Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUsEBILLNO,__—38753

Introduced by HON, JULIETTE T. UY

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Tris in the best interest of the State to maintain a functional and reliable civil registration system that
is (1) efficient and responsive to the needs of the Filipino people; and (2) appropriately aligned with
international standards,

‘Through the official registration of births, deaths, marriages and adoption, Filipinos have the
documentary evidence needed to secure recognition of their legal identity, family relationships,
nationality, and all other telated civil rights. ‘This recognition is increasingly important in light of the
anticipated acceleration of cross-border movements of Filipinos globally and within the ASEAN.
Economic Community.

A functional and reliable civil registration system also facilitates efficient and effective social services
planning and delivery, and produces accurate statistics that are the foundation for building a
modern, efficient and informed public administration system, Thus, it helps realize human, legal and
economic rights as well as provide for social protection. ‘They play a key role in tealizing good
governance from the local to national levels of our government.

This bill seeks to mandate a mote efficient and locally-responsive system for recording vital events
through simplified procedures and the application of appropriate technologies. It also aims to
standardize civil registration procedures to aid the national government, local government units, and
the general public,

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill

istrict, Misamis Oriental


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3753

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HON, JULIETTE T. UY

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A MORE RESPONSIVE CIVIL REGISTRATION SYSTEM
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1, Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Civil Registration Act of 2014",

Section 2, Declaration of Policy, - ‘The State shall promote and maintain a more responsive civil
registration system, Towards this end, standardization amid modernization of civil registration
procedures is necessary to establish the identity of the individual for administrative and legal
purposes. Moreover, efficient and simplified procedures in recording vital events must be applied in
civil registration for the benefit of the general public,

Section 3. Coverage. - This law shall embrace all acts affecting the civil status of persons in the
Philippines and all Filipino citizens abroad.

Section 4, Definition of Terms.

a) Civil Registration - refers to the continuous, permanent, universal and compulsory
documentation of occurrence and characteristics of vital events, including any modifications
thereof during the lifetime of a person, namely births, deaths, marriages, judicial and
administrative orders and legal instruments,

b) Civil Register - refers to the various civil registry books where events and judicial decrees
concerning the civil status of persons shall be recorded and kept in the archives of the Local
Civil Registry Office, Philippine Consulates, National Statistics Office, and Shari'a
District/Cireuit Courts

©) Civil Registry Documents - refers to all certificates and documents relating to civil status
of petson which are recorded and kept in the archives of the Local Civil Registry Office,
Philippine Consulates, National Statistics Office, and Shari'a District/Circuit Courts.


¢) Philippine Association of Civil Registrars (PACR) ~ refers to the national professional
association of Civil Registrars of the Philippines.

©) Civil Registrar General (CRG) - refers to the National Statistician of the Philippine
Statistical Authority (PSA) in his/her ex-officio capacity, formerly the head of the Office of
the Civil Registrar General (OCRG).

1) Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA) ~ refers to the central Statistical Authority of the
Republic of the Philippines headed by the National Statistician, formerly known as the
National Statistics Office (NSO).

2) Local Civil Registrar (LCR) - refers to the head of the Local Civil Registry Office
(LCRO)

h) Consul General/Consul/Vice Consul (CG) = set
Philippine Consular Offices acting as Registrars of
Filipinos in a foreign country.

to the Consular Officials in
il registry documents involving

i) Disteict/Citcuit Registrar (D/CR) - refers to the Clerk of a Sharia District/Cireuit Court
performing civil registration functions with regards to Muslim marriages, Divorces,
Revocation of Divorces and Conversions under Title VI, Book Two of Presidential Decree
No.1083, otherwise known as the Code of Muslim Personal Laws.

j) Barangay Registration Agents (BRA) ~ refers to the Barangay Secretary or his/her
authorized representative who is mandated by law to assist in civil registration, particularly in
the compulsory reporting of all occurrences of births, deaths and marriages from all
Barangays of the Philippines using appropriate electronic devices.

k) Local Archive Authority (LAA) ~ refers to the LCR or his authorized official of the LCRO
of each Local Government Unit 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 Interconnection of All Participating LCROs.

1) National Civil Registry Database (NCRD) ~ xefers to all digitized civil registry
documents from all LCRO, CG and D/CR officially linked for multilateral benefits

m) National Security Paper (NSECPA) ~ sefers to the Security Paper, printed by a
government printer with overt and covert features, to be exclusively used for all
certifications from LCROs using the NCRD digitized archives.

n) Barangay Civil Registration System (BCRS) ~ refers to a strategy to facilitate civil
registration at the barangay level involving all barangay officials assisting the City/Municipal
Civil Registrar (C/MCRs) in civil segistration work, as stated in Section 394 (d) (5) R.A
7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of the Philippines.

©) Local Health Authority — refers to the Local Government Department Head of the City or
Municipal Health Office of the every Local Government Unit.


p) Legal Instruments - refers to the affidavits/affirmations pertaining to civil registration.

Section 5. Duties and Functions of the Civil Registrar General (CRG). - The Office of the
Civil Registrar General shall have the following duties and functions:

a) 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;

b) exercise technical supervision over the City/Municipal Civil Registrars (C/MCRs) and other
Local Civil Registry Officers;

©) issue circulars and memoranda pertaining to civil registration enhancements as part of the
functions of the OCRG;

4) provide ways and means to assist Civil Registrars for the reconstruction of Local Archives as
the need arises;

¢) act as the national central repository 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 puxposes only; and,

f) implement a mandatory continuing education and training program for C/MCRs to be
conducted once every two years in collaboration with the DILG and PACR

Section 6, Duties of the City/Municipal Civil Registrar. - The appointment 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
concemed, 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, 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;

©) Compile and transmit copies to CRG every document registered within the first ten (10)
calendar days of the succeeding month;

4) Issue certified transcripts or copies of any certificate or document registered, upon payment
of the prescribed fees;

©) Classify, digitize, index and preserve all registered documents in accordance with the
appropriate archiving procedures;

Administer oaths, free of charge, for civil registry purposes;

8) File, keep and preserve in a secured place the civil registry books as required by law;


h) Receive all registrable documents and transcribe in 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, shall issue the license upon payment of the authorized fee to the
local treasurer;

j) Conduct community education campaigns on vital registration and assist in the preparation
of demographics 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;

}) 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 status of his files, in cases
of fire, flood, earthquake and other natural and or manmade calamities;

m) Reconstruct destroyed civil registry records upon compliance with the requirements
following the procedures established by the CRG;

1) Make available at all times the civil registry form:

in the civil registry office;

©) Be responsible for the issuance of certifications as the Local Archive Authority (LAA) and in
the management of the local outlet of National Security Paper (NSECPA) using the NCRD;

) Be authorized to solemnize marriage within his or her jurisdiction;

q) Exercise quasi judicial functions in all cases involving changes and correction in the civil
register as provided for by law; and

1) Employ lawful measures to ensure the integrity of the civil register, preserve the same against
any form of corruption pertaining to both its hard copies and digital copies on file. This
endeavor shall pertain not only to the local archives but to the files of its counterparts in the
use of NSECPA in all processes of the NCRD operations.

Section 7. Civil Registry Books - The C/MCRs shall keep and preserve in their offices the
following books: (1) Register of Births; (2) Register of Foundlings; (3) Register of Deaths; (4)
Register of Marriages; (5) Register of Court Decrees or Orders; (6) Register of Legal Instruments; (7)
Register of Applications for Marriage License; (8) Register of Conversion to Islam; (9) Register of
Muslim Divorces; (10) Register of Revocation of Muslim Divorces; (11) Register of ICCs/IPs
Marriage Dissolutions; (12) Register of ICCs/TPs Revocation of Marriage Dissolutions.

Section 8. Registration and Certification of Birth - The declaration of the physician, midwife,
nurse, attendant at birth, or in default thereof, the declaration of either oz both parents or any
person who has knowledge of the facts of birth of the newborn child shall be sufficient for the
tegistration of birth in the civil register. ‘The duly accomplished Certificate of Live Birth (COLB)

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containing the above declaration shall be submitted for registration to the C/MCR where the birth
occurred within thirty (30) calendar days after the date of birth by the aforementioned persons,
declaring the following: a.) name of the child; b.) sex; c. date of birth; d.) place of birth; d) name of
mother, ¢) citizenship of the mother; £) name of father; g,) citizenship of the father; h,) date and
place of marriage of parents; and i.) such other data as may be required in the implementing rules
and regulations of this Act.

Birth and other civil registry records of persons not bearing the usual middle initial or middle name
shall have equal acceptability and respect before all government and private transactions where these
documents are presented.

Abandoned children or foundlings, with parents, guardians or relatives being unknown, ot a child
committed in an orphanage or charitable institution with unknown facts of birth and parentage, shall
be registered by the finder or charitable institution concerned within thirty (30) calendar days before
the office of the C/MCR after the date of commitment.

‘A person who has not been registered before the office of the C/MCR where he or she was born
within the presctibed period of thirty (30) calendar days shall apply for delayed registration.

A deceased person's birth may also be registered on a delayed registration basis by 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,

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 record of a person's birth shall be kept strictly confidential and no information relating thereto
shall be issued except upon request of the following:

a) ‘The concerned person himself, or any person authorized by him;

b) His spouse, his parent or parents, his direct descendants, or guardian or institution legally in-
charge of him, if he is a minos,

©) The Court or proper public officials whenever absolutely necessary in administrative, judicial
or other official proceedings to determine the identity of the child’s parents or other
circumstances surrounding his or her birth; and

4d) In case of person’s death, the nearest kin.

Section 9. Registration and Certification of Death. - ‘The physician who attended the deceased
of, in his default, the health officer concerned, or in default of the latter, any member of the family
of the deceased, or any person having knowledge of the death, shall cause the registration of the
same before the office of the C/MCR of the place of death,


‘The death certificate which shall be issued by the attending physician of the deceased or, in his
default, by the proper health officer shall contain the following data which shall be furnished by the
person reporting the death: a) full name of the deceased; b) sex; c) age; d) civil status; ¢) nationality,
£) date of death; g) place of death; h) full names of the deceased’s parents; i.) cause of death; and j)
such other data which may be required.

Tnformants shall register the death of a deceased legally married woman using the surname of her
immediate surviving husband.

Registration shall be made within thirty (30) calendar days after the time of death before the office
of the C/MCR where the death occurred.

In the absence of the 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 his office, the death should be reposted within forty-eight (48) hours after its occurrence by
the nearest of kin of the deceased or by any person having knowledge of the death 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 portion of the Certificate of Death for burial and registration
purposes.

When the death is under medico-legal examination, or where the case of death is under investigation
by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) or other investigative agency of the government aad
where the body of the deceased is subjected to autopsy or examination of the medico-legal officers
and the deceased has not been registered in the place of the death, the head of the NBI ot of other
investigative agency or his authorized representative shall cause the registration of such death
through the health officer of the city or municipality where the death occurred.

‘The medico-legal officer shall accomplish and sign the medical certification portion of certificate of
death, subject to the review of the Local Health Authotity.

Registration of fetal death shall follow the same procedures in the registration of death.

‘A deceased person’s facts of death that has not been registered within thirty (30) calendar days
period after the time of death shall be allowed delayed registration before the office of the C/MCR
‘where he died.

Out-of-town registration of death may be allowed.

Section 10, Registration of the application for Marriage License. - The local civil registrar
concerned shall enter all applications for marriage licenses filed before his office in the application
for marriage license register strictly in the order in which the same are received. He 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.

Section 11. Application for Masriage License, - 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, as amended.


Section 12, Registration and Certification of Marriage. — All solemnizing officers shall send four
(A) copies of the certificate of marriage for registration before the office of the C/MCR where the
marriage took place within fifteen (15) calendar days after an ordinary marriage and within (30)
calendar days for marriages exempt from license requirement.

‘A person whose marriage has not been registered within the prescribed period shall be allowed for
delayed registration.

Out-of-town registration of marriage shall be allowed.

Section 13. Multiple Registration, - In cases of multiple registrations of birth, marriage and death,
the first duly registered document shall prevail unless the Court orders otherwise.

For multiple marriages by and between same parties, their first marriage shall prevail, not the first
registered marriage of such parties.

Section 14. Registration of Solemnizing Officers. - All solemnizing officers shall be registered
with the CRG, except those who are not required to be so registered as provided by law or existing
rales.

‘The C/MCRs may assist the Local Chief Executive in determining documents pertaining to the
existence of religious sects,

Section 15. Registration of Court Orders. - In case a court issues an order concerning the status
of a person, it shall be the duty of the clerk of court to advise the successful petitioner to have the
order registered before the C/MCR where the coutt is functioning.

In the cases where another person may apply to register a coust order other than the petitioner
before the office of the C/MCR, the later shall verify if the copy of the order is authentic, otherwise,
he shall deny registration thereof.

‘The local civil registry office where the event of the order was repistered shall forward a certified
true copy of the order to the C/MCR where the event affected was originally registered. The latter
shall make the proper annotations in the document and at the applicable registry book. He shall
likewise send a certified true copy of the annotated document and the registered court order to the
Civil Registrar General.

Each registered document shall be submitted to the Civil Registrar General during the usual
reporting month.

All court orders shall be registered within fifteen (15) days upon its finality, otherwise it shall be
considered as delayed registration.

All court orders shall be effected through annotations in the civil registry document except in
adoption where the child shall be entitled to the issuance of an amended birth certificate

Section 16, Registration of Adoption, - After the court decision on adoption cases has become
final and executory, the original birth certificate shall be amended. An amended certificate of live

8


birth of the adopted shall be issued by the C/MCR where the birth of the adopted child was
recorded. Such certificate of live birth 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 in the original
certificate .of live birth 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 sumame 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 name 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 certificate of live birth as the father or mother, as the case may be; and

©) 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
In cases where legally married husband and wife jointly adopt the child, the dare 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.

@) No amendment or changes in the civil registry books = in all cases of adoption, no
changes in the civil registry books where the original birth records was duly registered shall
be effected, except for the marginal annotation by virtue of the adoption decree.

In case the adopted child is a foundling, the basis for issuance of an Amended Certificate of Live
Birth shall be the court order.

Section 17. Registration of Presumptive Death, - A judicial order or dectee declaring a person
presumably dead for purposes of remarriage shall be registered at the C/MCR where the first
marriage was registered. For the purpose of contracting a subsequent marriage, annotation shall be
recorded in the marriage register as well as in the marriage certificate.

Section 18, Registration of Foreign Court Orders Decided Abroad. - All foreign court orders
involving civil status of persons residing in the Philippines shall be registered before the Local Civil
Registry Office where the affected document is registered. ‘These foreign court orders, to be legal
and binding in Philippine jurisdiction, must first be confirmed by the appropriate Regional Trial
Court which have the lawful jurisdiction over such case.

Section 19. Registration of Legal Instruments. - As a general rule, all legal instruments shall be
registered in the civil registry of the place where they were executed except the following:

2) Affidavit of reappearance - where the patties to the subsequent marriage are residing;

b) Marriage Settlement- where the marriage was recorded;


©) Admission of Paternity, Acknowledgment, Legitimation, Voluntary Emancipation of Minor,
‘Artificial Insemination - where the birth of the child was recorded.

‘All legal instruments executed abroad shall be registered before the Philippine consulate of that
country or at the Local Civil Registry Office where the affected document is registered including all
legal instruments which may be executed in the Philippines.

‘All legal instruments shall be effected through marginal annotations on the civil registry document
‘and at the appropriate civil register.

Section 20, Registration of Affidavit of Reappearance. - A sworn statement 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 21, Registration of Affidavit of Acknowledgment or Affidavit of Admission of
Paternity. - It shall be the duty of parents or parent who executed the affidavit of acknowledgment
to send the otiginal copy to the C/MCR where the birth of the child was registered for registration
in the Register of Legal Instruments and proper annotation in the Register of Births.

Section 22; Registration of Muslim Filipinos, Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Children in
Need of Special Protection (CNSP), - Muslims Filipinos, IPs and CNSP, by reason of their socio-
cultural, religious, and indigenous peculiarities shall be registered as follows:

dential Decree 1083,

2) Muslim Filipinos- civil registration shall be governed by Pr
Executive Order 157, and Administrative Order No.1, Series of 2005

b) Indigenous Peoples- civil registration shall be governed by Republic Act 8371 and
‘Administrative Order No.3, Series of 2004.

©) CNSP- civil registration shall follow the procedures provided under OCRG Memorandum
Circular 2004-01 and other promulgations by the OCRG in coordination with the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other concerned agencies.

Section 23, Barangay Civil Registration System (BCRS). - All elected and/or appointed
barangay officials and employees, shall assist the LCR in civil registration within their area of
jurisdiction through the BCRS. Continuing training and capacity building shall be conducted by the
PSA, LGUs, PACR, and other accredited government of private institutions, for the upgrading of
the knowledge and skills of all partners in civil registration in the Barangay.

Section 24, Civil Registry Documents are Public Documents. - ‘The registry books making up
the civil register, the office files in hard copies and its corresponding digital files of the LCROs,
certifications or cettified copies from these files and all other documents relating thereto shall be
consideted public documents and shall be prima facie evidence of the truth of the facts thercin
contained. These public documents shall be open to the public, except those documents which are
to be kept strictly confidential as provided for by law, during office hours and shall be kept in a

10


secured place which shall be furnish to the civil registrar at the expense or of the funds of the local
government concerned.

‘The civil registrar shall not, under any circumstances, permit any document entrusted to his care to
be removed from his office, except by lawful order of a court, in which case the proper receipt shall
be taken.

‘The civil registrar may issue certified copies of any document filed, upon payment of proper fees
fixed by law or the local ordinance.

Section 25. Expenses of the Office of the Civil Registrar. ~All expenses in connection with the
establishment and operations of the civil registrar's office shall be paid out of local funds and for
this purpose, the Sanggunian of municipalities or cities concerned shall make the necessary
appropriations available in the local annual budget.

Section 26. Free Registration of Vital Civil Registry Events, ~The registration of births, deaths,
marriages and foundiings are hereby declared as a National Policy, therefore, no fees shall be
collected in the registration of these events, whether or not these are registered on time or delayed
with respect to their reglementary periods. 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 standard fee prescribed by the CRG shall be collected.

For registration of Court orders, legal instruments and registrable administrative orders, a standard
fee shall be collected. ‘The local government unit may collect reasonable service fees and charges by
virtue of an Ordinance for the purpose.

Section 27. Penal Provisions - Any person whose duty is to teport any fact concerning the civil
status of persons and who knowingly fails to perform such duty, and any person convicted of having
violated the provisions of this Act shall be punished in accordance with law.

‘Any person who shall knowingly make false statements in the forms furnished and shall present the
same for entry in the civil registers shall be penalized with an imprisonment of not less than six (6)
months nor more than six (6) years ot a fine of not less than Ten Thousand Pesos (Php10,000.00) or
both upon the discretion of the Court.

‘The attending physician, nurse, midwife, hospital administrator, or any person having been charged
to cause the registration of live births attended by them but who knowingly fails or withholds the
delivery of copies of the certificate/s of live birth to the city or municipal civil registrar for
registration, shall be penalized by imprisonment of not more than six (6) months, or by a fine of not
more than Five Thousand Pesos (Php 5,000.00), or both, upon the discretion of the Court.

‘Any priest or minister solemnizing marriage without being authorized by the Civil Registrar General
ot 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 patties; ot any bishop or officer, priest, or minister of any church, religion o sect, the regulations
and ptactices whereof require bans or publication previous to the solemnization of marriage, who

il


authorized the immediate solemnization of marriage that is subsequently declared illegal, or any
officer, priest or minister solemnizing marriage in violation of the provision of this Act shall be
punished with imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not to exceed three (3) years, or by
a fine not less than Five Thousand Pesos (Php 5,000.00) nor more than Twenty Thousand Pesos
(Php 20,000.00) or the revocation of the authority to solemnize marriage, or all three, upon the
discretion of the Court

‘Any officer, priest, or minister who fails to deliver copies of the certificate of marriage to the city or
‘municipal civil registrar within the period fixed by law shall be punished by imprisonment of not
mote than six (6) months, or by a fine of not more than Five Thousand Pesos (Php 5,000.00), or
both, at the discretion of the Court.

Section 28, Digital/Electronic Reporting of Births, Deaths 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 to the LCRO 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 taining relevant to Digital/Blectronic Reporting of Births, Death and
Marriages of Barangay Registration Agents shall be provided by the PSA, LGU, PACR and other
acctedited 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 29, Development of National Civil Registry Database (NCRD) Software — ‘The
National Government thru the National Computer Center in close coordination with the PSA, the
PACR, and the DILG shall develop official software responsive to the NCRD implementation
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 th
software, Among other features, this software shall include the highest degree of data security to
ensure the integrity of its database.

Section 30. Digitization of all Civil Registry Files. — All registered documents in the LCRO sball
be digitized. In addition to the usual reports and forwarding 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 31. Digital Linkages and Interconnection of All Participating LCROs. ~ All capable
T.CROs shall be interconnected to facilitate retrieval, on line certifications, and for local government
revenue generation using LGUclinked NCRD digital files. Participating LCROs are hereby
authorized to issue certifications from NCRD for and in behalf of other LCROs subject to pertinent
laws, rules o regulations on the confidentiality of birth records.

Section 32. Validity and Acceptability of NCRD NSECPA, — All documents issued using
NSECPA from NCRD being public documents shall be prima fase of the facts therein containe
NSECPA shall be presumed valid for all intents and purposes relative to the identity, status, righ
statistical values and other relevant data pertaining to its document owners, end users and concerned

12


government agencies. These documents shall be valid without need of authentication from any
agency of government.

Section 33, Income Sharing Among Participating LGUs ~ ‘The net income in the issuance of
NSECPA certifications using the NCRD shall be equitably shared by the Issuing LCRO and the
LAA LCRO for each document released. The software used for the NCRD processing should
include among others, a feature of automatic electronic debit and credit of income shating among
LGUs.

Section 34, Depository Bank in NCRD Processes ~ The Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP)
shall be the depository bank for NCRD monetary processing.

Section 35. Appropriations. ‘There shall be an initial appropriation of One Hundred Fifty Million
Pesos (Php 150,000,000.00) in the General Appropriations Act, which will be included in the
Department of Interior and Local Governments’ budget for the initial development of software and
the establishment of the NCRD. All local government units shall likewise provide substantial
appropriations in their respective annual budgets for the digitization their LCRO files.

Section 36. Mandatory Review. - ‘This Act shall undergo a mandatory review on its provisions
every ten (10) years to make the law more responsive to the needs of 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 ot
modification of this Act

Section 37. Implementing Rules and Regulations — ‘The PSA, in close coordination and
consultation with the DILG and PACR shall promulgate the Implementing Rules and Regulations
within six (6) months from the effectively of this Act.

Section 38, Separability Clause. - Any part or provision of this Act which shall be held to be
invalid ot unconstitutional, other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall
continue to be in full force and effect

Section 39. Repealing Clause. - All laws, rules, regulations, orders, memoranda or circulars
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 40, Retroactivity. - This Act shall have retroactive effect insofar, as it does not prejudice ot
impair vested or acquired rights.

Section 41. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in the Official
Gazette ot in any two (2) national newspapers of general citculation.

Approved,

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