EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
F irs t R e g u la r S e ssio n
)
)
)
SENAT
S. No.
S e n a te
# f ! u f  o f t l ) f  ^ c a e t a r p
*19 
SEP 17 
P4« 5
RECEIVED 3Y:___
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND RESPONSIVE C IVIL 
REGISTRATION AND VITAL STATISTICS SYSTEM, PROVIDING FUNDS 
THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
A  2 0 1 4  case s tu d y  o f th e  P h ilip p in e s ' c u rre n t C ivil R e g is tra tio n  a n d  V ita l S ta tis tic s  
S ystem  (C R VS ) re v e a le d  th a t th e re  a re  a p p ro x im a te ly  7 .5  m illio n  F ilip in o s w h o s e  b irth s  
a re  s till n o t re g is te re d . T h e  m a jo rity  o f th o s e  u n re g is te re d  b e lo n g  to  so m e  o f th e  m o s t 
v u ln e ra b le  s e c to rs  o f o u r s o c ie ty , n a m e ly : in d ig e n o u s  a n d  M u slim  p o p u la tio n  g ro u p s .1 
T h e  la ck o f a fo rm a l civil re g is tra tio n  o f a p e rs o n  e n d a n g e rs  th e ir s a fe ty , n a tio n a lity , a n d  
c itiz e n s h ip .
C ivil 
re g is tra tio n  d o c u m e n ts , su ch  as a c h ild 's  b irth  c e rtific a te , e s ta b lis h  a 
p e rs o n 's  le g al id e n tity  a n d  th e re fo re  b e c o m e s  a v ita l so u rc e  o f in fo rm a tio n  fo r th e  
c o u n try 's  
le g is la to rs , 
p o lic y  
m a k e rs , 
a n d  
im p le m e n tin g  
a g e n c ie s . 
C ivil 
re g is tra tio n  
d o c u m e n ts  a n d  v ita l s ta tis tic s  p ro v id e  a p ic tu re  o f th e  c o u n try  th a t w ill b e  u sed to  
ra tio n a liz e , c re a te , im p le m e n t, a n d  d ire c t g o v e rn m e n t e ffo rts  to  im p ro v e  th e  w e ll-b e in g  
o f F ilip in o s. A s su ch, th e  e x is te n c e  o f a h ig h ly -d e v e lo p e d  CRVS is a n  im p o rta n t n a tio n a l 
re so u rce  a n d  th e re fo re  in v a lu a b le  in fa c ilita tin g  p u b iic  d e liv e ry  se rv ic e  a m o n g  c itiz e n s .
T h e  im p o rta n c e  o f CVRS c a n n o t b e  u n d e rs ta te d : th e  la ck o f o ffic ia l d o c u m e n ts  o f 
a ch ild  m e a n s th a t th e ir e x is te n c e  is n o t re c o g n iz e d  b y  th e  S ta te  a n d  c o u ld  be th e  
re a so n  to  be d e n ie d  access fro m  e s s e n tia l p u b lic  s e rvice s lik e  h e a lth , e d u c a tio n , a n d  
social se rvice s. T o  p ro te c t c h ild re n  fro m  th e s e  c irc u m s ta n c e s . A rtic le  7 o f th e  C o n v e n tio n  
on th e  R ig h ts o f th e  C hild s ta te s  th a t: "T h e  c h ild  sh all be  re g is te re d  im m e d ia te ly  a fte r 
b irth  a n d  shall h a ve  th e  rig h t fro m  b irth  to  a n a m e , th e  rig h t to  a c q u ire  a n a tio n a lity , 
a n d , as fa r as p o ssib le , th e  rig h t to  k n o w  a n d  b e  c a re d  fo r b y  h is o r h e r p a re n ts ."
T h is  p ro p o s e d  m e a s u re  a d d re s s e s  th e  c u rre n t g a p s in o u r CRVS a n d  se e ks to  
e s ta b lis h  
a 
c o m p re h e n s iv e  
a n d  
re s p o n s iv e  CRVS. 
In  
v ie w  o f th e  fo re g o in g , 
th e  
im m e d ia te  p assa g e  o f th is  b ill is e a rn e s tly  s o u g h t.
Senator
1 h ttp s ://w w w .g e tin th e p ic tu r e .o r g /s ite s /d e fa u lt/file s /r e s o u r c e s /p h L c r v s _ c a s e _ s tu d y _ 2 0 1 4 .p d f


EIGTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
F irs t R e g u la r S e ssio n
SENATE 
S. No. 1 ^ 6
© m a te
W u r  o( tl)f 
n
•19 
SEP 17 
P 4 « 5
RECEIVlU o i:
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS
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AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND RESPONSIVE C IV IL 
REGISTRATION AND VITAL STATISTICS SYSTEM, PROVIDING FUNDS 
THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it  enacted b y  the Senate and the House o f  Representatives o f the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:
Sec. 1. S hort T itle. This Act shall be known as the "Comprehensive and 
Responsive Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Act".
Sec. 2. D eclaration o f Policy -  The State shall prom ote and maintain an 
efficient, responsive, inclusive, and accessible civil registration and vital statistics 
system. 
Towards this end, standardization and modernization o f registration 
procedures 
is 
necessary 
to 
establish 
the 
identity 
o f 
an 
individual 
for 
adm inistrative 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 o f an individual for the benefit of the general public.
The State declares the registration o f all births, deaths, and marriages 
w ithout discrim ination as a national State policy.
The state seeks to harmonize this policy w ith national fram eworks on civil 
registration on the principle o f inclusivity, accessibility and cultural-sensitivity, 
covering the Code o f Muslim Personal Laws (PD 1083), recognizing children born 
to parents below the marrying age and out of wedlock (RA 9858) and allowing 
illegitim ate children to use the surname of their father (RA 9255). The national 
state policy envisions to build an efficient civil registry system, comprising the 
rectification of errors in term s o f name, birthdate, sex w ithout the need of 
judicial order ( RA 1 0 7 2 ), ease in declaring a child legally-available for adoption 
(RA 9523) and registering children in cases of rectified birth simulation ( RA 
11222). The State concedes through the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 
in prom oting the welfare and rights of children, by reducing their vulnerability.
In the im plem entation of the policy stated above, the State, in enacting 
this Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Act, institutionalizes and hereby 
maintains a legal fram ew ork related to the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics 
(CRVS), ensuring a system that provides equal access that is affordable, 
available, and that 
provides protection o f the rights o f all citizens, especially 
children. Such system is also ensuring the gathering o f statistics and easier 
retrieval and recording o f statistics.


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The enactm ent of this policy, reaffirm s the com m itm ent of the State to 
the international standards and recommendations, according to the principles of 
the universal human right to be recognized as a person before the law (UDHR 
Art.VI), to children's right to nationality, registration after birth (UN CRC Art. 
V II), the right to identity (UN CRC Art. V III), the right to be protected from  
discrim ination based on race, sex, color, language, religion, national or social 
origins ( ICCPR Art. XXIV), the right to nationality o f persons w ith disabilities 
(CRPD Art. X V III) , the right of adolescents to birth registration ( UNCRC GC 20, 
A rt.V III), 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), 
the right o f all Filipino m igrant workers to be recognized as a person of the law 
(ICMW, Art. XXIV) on CRVS, and to steadfastly adhere to the Regional Plan of 
Action on the Elimination of Violence Against Children ( RPA-EVAC) in the ASEAN 
region.
The State shall endeavor to facilitate the realization o f the people's rights 
and support good governance, health and developm ent 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 o f all births, deaths, marriages, and 
other vital events based on accurate data;
Goal 2. 
Entitlem ent of all individuals to legal docum entation o f civil 
registration o f 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 tim ely 
vital statistics (including the cause of death) are produced based on 
registration records.
Goal 4: Free, accessible, simple, and free 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 fam ily reunification.
Sec. 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.
Sec. 4. 
D efinition o f Terms.
defined as follows:
As used in this Act, the following term s are
a) Barangay Civil R egistration 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 Governm ent Code of the Philippines;


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b) B irth A tte n d a n t -  refer exclusively to persons w ith m idwifery 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 him self/herself from  abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or 
discrim ination because of a physical or mental disability or condition;
d) Children in Need o f Special P rotection (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 o f abuse, neglect, 
exploitation, cruelty, discrim ination and violence (armed conflict, domestic 
violence and other analogous conditions prejudicial to their developm ent)
e) C ircuit R egistrar -  refers to the Clerk of Court of a Shari'a Circuit Court 
perform ing as Circuit Registrar of Muslim marriages, divorces, revocations 
of divorces, and conversions w ith the respective court's jurisdiction, as 
provided in Title VI, Book Two o f Presidential Decree No. 1083 otherwise 
known as the Code of Muslim Personal Laws;
f) Civil R egistration -  refers to the continuous, permanent, universal and 
compulsory docum entation of occurrences and characteristics of vital 
events in the life o f a person, including any m odifications thereof during 
his lifetim e and until his death, as provided for by this Act;
g) Civil R egister -  refers to the various civil registry books and related 
certificates and documents where registrable acts, events, and judicial and 
adm inistrative issuances concerning the civil status o f 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 R egistrar (CR) -  refers to the head o f 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;
i) Civil R egistrar General (CRG) -  refers to the head o f the PSA who is 
also the National Statistician o f the governm ent o f the Philippines;
j)  Consul General (CG) -  refers to the head of a Philippine Consulate 
Office acting as Civil Registrar o f all civil registry documents involving 
Filipinos in a foreign country;
k) Civil R egistry D ocum ent -  refers to a certificate or any docum ent 
relating to the civil status of a person which is recorded and kept in the 
archives o f the Civil Registrar's Offices, Philippine Consulate Offices, 
Shari'a District and Circuit courts and the PSA;


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l) D istrict Recorder (DR) -  refers to the Clerk o f Court of the Shari'a 
District Court perform ing civil registration-related functions as District 
Recorder o f Muslim marriages, divorces, revocation o f divorces, and 
conversions w ith the respective court's territorial jurisdiction, as provided 
in Title VI, Book Two of Presidential Decree No. 1083 otherwise known as 
the Code o f Muslim Personal Laws;
m) Foundling - any person who is abandoned and whose parentage is 
unknown;
n) Legal In s tru m e n t -  refers to any legal documents that would be 
officially issued pursuant to this act;
o) Live B irth -  refers to a complete expulsion or extraction from  its m other 
of a 
product/s o f 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 o f the umbilical 
cord, or definite m ovem ent o f voluntary muscles, w hether or not the 
umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached;
p) Local Archive A u th o rity (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 m andatory 
digitization of all civil registry documents for the herein provided Digital 
Linkages and Interconnection o f All Participating LRCOs.
q) 
Local Civil R egistrar (LCR) -  refers to the head o f the CIVIL 
REGISTRAR'S OFFICE;
r) 
N ational S tatistician -  the head o f the PSA acting as the CRG fo r the 
purpose of this Act;
s) O ut-of-T ow n R eporting -  occurs when the certificate o f live birth or 
death is presented to the civil registrar o f a city or municipality which is 
not the place o f birth or death, not for registration but to be forwarded to 
the civil registrar o f the city or municipality where the birth or death 
occurred and where it should be registered; and
t) P hilippine S tatistics A u th o rity (PSA) -  refers to the central statistics 
authority of the Republic o f the Philippines headed by the National 
Statistician.
Section 5. The Civil R egistry System. The Civil Registry System is composed 
o f the Civil Registrar General (CRG), the City/Municipal Civil Registrar and the 
Barangay Civil Registration System. The Civil Registry System issues registry 
instrum ents, recommends and executes policies related to the civil registration of 
vital events, from  the national and local civil registry structures o f the State.
Sec. 6. D uties and Function o f th e  Civii R egistrar General (CRG). - The
Office o f the Civil Registrar General shall have the following duties and functions:
(a) Policy-making Functions.


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(1 ) The CRG has the following policy-making functions and responsibilities 
on the Civil Registry System.
(2) Prepare and prom ulgate the im plem enting rules and regulations 
pertaining to civil registration laws and all subsequent issuances 
relative thereto, in close collaboration with the DILG and the PACR; 
and
(3) Issue circulars and memoranda pertaining to civil registration 
enhancements as part of the functions of the OCRG;
(b) Provision o f Technical Support to Local Civil Registry Offices.
(1) Provide exercise technical supervision over the City/Municipal Civil 
Registrar (C/MCRs) and other Local Civil Registry Officers; and
(2) provide ways and means to assist Civil Registrars for the 
reconstruction of Local Archives as the need arises.
(c) National Civil Registry Depository.
(1) 
Act as the national central depository o f all civil registry documents 
subm itted to the OCRG for archiving from all civil registry offices of 
the Philippines, for back up database and statistical analysis purposes 
only.
Sec. 7. Duties o f th e  C ity/M u nicip al Civil R egistrar. - The appointm ent of 
C/MCRs shall be mandatory for city and municipal governments. The C/MCR shall 
be have the following duties and functions;
(a) Primary Authority in Local Civil Registration. The C/MCR is responsible for
the civil registration programs in the local governm ent unit concerned,
pursuant to this Act, other existing laws, rules and regulations. This
includes the following responsibilities;
(1) Adm inister oaths, free of charge, for civil registry purposes;
(2) Exercise quasi-judicial functions in cases of clerical or typographical 
errors and change of first name or nickname, the day and m onth in 
the date o f birth or sex o f a person where it is patently clear that 
there was a clerical or typographical error or mistake in the entry, or 
the petitioner for the change of first name or nickname finds the first 
name or nickname to be ridiculous, tainted w ith dishonor or extrem ely 
difficult to w rite or pronounce, has been habitually and continuously 
used by the petitioner and has been publicly known by that first name 
in the com m unity or the change will avoid the confusion as provided 
for under existing laws.; and
(3) Subm it status reports to the CRG on the condition of civil registry 
documents filed his/her 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.
(b) Issuance and Organization o f Local Civil Registry Documents. As much as 
practicable, assist in the preparation, accept and register all registrable


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events and documents occurring w ithin his or her jurisdiction affecting the
civil status o f persons. This function entails the following:
(1) Make civil registry form s available at all tim es in the civil registry 
office;
(2) File registrable certificates and documents presented to him or her for 
entry;
(3) Issue certified transcripts or copies o f any certificate or document 
registered, upon paym ent of the prescribed fees;
(4) Compile copies of every docum ent registered and transm it to CRG 
w ithin the first ten (10) calendar days of the succeeding month;
(5) Receive all registrable documents and transcribe in the corresponding 
civil register all documents accepted for registration; and
(6) Receive applications for the issuance o f a marriage license and after 
determ ining that the requirements and supporting certificates and 
publication thereof for the prescribed period have been complied w ith, 
shall issue the license upon paym ent of the authorized fee for the 
local treasurer.
(c) Depository of Local Registry. The C/MR shall have the following duties and 
functions in securing the local registry:
(1) File, keep and preserve in a. secured place the civil registry books as 
required by law;
(2) Reconstruct destroyed civil registry records upon compliance w ith the 
requirements following the procedures established by the CRG; and
(3) Classify, digitize, index and preserve all registered documents in 
accordance
ii. 
w ith the appropriate archiving procedures.
(d) Executory and Planning Functions. The C/MCR shall develop plans and 
strategies and upon approval thereof by the mayor, im plem ent the same, 
particularly those which pertains to civil registry programs and projects.
(e) Provide 
Civil 
Registry 
Education 
and 
Technical 
Support. 
Conduct 
com m unity education campaigns on vital registration and assist in the 
preparation o f demographic and other statistics for the local governm ent 
unit concerned, in particular the Barangay Civil Registration System;
(f) Recommendatory functions aiding policies on Local Civil Registration. 
Recommend to the legislative bodies and collaborate w ith administrative 
agencies in the form ulation of systems, procedures, policies, rules and 
regulations on civil registration


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Sec. 8. Barangay Civil R egistration 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 o f civil 
registration w ithin their area or jurisdiction subject to the provision o f this Act.
a. Structure and Composition. The Barangay Civil Registration System is 
composed of the Barangay Captain, the Barangay Secretary and the 
Barangay Civil Registration Assistant.
The Barangay Captain shall subm it 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). The BRCA shall assist in the registration of all vital events of 
every individual w ithin the area of jurisdiction to the Local Civil 
Registrar's Office.
b. Mandatory Continuing Education and Training Program for the BCRS. 
Pursuant to Sec 13. of this policy, members of the Barangay Civil 
Registration System are required to have regular, updated, culturally 
sensitive education system.
c. Relationship to National and Local Civil Registry Systems.
i. The Civil Registrar General (CRG) shall adopt a method in order to 
establish a systematic procedure of recording in the barangay level 
enabling civil registration procedure a universal right o f every Filipino.
ii. The Local Civil Registrar's Office shall engage the barangays to support 
in the im plem entation of the law, including the provision of fiscal and 
budgetary support.
iii. Proper networking and interconnectedness between the Local Civil 
Registrar's Office and the barangay shall be ensured in order to attain 
m andatory 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 
governm ent or private institutions shall conduct regular trainings and 
capacity building programs to upgrade the knowledge and skills in civil 
registration functions o f all partners in the Barangay.
Sec. 9. C u ltu rally-S e nsitive  R egistration System -  In collaboration with 
the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), National Commission on 
Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), Bangsamoro Autonom ous Region in Muslim Mindanao 
(BARMM), Philippine Association o f Civil Registrars, National Commission on 
Culture and Arts (NCCA), and distinguished anthropologists and selected elders 
and leaders o f IPs shall establish an Indigenous Peoples Civil Registration System 
(IPCRS) th a t is sensitive and appropriate to the unique cultural practices and 
identification systems of IPs: Provided, that the IPCRS shall be harmonized w ith 
existing laws and systems on civil registry.
In recording the birth o f IPs delivered in the traditional customs and 
practices o f the indigenous com m unity, the report as to the circumstances o f the 
birth by any of the parents or by the tribal doctor or tribal midwife who attended


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to the delivery shall be conclusive upon the Local Civil Registrar (w ithout need 
for further proof) and PSA.
The IPCRS shall take into account the various ethnic affiliations o f the IPs 
in the country. For this purpose, the PSA Administrator, acting as the Civil 
Registrar General, instead of issuing separate form s for the IPCRS, shall cause 
the am endm ent of the existing civil registry form s, for uniform ity o f all civil 
registry documents to ensure acceptability by end-user agencies or institutions of 
the facts and inform ation contained in said documents and ease o f establishing 
filial bonds between or among parents or parents and child.
In the absence o f any identifying docum ent, the self-ascription or 
ascription by any of the parents or tribal leader or elder shall suffice to establish 
the identity o f IPs when applying w ith the LCR/PSA for recording birth, marriage 
or death.
Sec. 
10. 
R egistration 
o f 
M uslim  
Filipinos, 
Indigenous 
C ultural 
C om m unities (ICCs) or Indigenous Peoples (IP s) and Children in Need 
o f 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 im plem enting rules and regulations.
b) Indigenous Peoples -  civil registration of indigenous cultural communities 
or indigenous peoples shall be governed by RA No. 8371 and its 
im plem enting 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 w ith the Departm ent of Social 
W elfare and Development and other concerned agencies.
Sec. 11. 
C ivil R egistry Books. The Civil Registrar shall keep, update as 
mandated by law, and preserve the following books in their offices:
a) Register o f births -  the records of birth in the civil registry;
b) Register o f births o f person w ithout known parents- the records of 
abandoned in the civil register;
c) Register of Deaths -  the record of death o f a deceased in the civil 
register;
d) Register o f Marriages -  the records o f solemnized marriage in the civil 
register;
e) Register o f Court Decrees or Orders -  the records of court decree or order 
concerning the status o f a person in the civil register;
f) Register o f Legal Instrum ents -  the records o f legal instrum ents executed 
affecting the vital events of a person in the civil register;


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g) Register of Applications for Marriage License -  the records o f application 
o f marriage license in the civil register;
h) Register o f Conversion to Islam -  the records o f conversion to Islam 
religion o f a person in the civil register;
Register o f Muslim Filipino Marriages 
Muslim Filipino in the civil register;
-  the records of marriage of a
j)  
Register of Muslim Filipino Divorces -  the records of divorce o f a Muslim 
Filipino in the civil register;
k) Register 
o f 
Indigenous 
Cultural 
Com m unities/Indigenous 
Peoples 
(ICC/IPs) Marriage Dissolutions -  the records o f ICCs/IPs dissolution of 
marriage in the civil register; and Register of ICCs/IPs Revocation of 
Marriage Dissolutions -  the records of ICCs/IPs revocation o f marriage 
dissolutions.
Sec. 12. 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 Instrum ents;
The Registrable Orders or Decrees o f Courts and other com petent authorities are 
the following:
1. Adoption;
2. Rescission o f Adoption;
3. Annulm ent o f Marriage;
4. Declaration o f Nullity of Marriage;
5. Declaration o f Presumptive Death;
6. Compulsory Recognition o f Illegitim ate Child;
7. Voluntary Recognition o f Minor Illegitim ate Child;
8. Appointm ent o f Guardian;
9. Term ination of Guardianship;
10. Judicial Determination of Filiation;
11. Naturalization-All form s o f naturalization;
12. Cancellation of Naturalization;
13. Judicial Determination of the Fact o f Reappearance, if Disputed;
14. Separation of Property;
15. Revival o f Former Property Regime;
16. Foreign Court Orders Decided Abroad; and
17. O ther orders/decrees that pertain to the civil status and vital statistics 
o f a person.
The civil registrar shall properly enter the registrable events and court 
orders or decrees.


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Sec. 13. Free R egistration o f V ital Civil R egistry Events. - The registration 
o f births, deaths and marriage are hereby declared a national policy. Therefore, 
no fees shall be imposed and collected in the registration o f these events, 
w hether or not these are registered on tim e. 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 o f civil registry documents, a minimal fee prescribed by the 
CRG may be collected.
For registration of registrable judicial and adm inistrative issuances or 
orders, and legal instruments, a standard fee shall be collected.
Sec. 14. R egistration and C ertification o f B irth. The declaration of the 
physician, m idwife, 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 o f the newborn child shall be sufficient for the registration o f birth 
in the civil register.
The duly accomplished Certificate of Live Birth containing the above 
declaration shall be subm itted fo r registration to the CIVIL REGISTRAR'S OFFICE 
where the birth occurred w ithin thirty (30) calendar days from  date of birth by 
the aforem entioned persons, declaring the following when available:
a. ) Full name of the child;
b. ) Sex;
c. ) Date o f birth;
d . ) Place o f birth or where found;
e .  ) N a m e  o f  m o th e r ;
f. ) Citizenship o f the m other;
g. ) Name o f father;
h. ) Citizenship of the father;
i. 
) Date and place o f marriage o f parents; and
j.  ) Such other data as may be identified in the implem enting rules and
regulations o f this Act.
Birth and other civil registry records o f persons when any or some o f the 
following inform ation is absent/missing: the usual middle initial or middle name, 
citizenship if stateless, names of parents if unknown, date o f marriage if 
inapplicable, or when an individual has only one birth name or any analogous 
circumstances, shall have equal acceptability and respect before all governm ent, 
public, private, commercial, and business transactions where these documents 
are presented. All regulatory bodies such as, but not limited to the Securities and 
Exchange Commission, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, shall adhere to this law and 
adopt the necessary rules and regulations to im plem ent this act.
10


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The fetus is considered born if it is alive at the tim e it is com pletely 
delivered from  the mother's wom b shall be considered as live birth and shall be 
registered in the Register of Births.
The fetus is not deemed born if it dies w ithin tw enty-four (24) hours after 
its delivery from  the mother's womb. But for statistical purposes, 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 o f birth on board a vessel or airplane en route to the Philippines 
shall be recorded in the civil register o f the city or municipality where the m other 
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 com m itted to an orphanage or a child-caring institution 
w ith unknown facts o f birth and parentage, shall be registered by the finder or 
charitable institution concerned within thirty (30) days from  the date of finding or 
com m itm ent o f the child with the C/MCR o f 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 
Area (GIDA) under their jurisdiction.
Sec. 15. Delayed R egistration o f Birth. A person who has not been 
registered w ith the CIVIL REGISTRAR'S OFFICE at the place of birth or where 
found shall apply for delayed registration w ithin the prescribed period of thirty 
(30) calendar days upon discovering that no entry o f birth has been recorded in 
the Register o f Births.
For delayed registration, resort to out-of-tow n registration o f 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 o f charge regardless o f delay. A person who has not been registered 
before the office o f the C/MCR and PSA where he or she was born w ithin the 
prescribed period o f thirty (30) calendar days shall apply on the basis o f his or 
her nearest kin. The inform ant and affiant must show authentic proof o f the 
identity o f the person to be registered, the facts o f his birth, his parentage and 
other relevant data.
In the im plem entation o f this act, LCR/PSA should conduct regular review 
to 
assess 
the 
accessibility 
o f 
registration 
and 
design 
and 
im plem ent 
program m atic interventions to address gaps in CRVS, w ith PSA as the central 
office for data management and standards.
The record o f a person's birth shall be kept strictly confidential and any 
treatm ent thereof shall be fully com pliant w ith the Data Privacy Act.
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Sec. 16. M andatory C ontinuing Education and Training Program . - To
ensure tha t the efficient and effective delivery of civil registration services and 
meet the demand for quality civil registrars who shall perform civil registration 
functions, the Civil Register-General together w ith the 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 governm ent, 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.
Sec. 17. Free Delayed R egistration and C ertification o f B irth. - Local 
governm ent units are mandated to im plem ent 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 im plem entation o f the program through the Barangay Civil 
Registration System.
The OCRG, the Departm ent of Interior and Local Governm ent (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 governm ent units and the NCIP regional or local 
offices in the localities concerned.
W ithin ninety (90) days from  the effectivity of this Act, the OCRG shall 
issue im plem enting rules and regulations for the free delayed registration and 
certification o f birth covering the foregoing.
Sec. 18. S trict C onfid e n tia lity o f B irth Records. The record of a person's 
birth shall be kept confidential and no inform ation relating thereto shall be 
issued, in accordance to the Data Privacy Act 
except upon request of the 
following:
a) The concerned person herself/him self, 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 o f a m inor;
d) The Court or appropriate public official whenever absolutely necessary
in adm inistrative, judicial or other official proceedings to determ ine 
the identity of the child's parents or other circumstances surrounding 
the birth;
e) The nearest kin in case of a person's death;
f) In accordance to section 12 of the Data Privacy Act of 2012, personal
inform ation shall be released meeting the following conditions ( w ith 
the
consent o f the concerned person) :
(i) 
Necessary for compliance w ith a legal obligation;
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(ii) 
The personal inform ation is necessary in fulfillm ent o f a 
contract;
(iii) 
Necessary to protect vitally im portant interests o f the data 
subjects, including life and death;
(iv) 
Necessary in order to respond to national emergency, to 
comply w ith public order and safety; and
(v) 
According to the purposes of legitim ate interests by any third 
party/ies, 
unless 
these 
interests 
are 
overridden 
by 
fundam ental rights and freedoms of the person involved.
Sec. 19. R egistration and C ertification o f Death. No human body shall be 
buried or cremated unless the proper death certificate has been presented and 
recorded in the CIVIL REGISTRAR'S OFFICE/PSA.
The physician who attended the deceased, or in his default, the health 
officer concerned, any member o f the fam ily o f the deceased or any person 
having knowledge o f the death shall immediately report the same to the local 
health authorities who shall issue a death certificate and shall order the same to 
be recorded before the CIVIL REGISTRAR'S OFFICE/PSA at the place o f death.
The death certificate which shall be issued by the attending physician o f 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 o f the deceased;
b) Sex;
c) Age;
d) Civil status;
e) Nationality;
F) Date o f birth;
G) Place o f birth;
h) Date of death;
i) Place of death;
j)  Full names o f the deceased's parents;
k) Cause o f death; and
l) Such other relevant data tha t 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, inform ants shall register the death using 
the surname she chose as a legally married person.
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The registration o f death shall be made w ithin thirty (30) calendar days 
from  the tim e and date o f 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 o f the city or municipal health officer or his authorized 
representative in the place o f 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 o f the deceased or by any 
person having knowledge of the death w ithin forty-eight (48) hours after its 
occurrence, to the mayor or to the vice mayor or any member o f the 
Sangguniang Bayan or to the municipal secretary, who shall issue and sign the 
medical certification of the Certificate of Death for burial, crem ation, 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 governm ent office and the body of the deceased is subjected to 
autopsy or examination of the medico-legal officers and no record o f 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 Flealth Officer at the place o f death.
The medico-legal officer shall accomplish and sign the medical certification 
portion of the certificate o f death, subject to the review o f the City or Municipal 
Health Officer.
Sec. 20. Delayed R egistration o f Death. A deceased person's facts o f death 
that have not been registered w ithin 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-tow n registration of death may be allowed.
Sec. 21. R egistration o f th e  A pplication fo r M arriage 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 o f Applications for Marriage License strictly in the order o f 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 o f the application shall only take place after the com pletion 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 o f the 
Philippines.
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Sec. 22. R egistration o f M arriage. All marriages shall be registered by the 
solemnizing officer before the CIVIL REGISTRAR'S OFFICE o f the place where 
they were solemnized.
a) In case of marriages solemnized while in transit:
i. 
En route to, or w ithin the Philippines, the marriage shall be registered 
at the place of residence o f either party; or
ii. 
Leaving the Philippines, the marriage shall be registered at the 
consulate o f the Philippines in the place o f destination of the parties, 
or in the absence thereof, to the nearest Philippine consulate from  the 
place o f destination.
b) In cases of registration o f traditional marriages and dissolution of 
marriages among IPs.
The report o f marriage among and between IPs solemnized in accordance 
w ith 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 w ithout need for further 
proof. For this purpose, the NCIP shall subm it to the PSA a list of IPs 
recognized by each indigenous com m unity to solemnize marriage 
according to its customary laws or practices. The PSA shall issue a 
Certificate o f Registration of Authority to Solemnize Marriage (CRASH) to 
such IPs for free.
In the case o f indigenous com munities whose traditional 
marriage 
ceremony does not require the presence of a solemnizing officer, as 
determ ined by the NCIP, the report by the contracting parties shall be 
conclusive upon the LCR/PSA w ithout the need for further proof except 
personal confirm ation, orally or in w riting, by any of the parents or by a 
tribal leader or elder o f the indigenous com m unity to which any o f the 
spouses belong. For this purpose, the NCIP shall furnish the PSA and the 
LCR/PSAs w ith a list of indigenous com munities falling under this 
paragraph: Provided, That pending the submission o f such list, the oral or 
w ritten confirm ation of the tribal leader or elder shall be conclusive upon 
the LCR/PSA.
The dissolution o f marriage of IPs following customary indigenous laws 
and practices shall be directly recorded w ith the LCR/PSA w ithout need of 
court intervention: Provided, That such facts and inform ation shall be 
confirm ed orally or in w riting by a tribal leader or elder of the indigenous 
com m unity to which any o f the spouses belongs.
All marriages shall be registered w ithin thirty (30) days from  the date of 
the marriage. Marriages registered after the stipulated period shall be 
considered late registration and an adm inistrative fee shall be imposed on 
the solemnizing officer. In no case shall double or m ultiple registration of 
marriages be allowed, except for cases provided by law.
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Sec. 23. M ultiple R egistration. In cases o f m ultiple registrations of birth, 
marriage and death, the first duly registered docum ent shall prevail, unless the 
Court orders otherwise.
For m ultiple marriages by and between the same parties, the first marriage 
shall prevail, and not the first registered marriage of such parties.
Sec. 24. R egistration o f Solem nizing O fficers. All solemnizing officers shall 
be registered w ith 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, w ith the assistance of the CIVIL REGISTRAR'S OFFICE, shall 
determ ine documents pertaining to the existence of religious sects.
Sec. 25. R egistration o f C ourt Orders. In case o f court issuance or order 
concerning the status of a person, the Clerk of Court shall advise the successful 
petitioner to register such docum ent before the CIVIL REGISTRAR'S OFFICE 
which has jurisdiction on the issuing court. In cases of legal separation, absolute 
nullity of void marriages and annulm ent o f 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 fam ily court is situated, and in the PSA. Such party shall report to the 
Court compliance w ith this requirem ent within thirty (30) days from  receipt of 
the copy o f 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 o f 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 o f 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 docum ent and in the applicable registry book. The CIVIL 
REGISTRAR'S OFFICE which has jurisdiction over the original registry shall send 
a certified true copy o f the annotated docum ent and the registered court order 
to the CRG.
Each corrected docum ent shall be reported to the Office o f the CRG during 
the usual reporting month.
All court order shall be registered w ithin 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 
docum ent except in an adoption case when the child shall be entitled to the 
issuance of an amended COLB
Sec. 26. R egistration o f a Child Born Abroad to  a t Least One Filipino 
Parent. The parents shall cause the registration of the birth o f their child to the 
Philippine Consulate which in turn shall issue a Report o f Birth w ithin thirty (30)
16


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calendar days from  date of birth o f a Filipino child. Declaring the following when 
available:
a) Full name of the child;
b) Sex;
c) Date o f birth;
d )  P la c e  o f  b ir th  o r  w h e r e  fo u n d ;
e) Name of mother;
f) Citizenship o f the m other;
g) Name of father;
k. ) Citizenship o f the father;
l. ) Date and place of marriage o f parents; and
m . ) Such other data as may be required in the implem enting rules and
regulations of this Act.
Sec. 27. R egistration o f Persons w ith o u t Known Parents. All w ithout 
known parents, guardians or relatives, or a person com m itted in an orphanage or 
charitable institution w ith unknown facts o f birth and parentage, shall be 
reported by the finder to the Barangay Chairperson or any member o f 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 
Departm ent of Social W elfare and Development (DSWD) office in the region, for 
proper screening, assessment and evaluation by an authorized social worker 
w ithin fifteen (15) calendar days from  the date of finding or com m itm ent of the 
child. The finder shall execute a sworn statem ent before the Barangay Captain 
stating the facts and circumstances surrounding the finding of the person.
In case o f 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 w ithin 
thirty (30) calendar days from  the date of entrustm ent 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 
statem ent 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" w ith an annotation of the issuance o f a 
new rectified certificate of birth in its place. The rectified birth certificate bearing 
the names o f the biological parents o f the child or the foundling certificate shall 
then likewise be stamped "cancelled" w ith the annotation of the issuance o f 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
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certificate o f birth which shall not bear any notation that it is a new or amended 
issue, as stated in RA 11222, Sec. 12.
Sec. 28. R egistration o f A doption. The decree of adoption shall be recorded 
in the civil register w ithin thirty (30) days after the date of issue o f the final 
judgm ent of the court.
After registration of the decree of adoption, the CIVIL REGISTRAR'S OFFICE 
where the birth o f 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 
inform ation:
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 o f 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 o f the adopted 
child shall be substituted by the names o f 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 inform ation -  Other inform ation 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 o f the adopted and other inform ation about the adopted 
shall follow  the inform ation given by the adopting parents, unless the 
court order states otherwise. In cases where legally married husband and 
w ife jointly adopt the child, the date and place o f 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 am endm ent or changes shall be effected in 
the civil registry books where the original birth records were duly 
registered, except for the marginal annotation by virtue of the adoption 
decree.
In case the adopted child has no known parents, the basis for the 
issuance of the amended COLB shall be the court order.
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In cases o f the adopted chWd via adm inistrative adoption on cases of 
the rectification o f simulated birth, pursuant to Article V o f the Simulated 
Birth Rectification Act:
a) 
On Civil Registry Records fo r R ectified Sim ulated Birth, A rticie V, 
Sec 21, RA 11222. Upon receipt, the Local Civil Registrar shall 
stamp the simulated birth record, "cancelled", w ith annotations of 
the issuance o f the rectified birth record. These applies to birth 
certificates bearing the name of the biological parents of the child , 
foundling certificate and any COLB o f the child prior the simulated 
birth.
b) 
On Issuance o f  N ew  Birth Certificate fo r R ectified Sim uiated Birth, 
Articie K Sec 22, RA 11222. New Certificate of Live Birth shall be 
issued through the Local Civil Registrar for purposes of record, and 
registration, w ithout bearing any notation that it is new or 
amended. The new COLB, shall indicate the following inform ation: 
Place of Registration, Birth Order, Name o f Adoptive Parent/s, age. 
Date and Place o f marriage (when applicable), Inform ant and 
Person who prepared the new COLB.
The LCR shall immediately transm it said COLB to the PSA to be 
included in the registry of adoptions, including the num ber of 
cancelled simulated birth registrations.
Sec. 29. R egistration o f Presum ptive Death. A judicial order or decree 
declaring a person presumably dead for purposes o f remarriage shall be 
registered in the office o f the local civil registrar o f 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.
Sec. 30 . R egistration o f Foreign C ourt 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 
docum ent 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 in here in the Philippines or Regional Trial Court or which has the 
lawful jurisdiction over such case.
The Supreme Court Order ( Republic vs. Manalo (G. R. 221029, April 24, 
2018) on recognizing Foreign Divorce Obtained by a Filipino, consistent to Article 
26(2) of the Family Code, granting the Filipino spouse the right to rem arry shall 
be upheld by this policy.
Sec. 31. R egistration o f Legal In stru m e n ts. As a general rule, all legal 
instrum ents shall be registered in the civil registry of the place where they were 
executed except for the following:
a) Affidavit o f Reappearance -  where the parties to the subsequent marriage 
are residing;
b) Marriage Settlem ent -  where the marriage is recorded;
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c) Admission o f Paternity, Acknowledgment, Legitimation, Voluntary 
Emancipation o f Minor, Artificial Insem ination -  where the birth of child 
was recorded.
Sec. 32. R egistration o f A ffid a vit o f Reappearance. A sworn statem ent of 
the facts and circumstances o f reappearance of the absentee spouse shall be 
re c o rd e d  in  th e  c iv il r e g is tr y  o ffic e  w h e r e  s u b s e q u e n t m a rria g e  o f  th e  p re s e n t 
spouse was recorded, at the instance o f any interested person, w ith due notice 
to the spouses of the subsequent marriage and w ithout prejudice to the fact of 
reappearance being judicially determ ined in cases where such a fact is disputed.
Sec. 33. R egistration o f A ffid a v it o f A cknow ledgm ent or A ffid a v it o f 
Adm ission o f P aternity. It shall be the duty of parents or parent who executed 
the affidavit of acknowledgm ent 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 Instrum ents and for proper annotation in 
the Register o f Births.
Sec. 34. R egistration o f R epatriation. The instrum ent 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 o f the place where the 
instrum ent was executed: 
Provided, 
That if the 
Philippine citizenship 
is 
reacquired by naturalization, the order of the court or any mandated (om nibus) 
authority granting citizenship shall be recorded in the Register of Court Order.
Sec. 35. Civil R egistry Docum ents as Public Docum ents. 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 
o f the funds o f the civil registrar's office, Philippine consulate office, or Shari'a 
court concerned.
The civil registrar shall not, under any circumstances, perm it 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.
Sec. 36. D ig ita l/E le ctro n ic R eporting o f Births, Death and M arriages.-
There shall be a compulsory reporting o f 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 governm ent agencies mandated by 
law to m onitor the status of registration of vital civil registry events and shall 
assist the subsequent registration th e re o f Continuing skills training relevant to 
Digital/Electronic 
Reporting 
o f Births, 
Death 
and 
Marriages of 
Barangay 
Registration Agents shall be provided by the PSA, LGU, PACR and other 
accredited governm ent and private institutions and organizations. This training
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shall equip Barangay Registration Agents w ith the knowledge and skills needed 
to properly im plem ent digital/electronic civil registration.
Sec. 37. D evelopm ent o f N ational Civil R egistry Database (NCRD) 
S oftw are.- The National Government thru the National Computer Center in 
close coordination w ith 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 
developm ent of digital civil registration may be sought in the developm ent of this 
software. Among other features, this software shall include the highest degree of 
data security to ensure the integrity o f its database.
Sec. 38. D ig itiza tio n  o f all Civil R egistry 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 subm itted to the PSA as 
back up files of the National Civil Registry Database (NCRD), for digital archiving 
purposes.
Sec. 39. False Statem ents. -  Any person who shall knowingly make false 
statem ents in the furnished forms and present the same for entry in the civil 
registers shall be penalized in accordance w ith law unless it was done for the 
best interest o f the child.
False statements on the rectification of simulated birth of the child, granted 
that simulation was made at the best interest of the child, shall be granted 
amnesty pursuant to the Sim uldted Birth Rectification Act, RA 11222.
Sec. 
40. 
D igitization 
o f 
Linkages 
and 
Interco n n e ctio n  
o f 
All 
P articipating LCR/PSA. -  All capable LCR/PSA shall be interconnected to 
facilitate retrieval, online certifications, and for local governm ent revenue 
generation using LGU-linked NCRD digital files. Participating LCR/PSA are hereby 
authorized to issue certifications from  NCRD for and in behalf o f other LCR/PSA 
subject to pertinent laws, rules or regulations on the confidentiality o f birth 
records.
Sec. 41. Penal Provisions. Persons in authority who knowingly fall to perform 
their duties in relation to this Act shall be held adm inistratively liable in 
accordance to law.
Any solemnizing officer w ithout 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, m inister, or imam, of any church, religion or sect, the 
regulations and practices whereof require bans or publication previous to the 
solemnization 
o f marriage 
that 
is 
subsequently 
declared 
illegal, 
or 
any 
solemnizing officer in violation of this Act, shall be punished w ith im prisonm ent 
o f 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.
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The 
attending 
physician, 
m idwife, 
nurse, 
birth 
attendant, 
hospital 
adm inistrator in-charged 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 
o f delivery, shall be penalized by im prisonm ent of not more than six (6) months 
and a fine o f not less than Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php 50,000.00), or both, upon 
the discretion of the Court.
Sec. 42. W ithholding o f docum ents due to  N on-paym ent o f 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 o f live birth or certificate 
o f death or documents required in the issuance of the said certificates.
Sec. 43. Use o f Fees and Incom e Collected. All fees that are rem itted 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 
prim arily for operating expenses including capital outlay, upgrading of its current 
facilities, acquisition of office and space, and establishm ent of satellite offices in 
the provinces, and other activities or services the PSA in the performance of its 
mandate needs.
Sec. 44. T ransitory Provisions. -  The PSA shall carry out the reorganization 
o f the civil registrars in such a manner that personnel of such office absorbed by 
the PSA shall continue to perform  their respective duties and responsibilities in a 
holdover capacity so as not to unduly delay the production of statistics from  
ongoing censuses, surveys and processing of adm inistrative records.
Sec. 45. A ppropriations. There shall be an initial appropriation o f 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 developm ent o f 
software and the digitization of the CIVIL REGISTRAR'S OFFICE files.
The Local Governm ent Units shall allocate a portion of its Internal Revenue 
Allocation (IRA) in order to assist the City/Municipal Civil Registry and the 
staffing of the Barangay Civil Registration System, in particular the Barangay Civil 
Registration Assistant (BRCA).
Sec. 46. M andatory Review. This Act shall undergo a m andatory review on its 
provisions every five (5) years to make the law more responsive to the needs of 
the times. 
The review shaii be made by Congress, which shall conduct public 
hearings and record relevant testim onies of functionaries in the civii registration 
system, which shall be the basis o f any am endm ent or modification of this Act.
Sec. 47. Im p lem e n tin g  Rules and R egulations (IR R ). W ithin sixty (60) 
days from  the effectivity o f this Act, the PSA, shall promulgate the IRR for the 
effective im plem entation of this Act. The PSA may consuit w ith the Departm ent 
of Foreign Affairs, Departm ent of Interior and Local Government, Departm ent of 
Justice(DOJ), Departm ent of Social W elfare and Development (DSWD), National 
Commission o f Muslim Filipinos(NCMF), the Office o f the Supreme Court 
Adm inistrator, 
the 
University 
of the 
Philippines 
Law 
Center, 
a 
national 
professional organization o f local civil 
registrars duly registered w ith the 
Securities and Exchange Commission, the National Privacy Commission, the 
Departm ent of Health, the Office o f Solicitor General, the National Commission
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on Indigenous Peoples ( 
NCIP), the Child 
Rights Network ( CRN), the 
Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the Bureau of Im m igration ( BIR), the 
Council fo r the W elfare of Children (CWC), the National Council o f Disability 
Affairs (NCDA), the Commission on Filipinos Overseas(CFO), the Departm ent of 
Education ( DepEd),the Overseas W orkers W elfare Adm inistration ( 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 form ulation of the IRR. Other relevant 
stakeholders may also be consulted in the crafting of the IRR.
Sec. 48. S eparability 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.
Sec. 49. 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 Government 
Code o f 1991 are also hereby repealed. All other laws, rules, regulations, orders, 
memoranda or circulars inconsistent w ith this Act are hereby repealed and 
modified accordingly.
Sec. 50. R etroactivity. This Act shall have retroactive effect insofar as it does 
not prejudice or im pair vested or acquired rights.
Sec. 51. E ffectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspapers of general circulation.
Sec. 52. C onstruction. In the interpretation of this law, the best interest o f the 
child shall prevail.
Approved
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