Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4278

Introduced by Representative Jan Rurik D. Padiernos, GP (Galing sa Puso) Party-List

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) are indispensable to governance,
public administration, and the protection of citizens’ rights. Birth, marriage, and death
certificates are essential for education, employment, social protection, inheritance, and
political participation. However, the Philippines, continues to rely on manual processes,
fragmented records, and weak verification, leaving it vulnerable to fraud.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), almost 14.89 million late
birth registrations were filed between 2010 and 2024. PSA also blocked 1,501 fraudulent
birth registrations linked to foreign nationals, while the National Bureau of Investigation
(NBI) uncovered at least 1,576 fake certificates issued through late registration from 2018
to 2021. These cases show how delays and fraudulent entries undermine identity integrity,
elections, and financial transactions.

‘There is an urgent need to bring civil registration into the digital age. Digitalization
makes registration and issuance of documents faster and more reliable. It reduces backlogs,
prevents errors, and strengthens safeguards against fraud. Most of all, it allows government
to keep pace with the demands of the digital era where efficient, secure, and technology-
driven systems are necessary for protecting rights and delivering services.

In today’s digital age, the Philippines cannot afford to lag behind. Modernization
of CRVS is also crucial for evidence-based policymaking. Many Filipinos still lack
registered birth certificates, which bars access to schools, healthcare, voting, social
services, and financial systems. A modem CRVS will ensure universal coverage, protect
the right to identity, and provide real-time data for tracking epidemics, maternal mortality,
and other public health concerns.

This bill seeks to modernize and strengthen the CRVS system by mandating:
(1) Complete digitalization of civil registry documents;

(2) Centralized and secure national databases managed by the PSA;

(3) Stricter reporting and verification protocols, including biometric validation;


(4) Linkages with the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) to establish a
single, verifiable identity framework; and
(5) Enhanced penalties for fraudulent registrations and falsification.
This measure also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16.9
on legal identity for all by 2030. It will secure, simplify, and universalize access to civil
registration for all Filipinos.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

at.
ATTY. JANRURIK D. PADIERNOS

GP (Galing sa Puso) Party-List


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
‘Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4278

_

Introduced by Representative Jan Rurik D. Padiernos, GP (Galing sa Puso) Party-List

_

AN ACT
MODERNIZING THE PHILIPPINE CIVIL REGISTRATION AND VITAL
STATISTICS SYSTEM

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Civil
Registration and Vital Statistics Modernization Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to ensure universal,
accessible, accurate, and fraud-resistant civil registration by adopting moder technologies,
centralizing vital records, and establishing strong identity verification systems consistent
with data privacy and human rights standards.

SEC. 3. Coverage. - This Act shall cover the registration, storage, and issuance of
birth, marriage, death, annulment, adoption, legitimation, recognition, divorce, if legalized,
and other vital events, including foreign-issued documents that must be registered in the
Philippines.

SEC. 4. Modernization of Civil Registration. - The Philippine Statistics Authority
(PSA) shall lead the modernization and shall:

(1) Establish a fully digital, paperless civil registration system;

(2) Maintain a centralized, encrypted national civil registry database;

{G) Develop an online platform for registration, verification, and issuance of vital
documents;

(4) integrate biometric and demographic verification using Philippine
Identification System (PhilSys) data;

(5) Provide interoperability with government agencies between and among the
eGov of the Department of Information and Communications Technology
(DICT), Commission on Election (COMELEC), Department of Health (DOH),
Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA),
Social Security System (SSS), Government Security Insurance System (GSIS),


Phili
agencies,

Health Insurance, Inc. (PhilHealth), and others relevant government

Provided, That all local civil registry offices (LCROs) shall be connected to the national
database and shall implement real-time digital registration and reporting.

SEC. 5. Reporting and Verification Protocols. - All registrations shall undergo
PhilSys-based verification, including biometric validation when applicable: Provided, That
late or delayed registrations shall be subject to stricter scrutiny, affidavit requirements, and
approval by the PSA: Provided, however, That duplicate and fraudulent records shall be
flagged and invalidated through the national system.

SEC. 6. Protection of Data and Privacy. - All civil registration records shall be
subject to the provisions of Republic Act No. 10173, otherwise known as the Data Privacy
Act of 2012, with strict access controls, audit trails, and penalties for unauthorized
disclosure.

SEC. 7. Linkage with PhilSys.- Every registered vital event shall be automatically
linked to the registrant’s PhilSys Number (PSN). The PSA shall ensure synchronization
between civil registry data and PhilSys records: Provided, That government transactions
shall gradually transition to requiring digitally verifiable civil registry documents.

SEC. 8. Accessibility of Services. - Every Filipino citizen shall have the right to
request certified digital copies of civil registry documents through PSA-authorized
platforms, Physical copies may only be available upon request and that registration services
shall be made accessible in remote and underserved areas through mobile registration units.

SEC. 9. Cybersecurity Safeguards - The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), in
coordination with the Department of Information and Communications Technology
(DICT) and the National Privacy Commission (NPC), shall implement and enforce
cybersecurity measures consistent with national and international best practices to protect
the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of civil registration and vital statistics records.

For this purpose, the PSA shall:

1. Implement recognized encryption and security standards for the storage,
processing, and transmission of civil registry data;

2. Conduct periodic and independent security audits, vulnerability assessments, and
penetration testing to proactively address potential risks;

3. Establish an incident response framework, including the timely notification of
affected individuals and relevant government bodies in the event of a security
breach;

4, Impose binding cybersecurity and data protection obligations upon any private
contractors, service providers, or third parties engaged in the CRVS system; and


5. Undertake continuous capacity-building programs to enhance the cybersecurity
awareness and technical competence of personnel at national and local civil registry
offices.

SEC. 10. Offenses and Penalties. - Any person who knowingly submits false or
fraudulent documents for civil registration shall suffer a penalty of imprisonment of prision
mayor and a fine of not less than Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (500,000.00) to One
Million Pesos (P1,000,000.00): Provided, That any public officer who connives in
fraudulent registrations shall be dismissed from service, permanently disqualified from
public office, and subject to the same penalties.

SEC. 11. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of this
Acct shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. The PSA is authorized to
use income from civil registry services to fund modernization efforts.

SEC. 12. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The PSA, in coordination with
the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), National
Privacy Commission (NPC), and relevant agencies, shall issue the IRR within six (6)
months from the effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, the remaining provisions shall remain valid and in full force.

SEC. 14. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, rules, or regulations inconsistent
with this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication
in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,