroad. -AIl
foreign  court  orders  involving  status  of persons  residing  in  the  Philippines  shall  be
registered   before   the   Civil   Registrar's   Office   where   the   affected   document   is
registered. These foreign court orders, to be legal and binding in Philippine jurisdiction,
must  first  be  recognized  by  the  appropriate  embassy  of  such  country  here  in  the
Philippines or Regional Trial Court which  has the lawful jurisdiction over such case.


SECTION 29. Regi-sfraf/.on of Lega/ /nsfrt/ments. -As a general  rule,  all  legal
instruments  shall  be  registered  in  the  civil  registry  of  the  place  where  they  were
executed except for the following:
a)  Affidavit of Reappearance -where the parties to the subsequent marriage are
residing;
b)   Marriage Settlement -where the marriage is recorded; or,
c)   Admission       of      Paternity,       Acknowledgment,       Legitimation,       Voluntary
Emancipation  of  Minor,  Artificial  Insemination  -where  the  birth  of child  was
recorded.
SECTION 30. Registration of Affidavit of Reappearance. -A sworn staitemend
of the  facts  and  circumstances  of  reappearance  of the  absentee  spouse  shall  be
recorded  in the civil registry office where subsequent marriage of the present spouse
was recorded, at the instance of any interested person, with due notice to the spouses
of the subsequent marriage and without prejudice to the fact of reappearance  being
judicially determined in cases where such a fact is disputed.
SECTION  31.  Registration  of  Affidavit  of  Acknowledgment  or  Affidavit  of
Adm/.ss/.on of Pafemi.fy. -lt shall be the duty of parents or parent who executed the
affidavit  of acknowledgment to  send  the  original  copy to the  Civil  Registrar's  Office
where the entries on the birth of the child were recorded for registration in the Register
of Legal  Instruments and for proper annotation in the  Register of Births.
SECTION 32. Regi-sfrafi.on of Repafr7-afi.on. -The instrument of repatriation and
the oath of allegiance to the Constitution and the Government of the Philippines, shall
be filed in the Civil Registrar's Office of the place where the instrument was executed:
Provided, that if the  Philippine citizenship  is  reacquired  by naturalization, the order of
the court or any mandated  (omnibus) authority granting citizenship shall be recorded
in the Register of Court Order.
SECTION    33.    Registration    of    Muslim    Filipinos,    Indigenous    Cultural
Communities (ICCs) or Indigenous Peoples (lps) and Children in Need of Special
Profecf/.on /CIVSP/.   -Muslim  Filipinos,  lccs  or lps  and  CNSP,  by  reason  of their


socio-cultural,   religious,   and   indigenous  peculiarities,   and   vulnerabilities,   shall   be
registered as follows:
a)   Muslim Filipinos -civil registration of Muslim Filipinos shall be governed by P.D.
No.1083,  Executive  Order  No.157,  s.1994,  otherwise  known  as  the  Civil
Registration   System   for   Muslim   Filipinos,   and   its   implementing   rules   and
regulations.
b)   Indigenous  Peoples  -civil  registration  of  indigenous  cultural  communities  or
indigenous  peoples  shall  be  governed  by  Republic  Act  No.  8371,  otherwise
known  as  the  Indigenous  Peoples'  Rights Act  of  1997,  and  its  implementing
rules and  regulations.
c)   CNSP  -  Civil  registration  of Children  in  Need  of Special  Protection  shall  be
governed  by the  provisions  of this  Act,  special  laws,  and  imp[ementing  rules
and  regulations,  in  coordination  with  the  Department  of  Social  Welfare  and
Development and other concerned agencies.
SECTION 34. Civil Registry Documents as Public Documents. -The reg.istry
books making up the civil register, the office files in hard copies and its corresponding
digital files of the Civil  Registrar's Offices,  certifications or certified copies from these
files and  all  other documents  relating  thereto  shall  be  considered  public documents
and  shall  be prt.rna  fact.e evidence  of the truth  of the facts therein  contained.  These
public documents,  except those documents which are to be kept strictly confidential
as provided for under this act and other applicable laws shall be opened to the public
during  office  hours  and  shall  be  kept in  a  secured  place which  shall  be furnished  to
civil  registrar  at  the  expenses  of the  funds  of the  civil  registrar's  office,  Philippine
consulate office, or Shari'a court concerned.
The   civil   registrar  shall   not,   under  any  circumstances,   permit  any  document
entrusted to  his/her care to be  removed from  his/her office, except upon  lawful order
of the court, in which case the proper receipt shall be secured.
SECTICIN 35. Digital/Electronic Reporting of Births, Death, and Marriages. -
There  shall  be  a  compulsory  reporting  of  all  occurrences  of  births,  deaths,  and
marriages from all Barangays of the Philippines. As Barangay Registration Agents, all


Barangay  Secretaries  or  their  authorized  representatives  are  hereby  mandated  to
report these events  using  appropriate and  duly-inspected  secure electronic devices
and  systems to the  LCR/PSA and  other government agencies  mandated  by  law to
monitor  the  status  of  registration  of  vital  civil  registry  events  and  shall  assist  the
subsequent registration thereof. Continuing skills training  relevant to Digital/Electronic
Reporting  of Births,  Death  and  Marriages  of Barangay  Registration Agents  shall  be
provided  by  the  PSA,  LGU,   PACR  and  other  accredited  government  and  private
institutions and  organizations. This training shall equip  Barangay Registration Agents
with  the  knowledge  and  skills  needed  to  properly  implement  digital/electronic  civil
registration.
SECTION  36.  Development  of  National   Civil   Registry  Database  (NCRD)
Software. -The National Government through the National Computer Center in close
coordination  with  the  PSA,  the  PACR,  and  the  DILG  shall  develop  official  software
responsive to the NCRD imp[ementation. Participation and assistance of international
and  local  private  organizations  having  parallel  objectives  on  the  full  development of
digital  civil  registration  may  be  sought  in  the  development  of this  software.  Among
other features, this software shall include the highest degree of data security to ensure
the integrity and confidentiality of its database.
SECTION 31. Digitization of all Civil Registry Files. -AIl reg.ishered documents
in the  LCR/PSA shall  be digitized.  In  addition to the  usual  reports and  forvarding  of
the printed  hard  copy files,  digitized files shall also be submitted to the  PSA as back
up files of the National Civil Registry Database (NCRD), for digital archiving purposes.
SECTION 38.   Fa/se Sfafemenfs. -Any person who shall knowingly make false
statements in the furnished forms and present the same for entry in the civil registers
shall  be penalized  in accordance with law unless  it was done for the  best interest of
the child.
SECTION   39.    Digitalization    of   Linkages    and    lnterconnection    of   All
Parfi.ci.pat/.ng LCR/PSA. -All capable  LCR/PSA shall  be interconnected to facilitate
retrieval,  online  certifications,  and  for  local  government  revenue  generation  using


LGU-linked  NCRD digital files.  Participating  LCR/PSA are  hereby authorized to issue
certifications from NCRD for and in behalf of other LCR/PSA subject to pertinent laws,
rules or regulations on the confidentiality of birth records.
SECTION  40.  Pena/  Provi.si.ons.  -  Persons  in  authority  who  knowingly  fail  to
perform  their  duties   in   relation  to  this  Act  shall   be   held   administratively  liable   in
accordance to law.
Any solemnizing officer without being authorized by the Civil Registrar General
or  who,   upon  solemnizing  marriage,   refuses  to  exhibit  his  authority  to  solemnize
marriage when called upon to do so by the parties or parents, grandparents, guardians
or persons  having  charge  of the  parties;  or any bishop  or officer,  priest,  minister,  or
imam,  of any church,  religion  or sect,  the  regulations  and  practices whereof require
bans  or  publication  previous  to  the  solemnization  of  marriage  that  is  subsequently
declared  illegal,  or any  solemnizing  officer in  violation  of this Act,  shall  be  punished
with imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not to exceed three (3) years, a
fine  of  not  less  than  Fifty  Thousand  Pesos  (P50,000.00)  but  not  more  than  One
Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00), or both, and the revocation of the authority
to solemnize marriage,  upon the discretion of the Court.
The attending physician,  midwife,  nurse, birth attendant,  hospital administrator
in-charge to  cause the  registration  of live  births  but  knowingly fails  or withholds the
delivery of copies of the  certificate/s  of live birth to the city or municipal  civil  registrar
for registration,  or any  person who caused  the failure  of delivery,  shall  be  penalized
by  imprisonment  of  not  more  than  six  (6)  months  and  a  fine  of  not  less  than  Fifty
Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00), or both, upon the discretion of the Court.
SECTION 41. Withholding of documents due to Non-payment of hospital
fees. -   ln no case shall failure to settle hospital bills,  in full or in part, be a ground for
non-delivery  or  withholding  of  the  certificate  of  live  birth  or  certificate  of  death  or
documents required  in the issuance of the said certificates.
SECTION 42. Use of Fees and /ncome Co//ec fed. -All fees that are remitted
to the  PSA by the  National Treasury and  all income that the  PSA is allowed to retain


under law shall, any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, be used primarily
for  operating  expenses  including  capital  outlay,   upgrading  of  its  current  facilities,
acquisition of office and space, and establishment of satellite offices in the provinces,
and other activities or services the PSA in the performance of its mandate needs.
SECTION   43.   Transi.tory   Provi.si.ons.   -   The   PSA   shall   carry   out   the
reorganization  of the  civil  registrars  in  such  a  manner that  personnel  of such  office
absorbed   by   the   PSA   shall   continue   to   perform   their   respective   duties   and
responsibilities  in  a  holdover  capacity  so  as  not  to  unduly  delay  the  production  of
statistics from ongoing censuses, surveys, and processing of administrative records.
SECTION 44. Appropr/.af/.ons. -There shall be an initial appropriation of One
Hundred  Fifty  Million  Pesos  (P150,000,000.00)  in  the  General  Appropriations  Act,
which will be included in the PSA's budget for the initial development of software and
the digitization  of the Civil  Registrar's Office files.
SECTION  45.  Mandetory  Revi.ew.  -  This  Act  shall  undergo  a  mandatory
review on  its provisions every five (5) years to  make the law more responsive to the
needs of the times.  The review shall be made by Congress, which shall conduct public
hearings  and   record   relevant  testimonies  of  functionaries   in  the  civil   registration
system, which shall be the basis of any amendment or modification of this Act.
SECTION 46. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) . -VV.iINin stixty (60)
days from the effectivity of this Act, the PSA, shall promulgate the lRR for the effective
implementation  of this  Act.  The  PSA  may  consult  with  the  Department  of  Foreign
Affairs,  Department of Interior and  Local  Government,  Department of Justice  (DOJ),
Department  of  Social  Welfare  and  Development  (DSWD),  National  Commission  of
Muslim   Filipinos   (NCMF),   the   Office   of   the   Supreme   Court   Administrator,   the
University of the Philippines Law Center, a  national  professional organization of local
civil  registrars  duly  registered  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,  the
National   Privacy   Commission,   the   Department   of   Health,   the   Office   of  Solicitor
General,  the  National  Commission  on  Indigenous  Peoples  (NCIP),  the  Child  Rights
Network (CRN), the Commission on  Human Rights (CHR), the Bureau of Immigration


(BIR), the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), the National Council of Disability
Affairs  (NCDA),  the  Commission  on  Filipinos  Overseas  (CFO),  the  Department  of
Education  (DepEd),the  Overseas  Workers  Welfare Administration  (O\/V\/\/A),  related
child   caring   agencies,   international   agencies,   civil   society   organizations,   related
ministries of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and
such  other agencies  in the formulation  of the  lRR.  Other relevant stakeholders  may
also be consulted  in the crafting of the lRR.
Within  ninety  (90)  days  from  the  effectivity  of  this  Act,  the  OCRG  shall  issue
implementing   rules  and   regulations  for  the  free  delayed   registration   program,  as
mandated in Section  15 of this Act.
SECTION 47.   Separabi-/i-fy C/awse. - If any part or provision of this Act which
shall  be  held  to  be  invalid  or unconstitutional,  other parts or provisions  hereof which
are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.
SECTION  48.  Repea/i.ng C/ause. -Act No.  3753  or the  Law on  Registry  of
Civil  Status  is  repealed.  Sec.  453,  454,  and  479  of the  R.A.  No.  7160  or the  Local
Government Code of 1991  are also hereby repealed. All other laws, rules, regulations,
orders,  memoranda,  or circulars  inconsistent with  this Act are  hereby  repealed  and
modified accordingly.
SECTION 49. Consfrt/cf/-on. -In the interpretation of this law, the best interest
of the child  shall  prevail.
SECTION 50. Retroacfi.vi.fy. -This Act shall have retroactive effect insofar as
it does not prejudice or impair vested or acquired  rights.
SECTION  51. Effecfi.v7-fy. -This Act shall take effect fifteen  (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,