Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City
NINHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HOUSEB|LLNo.  8823`
Introduced by REP. FAUSTINO `INNO' A. DY V
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill seeks to strengthen the country's civil registration and vital statistics
system. It declares as a state policy the registration of all births, deaths, and marriages
without  discrimination. Further,  it aims to provide a legal framework for promoting
and maintaining  an  efficient,  responsive,  inclusive,  and  accessible  civil registration
and vital statistics system.
This proposed measure covers 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.
The salient provisions of this bill include the following:
I.   Defining  the   duties   and  powers   of  the  Civil  Registrar  General  and  the
City/Municipal Civil Registrar;
I   Providing for mandatory continuing education and tralning program for Civil
Registrars,  Consul  Generals,  District Recorders,  Circuit Registrars  and their
staff for the efficient and effective delivery of civil registration services;
I   Providing  for  a  free  registration  of vital  civil  registry  events  including  late
registration of births;
I   Establishment  of an  Indigenous  Peoples  Civil  Registration  System  (IPCRS)
that   is   sensitive   and   appropriate   to   the   unique   cultural   practices   and
identification systems of lps; and


I   Establishment  of a  Barangay  Civil  Registration  System  where  elected  and
appointed barangay  officials  shall  be mandated to assist in the facilitation of
civil registration within their jurisdiction.
In view of the  foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure in the  19th
Congress is eamestly sought.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HOUSHB|LLNo.8823
Introduced by REP. FAUSTINO `INNO' A. DY V
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND RESPONSIVE CIVIL
REGISTRATION AND VITAL STATISTICS SYSTEM, PROVIDING FUNDS
THHREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
SECTION  1.  Short  Title  This  Act  shall  be  known  as  the  "Comprehensive  and
Responsive Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Act".
SECTION  2.  Declaration  of Policy  -  The  State  shall  promote  and  maintain  an
efficient,  responsive,  inclusive,  and  accessible  civil  registration  and  vital  statistics
system.    Towards   this    end,    standardization   and   modemization   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. As such, the State shall provide and maintain
a legal framework on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) that is accessible,
available, affordable, and protects the rights of all citizens, especially children. Such a
framework will also ensure the easy gathering, 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 (UDIIR Art.VI), to
children's right to nationality, registration after birth (UN CRC Art. VII), the right to
identity (UN CRC Art.  VIII), the right to be protected from discrimination based on
race,  sex,  color, 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.  VIII), 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 (ICMW, 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  produced  based  on  registration
records.
Goal 4:  Free,  accessible, simple, and expeditious birth registration is provided
to all children 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.    Definition  of Terms.    As  used  in this Act, the following terms are
defined as follows:
a)  Barangay Civil Registration System (BCRS) - refers to a scheme to facilitate
extensive civil registration at the barangay level involving all barangay officials
assisting   the   Local   Civil  Registrars   (LCR)   in   civil   registration   work,   as
provided  in  Section  394  (d)  (5)  RA  7160,  otherwise  known  as  the  Local
Government Code of the Philippines;
b) Birth Attendant - refer 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;
c)  Child -any person below 18 years of age 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) - shall refer to all persons
below  18  years  of age,  or those  18  years old and over but  are unable to take
care of themselves because of physical or mental disability condition; who are
vulnerable    to    or    are    victims    of   abuse,    neglect,    exploitation,    cruelty,
discrimination   and  violence   (amled   conflict,   domestic   violence   and  other
analogous  conditions prejudicial to their development); CNSP includes, but is
not    limited    to:     1.Sexually/physically-    abused    children;    2.Children    in
commercial sexual exploitation; 3.Children in conflict with the law; 4.Children
involved  in  armed  conflict;   5.Working  children  or  victims  of  child  labor;
6.Children in various  circumstances  of disability;  7.Children directly  affected
by IIIV/AIDS and other sexually- transmitted disease (STDs) 8.Street children
9.Children in substance abuse; 10.Mentally challenged children;  11.Abandoned
children/  children  without  primary  caregiver;   12.Displaced  children/refugee
children;
e)  Circuit Registrar - 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  court's jurisdiction, as provided


in Title VI, Book Two of presidential Decree No. 1083 otherwise known as the
Code of Muslim Personal Laws;
D   Civil   Registration   -  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;
g)  Civil   Register  -  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);
h)  Civil Registrar (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;
i)   Civil Registrar General (CRG) - refers to the head of the PSA who is also
the National Statistician of the government of the Philippines;
j)   Consul  General  (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;
k)  Civil Registry Document - 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;
1)   District 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 VI, Book Two of
Presidential Decree No.1083 otherwise known as the Code of Muslim Personal
Laws;
in) Foundling - any person who is abandoned and whose parentage is unknown;


n)  Legal  Instrument  -  refers to  any  legal  documents that would be  officially
issued pursuant to this act;
o)  Live Birth ~ 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;
p)  Local  Archive  Authority  (LAA)  -  refers  to  the  LCR  or  the  authorized
representative 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 LRCOs.
q)  Local   Civil   Registrar   (LCR)   -   refers   to   the   head   of   the   CIVIL
REGISTRAR' S OFFICE;
r)   National Statistician - the head of the PSA acting as the CRG for the purpose
of this Act;
s)  Out-of-Town Reporting - occurs when 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 forwarded to the civil registrar of
the city or municipality where the birth or death occurred and where it should
be registered; and
t)   Philippine   Statistics   Authority   (PSA)   -  refers   to   the   central   statistics
authority of the Republic of the Philippines headed by the National Statistician.
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)  Policy-making Functions.  The CRG has the following policy-making functions
and responsibilities on the Civil Registry System.
i.   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
ii.   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.
i.   Provide   technical    supervision   to    the    City/Municipal    Civil
Registrar (C/MCRs) and other Local Civil Registry Officers; and
ii.   Provide   ways   and   means   to   assist   Civil   Registrars   for  the
reconstruction of Local Archives as the need arises; and,
c)  National Civil Registry Depository. 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 backup database and statistical analysis
Purposes only.
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  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 CAICR 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;
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;
I)   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  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 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
status  of his  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 the powers  granted to  Civil Registrars under Republic Act No.  9048
as   amended  by  Republic  Act  No.   10172  on  the  correction  of  clerical  or
typographical 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.
SECTION  7.     Civil  Registry  Books.  The  Civil  Registrar  shall  keep,  update  as
mandated by law, 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- the records of abandoned
children in the civil register;
c)  Register of Deaths -the record 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;
D   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)   Register  of Muslim  Filipino  Divorces  ~  the  records  of divorce  of a Muslim
Filipino in the civil register;
k)  Register  of Indigenous  Cultural  Communities/Indigenous  Peoples  (ICC/IPs)
Marriage Dissolutions - the records of ICCs/IPs dissolution of marriage in the
civil register; and Register of ICCs/Ips Revocation of Marriage Dissolutions -
the records of ICCs/IPs revocation of marriage dissolutions.
SECTION 8. Registrable 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 ofNullity 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.  Naturalization-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.  Foreign Court Orders Decided Abroad; and
17.  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.
SHCTI0N  10.  Registration  and  Certirication  of  Birth.  The  declaration  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 containing the above declaration shall
be submitted for registration to the CIVIL REGISTRAR'S  OFFICE 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;
9.) Name of father;
h.) Citizenship of the father;
i.) Date and place of marriage of parents; and
j.)   Such   other  data  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:   the usual middle initial or middle name, citizenship if
stateless, names of parents  if unknown,  date of marriage if inapplicable, or when an
individual has  only  one birth name or any analogous circumstances, shall have equal
acceptability  and  respect  before  all  government,  public,  private,  commercial,  and
business transactions where these documents are presented.
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.


The fetus is not deemed born if it dies within twenty-four (24) hours after its delivery
from  the mother's womb.  But for statistical puaposes,  a COLB  shall be prepared in
duplicate,   where   in   a   copy   shall   be   forwarded   to   the   Office   of  the   Civil
Registrar-General and the other for Civil Registrar's file.
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 born.  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 Areas  (GIDA)
undertheirjurisdiction.
SECTION 11. Delayed Registration of Birth. A person 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,  resort 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/PSA 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.
In  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 Data Privacy Act.
SECTION 12. Culturally-Sensitive Registration System -In collaboration 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  (NCC),  and  distinguished  anthropologists  and  selected elders and
leaders   of  Ips   shall   establish   an   Indigenous   Peoples   Civil   Registration   System
(IPCRS)   that   is   sensitive   and   appropriate  to  the   unique   cultural   practices   and
identification  systems  of Ips:  Provided,  that  the  IPCRS  shall  be  harmonized  with
existing laws and systems on civil registry.
In recording the birth  of IPs  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  IPCRS  shall  take  into  account  the  various  ethnic  affiliations  of the  IPs  in the
country.   For  this   purpose,   the  PSA  Administrator,  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.
In the absence of any identifying document, the self-ascription or ascription by any of
the parents or tribal leader or elder shall sufflce to establish the identity of IPs 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 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).  There  shall  be  a
Barangay Civil Registration System established 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 Civil Registrar General shall establish a systematic civil registration procedure at
the barangay level
The Barangay Captain shall submit the names of the Barangay Secretary as Ex-Officio
Barangay Civil Registration Officer (BCRO) and other deputized barangay officials as
Barangay Civil Registration Assistant (BCRA) who  shall assist in the registration of
all vital events of every individual within the 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   and   interconnectedness   between   the   CIVIL   REGISTRAR'S
OFFICE   and  the   barangay   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  Delayed  Registration  and  Certification  of  Birth.  -  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 prograni 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.


Within  ninety  (90)  days  from  the  effectivity  of  this  Act,  the  OCRG  shall  issue
implementing rules and regulations for the free delayed registration and certification
of birth covering the foregoing.
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.
SHCTION  17.   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 OFFICEffsA.
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  certiflcate  and  shall  order  the  same  to  be recorded before the CIVIL
REGISTRAR'S OFFICEffsA at the place of death.
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) Date of birth;
G) Place of birth;
h) Date of death;
i) Place of death;
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 at the place of death, or
the Philippine Consulate Office in the foreign country where the death happened.
In 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 is
under investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 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 NBI or other investigative agency or the duly authorized representative
shall cause the registration of such death through the City or Municipal Health Officer
at the place of death.
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.  Delayed Registration 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.
In any case, out-of-town registration of death may be allowed.


SECTION   19.   Registration   of  the   Application   for   Marriage   License.   An
application for marriage license shall be filed by the contracting parties before the CR
where one of the parties resides. The CR 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
EO. No. 209, otherwise known as the Family Code of the Philippines.
SECTION  20.  Registration  of Marriage.  All marriages shall be registered by the
solemnizing  officer before  the  CIVIL  REGISTRAR'S  OFFICE  of the  place  where
they were solemnized.
a)   In case of marriages solemnized while in transit:
i.      En route to, or within the philippines, the marriage shall be registered at the
place of residence of either party; or
ii.      Leaving the philippines, the marriage shall be registered at the consulate 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 IPs.
The report of marriage among and between Ips 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/PSA without need for further proof. For this purpose,
the NCIP shall  submit to the PSA a list of Ips 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 IPs 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/PSAs with a list of indigenous
communities    falling    under   this   paragraph:    Provided,   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 IPs  following customary indigenous laws and
practices  shall be  directly  recorded with the LCR/PSA without need  of court
intervention:  Provided,  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.  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  the  same  parties,  the  first  marriage  shall
prevail, and not the first registered marriage of such parties.
SECTION 22. Registration of Solemnizing Off]cers. All solemnizing officers 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.    Registration  of Court  Orders.  In  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.  In 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.
In 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  effected 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;
I) Citizenship of the mother;
g) Name of father;
k.) Citizenship of the father;


1.) Date and place of marriage of parents; and
in.)   Such  other  data  as  may  be  required   in  the  implementing  rules  and
regulations of this Act.
SECTION 25. Registration of Persons without Known Parents. All without known
parents,  guardians or relatives,  or a person committed in an oxphanage 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  (PNP)  Women and Children's Protection Desk (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.
In  case  of foundlings  found  in Philippine Consulates, embassies  and territories, the
relevant Philippine Consulate shall abide by the eventual State policy (by virtue of this
Act) on foundling.
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-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 RA  11222,
Sec.  12.


SECTION 26.   Registration of Adoption. 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.


In all cases of adoption, no amendment or changes shall be affected in the civil
registry books where the original birth records was duly registered, except for
the marginal annotation by virtue of the adoption decree.
SECTION  27.  Registration  of  Presumptive  Death.  A  judicial  order  or  decree
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.  All
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 lawfuljurisdiction over such
Case.
SECTION  29.  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 for the following:
a)  Affidavit of Reappearance - where the parties to the subsequent marriage are
residing;
b)  Marriage Settlement - where the marriage is recorded;
c)  Admission     of     Paternity,     Acknowledgment,     Legitimation,     Voluntary
Emancipation of Minor, Artiflcial Insemination - where the birth of child was
recorded.
SECTION 30. Registration of Affldavit 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  31.  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 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.  Registration of Repatriation. 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 (Ips) and Children in Need of Special
Protection (CNSP).
Muslim Filipinos, ICCs or IPS 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
PD  1083, EO  157, and its implementing rules and regulations.
b)  Indigenous Peoples - civil registration of indigenous  cultural communities or
indigenous  peoples  shall be governed by RA No.  8371  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 implementing 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 registry 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  prima  facie   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 care to be removed from his office, except upon lawful order of the court, in
which case the proper receipt shall be secured.
SECTION  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  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  thni  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 this software. Among
other features, this software shall include the highest degree of data security to ensure
the integrity of its database.
SECTION 37. Digitization of a]] Civil Registry Files. - All registered documents in
the LCR/PSA shall 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  38.    False  Statements.  - 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 Interconnection of All Participating
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. Penal Provisions. Persons in authority who knowingly fall 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 (Php 50,000.00) but not more than One
Hundred  Thousand  Pesos   (Php   100,000.00),   or  both,  and  the  revocation  of  the
authority to solemnize marriage, upon the discretion of the Court.
than  One Hundred Thousand Pesos  (Php  loo,000.00)  or both 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 (Php 50,000.00), or both, upon the discretion of the Court.
SECTION 41. Withholding of documents due to Non-payment of hospital fees. -
In  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  Income Collected. 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. Transitory Provisions. - The PSA shall carry out the reorganization
of the civil registrars in such a manner that personnel of such offlce 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.  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 PSA's budget for the initial development of software and
the digitization of the CIVIL REGISTRAR'S OFFICE files.
SECTION 45. Mandatory Review. 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). Within sixty (60) days
from the effectivity of this Act, the PSA,  shall promulgate the IRR 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   (CIIR),   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
(OWWA),    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 IRR. Other
relevant stakeholders may also be consulted in the crafting of the IRR.
SECTION 47.   Separability Clause. 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.  Repealing  clause.  Act No.  3753  or the  Law  on Registry  of Civil
Status  is repealed.  Sec.  453, 454,  and 479 of the RA 7160 or the Local Goverrment
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.Construction. In the interpretation of this law, the best interest of the
child shall prevail.
SECTION 50. Retroactivity. This Act shall have retroactive effect insofar as it does
not prejudice or impair vested or acquired rights.
SECTION  51.  Effectivity.  This  Act  shall  take  effect  fifteen  (15)  days  after  its
publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspapers of general circulation.
Approved.