May 7, 2024
4:08 pm
10366




1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. 10366
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES RALPH WENDEL P. TULFO, 
JOCELYN P. TULFO, AND ERWIN T. TULFO 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND RESPONSIVE CIVIL 
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REGISTRATION AND VITAL STATISTICS SYSTEM, PROVIDING FUNDS 
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THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
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4 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
5 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Civil Registration and 
8 
Vital Statistics (CRVS) Act”. 
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10 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State shall promote and maintain an efficient, 
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responsive, inclusive, and accessible civil registration and vital statistics system. 
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Towards this end, standardization and modernization of registration procedures is 
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necessary to establish the identity of an individual for administrative and legal 
14 
purposes. Moreover, efficient and simplified procedures in recording vital events must 
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be applied in civil registration in order to establish the most precise identity of an 
16 
individual for the benefit of the general public. 
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2 
The State declares the registration of all births, deaths, and marriages without 
1 
discrimination as a national State policy. 
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In the implementation of the policy stated above, the State, in enacting this Civil 
4 
Registration and Vital Statistics Act, institutionalizes and hereby maintains a legal 
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framework related to the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS), ensuring a 
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system that provides equal access that is affordable, available, and protects the rights of 
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all citizens, especially children. Such system will also ensure the gathering of statistics 
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and easier retrieval and recording of statistics. 
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The enactment of this policy reaffirms the commitment of the State to the 
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international standards and recommendations, according to the principles of the 
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universal human right to be recognized as a person before the law (UDHR Art. VI), to 
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children’s right to nationality, registration after birth (UN CRC Art. VII), the right to 
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identity (UN CRC Art. VIII), the right to be protected from discrimination based on race, 
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sex, colour, language, religion, national or social origin (ICCPR Art. XXIV), the right to 
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nationality of persons with disabilities (CRPD Art. XVIII), the right of adolescents to 
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birth registration (UNCRC GC 20, Art. VIII), the right of children in street situations to 
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be proactively supported to obtain legal identity documents, and the right of all 
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children at all ages to free, accessible, simple, and expeditious birth registration (UN 
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CRC GC 21, Art. XV), and the right of all Filipino migrant workers to be recognized as 
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a person of the law (ICMW, Art. XXIV) on CRVS. 
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The State shall endeavor to facilitate the realization of the people’s rights and support 
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good governance, health, and development through the universal and responsive 
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CRVS system. In this light, the State shall work towards reaching the following goals 
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from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Declaration of Civil 
27 
Registration in Southeast Asia: 
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3 
Goal 1: Universal civil registration of all births, deaths, marriages, and other vital 
1 
events based on accurate data; 
2 
 
3 
Goal 2: Entitlement to all individuals to legal documentation of civil registration 
4 
of their births, deaths, marriages, and other vital events, as necessary, to claim 
5 
identity, civil status, and ensuing rights; 
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7 
Goal 3: Production and dissemination of accurate, complete, and timely vital 
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statistics (including the cause of death) are processed based on registration records; 
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Goal 4: Free, accessible, simple, and expeditious birth registration is provided to 
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all at all ages; and 
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Goal 5: The civil registration documents are used as main tools for child protection 
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in relation to education, health, and other social services, justice, inheritance, and 
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family reunification. 
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SEC. 3. Coverage. – This law shall embrace all acts, events, and judicial and 
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administrative issuances affecting the civil status and vital statistics of persons in the 
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Philippines and all Filipino citizens abroad, including all children with at least one 
20 
Filipino parent. 
21 
 
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SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms are defined as 
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follows: 
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(a) Abandoned child refers to a child who has no proper parental care or 
26 
guardianship, a foundling, or one who has been deserted by one’s parents for a 
27 
period of at least three (3) continuous months, and has been declared as such by 
28 
the National Authority for Child Care (NACC); 
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1 
(b) Abandoned Filipino child in foreign country refers to an unregistered or 
2 
undocumented child found outside the Philippine territory, with known or 
3 
unknown facts of birth, separated from or deserted by the biological Filipino 
4 
parent/guardian, or custodian for a period of at least three (3) continuous 
5 
months and committed to a foreign orphanage or charitable institution or in a 
6 
temporary informal care, and has been declared as such by the NACC, upon 
7 
recommendation of the Office of the Social Welfare Attaché (OSWA) of the 
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Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), or the Department of 
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Foreign Affairs (DFA); 
10 
 
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(c) Barangay Civil Registration System (BCRS) refers to a scheme to facilitate extensive 
12 
civil registration at the barangay level involving all barangay officials assisting 
13 
the Local Civil Registrars in civil registration work, as provided in Section 
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394(d)(5) of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the “Local Government 
15 
Code of 1991”; 
16 
 
17 
(d) Birth attendant refers exclusively to persons with midwifery skills such as 
18 
licensed doctors, midwives, and nurses who have been trained to proficiency in 
19 
the skills necessary to manage normal deliveries and diagnose, manage, or refer 
20 
obstetric complications; 
21 
 
22 
(e) Child refers to any person below 18 years of age or 18 years or older who is unable 
23 
to fully take care of himself/herself from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, or 
24 
discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition; 
25 
 
26 
(f) Children in Need of Special Protection (CNSP) refers to all children who are 
27 
vulnerable to or are victims of abuse, neglect, exploitation, cruelty, 
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discrimination, and nature- or human-induced violence, which includes the 
1 
following: 
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 Those who are abused sexually or physically; 
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 Those who are in commercial sexual exploitation; 
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 Those who are at risk and in conflict with the law; 
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 Those who are in situations of armed conflict; 
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 Those who are engaged in the worst forms of labor; 
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 Those who suffer mental, physical, learning, and other disabilities; 
9 
 Those with HIV, AIDS, or other sexually-transmitted infections; 
10 
 Those who may be found in the streets; 
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 Those who are engaged in the use of illegal substance; 
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 Those who are affected by the war on drugs; 
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 Those who are abandoned or without a primary caregiver; 
14 
 Those who are displaced, refugees, and stateless; and 
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 Those who are abandoned Filipino children in a foreign country. 
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17 
(g) Circuit Registrar refers to the Clerk of Court of a Shari’a Circuit Court performing 
18 
as Circuit Registrar of Muslim marriages, divorces, revocations of divorces, and 
19 
conversions with the respective court’s jurisdiction, as provided in Title VI, Book 
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Two of Presidential Decree No. 1083, otherwise known as the “Code of Muslim 
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Personal Laws of the Philippines”; 
22 
 
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(h) Civil Registration refers to the continuous, permanent, universal, and compulsory 
24 
documentation of occurrences and characteristics of vital events in the life of a 
25 
person, including any modifications thereof during his lifetime and until his 
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death, as provided for by this Act; 
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(i) Civil Register refers to the various civil registry books and related certificates and 
1 
documents where registrable acts, events, and judicial and administrative 
2 
issuances concerning the civil status of a person are recorded and kept in the 
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archives of the Civil Registrar’s Offices, Philippine Consulate Offices, Shari’a 
4 
District and Circuit Courts, and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA); 
5 
 
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(j) Civil Registrar (CR) refers to the head of the Local Civil Registry Office (Civil 
7 
Registrar’s Office), the Consul General (CG) in the Philippine Consulate Offices, 
8 
or the Clerk of Court in Shari’a District and Circuit court; 
9 
 
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(k) Civil Registrar General (CRG) refers to the head of the PSA who is also the 
11 
National Statistician of the government of the Philippines;  
12 
 
13 
(l) Consul General (CG) refers to the head of a Philippine Consulate Office acting as 
14 
Civil Registrar of all civil registry documents involving Filipinos in a foreign 
15 
country; 
16 
 
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(m) Civil Registry Document refers to a certificate or any document relating to the civil 
18 
status of a person who is recorded and kept in the archives of the Civil 
19 
Registrar’s Offices, Philippine Consulate Offices, Shari’a District and Circuit 
20 
courts, and the PSA; 
21 
 
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(n) District Recorder (DR) refers to the Clerk of Court of the Shari’a District Court 
23 
performing civil registration-related functions as District Recorder of Muslim 
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marriages, divorces, revocation of divorces, and conversions with the respective 
25 
court’s territorial jurisdiction, as provided in Title VI, Book Two of P.D. No. 1083; 
26 
 
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(o) Foundling refers to a deserted or abandoned child or infant with unknown facts 
28 
of birth and parentage and this shall also include those who have been duly 
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registered as a foundling during her or his infant childhood, but have reached 
1 
the age of majority without benefitting from adoption procedures upon the 
2 
passage of this law, pursuant to Republic Act No. 11767, otherwise known as the 
3 
“Foundling Recognition and Protection Act”; 
4 
 
5 
(p) Legal Instrument refers to any legal documents that would be officially issued 
6 
pursuant to this Act; 
7 
 
8 
(q) Live Birth refers to a complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a 
9 
product/s of conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy, which 
10 
after such separation, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as 
11 
beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definitive movement of 
12 
voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the 
13 
placenta is attached; 
14 
 
15 
(r) Local Archive Authority (LAA) refers to the Local Civil Registrar or the authorized 
16 
representative of the Local Civil Registrar’s Office of each city and municipality 
17 
who has the duty to establish, keep, and maintain the local archives to include 
18 
its mandatory digitalization of all civil registry documents for the herein 
19 
provided Digital Linkages and Interconnection of All Participating LRCOs; 
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(s) Local Civil Registrar (LCR) refers to the head of the Civil Registrar’s Office; 
22 
 
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(t) National Statistician refers to the head of the PSA acting as the CRG for the 
24 
purpose of this Act; and 
25 
 
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(u) Out-of-Town Reporting refers to the occurrence wherein the certificate of live birth 
27 
or death is presented to the civil registrar of a city or municipality which is not 
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the place of birth or death, not for registration but to be forwarded to the civil 
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registrar of the city or municipality where the birth or death occurred and where 
1 
it should be registered. 
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SEC. 5. Duties and Functions of the Civil Registrar General. – The Office of the Civil 
4 
Registrar General (OCRG) shall have the following duties and functions: 
5 
 
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(a) Policy-making Functions.  
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1. Prepare and promulgate the implementing rules and regulations pertaining 
9 
to civil registration laws and all subsequent issuances relative thereto, in 
10 
close collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local 
11 
Government (DILG) and Philippine Association of Civil Registrars (PACR);  
12 
2. Issue circulars and memoranda pertaining to civil registration enhancements 
13 
as part of the functions of the OCRG; 
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(b) Provision of Technical Support to Local Civil Registry Offices. 
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1. Provide technical supervision to the City/Municipal Civil Registrar 
18 
(C/MCRs) and other Local Civil Registry Officers; and 
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2. Provide ways and means to assist Civil Registrars for the reconstruction of 
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Local Archives as the need arises; and 
21 
 
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(c) National Civil Registry Depository. Act as the national central depository of all civil 
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registry documents submitted to the OCRG for archiving from all civil registry 
24 
offices of the Philippines, for backup database and statistical analysis purposes 
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only. 
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SEC. 6. Duties of the City/Municipal Civil Registrar. – The appointment of C/MCRs 
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shall be mandatory for city and municipal governments. 
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The C/MCR shall be responsible for the civil registration programs in the local 
2 
government unit (LGU) concerned, pursuant to this Act, other existing laws, rules, and 
3 
regulations. 
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The C/MCR shall develop plans and strategies and, upon approval thereof by the 
6 
mayor, implement the same, particularly those which pertains to civil registry 
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programs and projects. 
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The C/MCR shall: 
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(a) As much as practicable, assist in the preparation, and accept and register all 
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registrable events and documents occurring within his or her jurisdiction 
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affecting the civil status of persons; 
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(b) File registrable certificates and documents presented to him or her for entry; 
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(c) Compile copies of every document registered and transmit to CRG within the 
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first ten (10) calendar days of the succeeding month; 
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(d) Issue certified transcripts or copies of any certificate or document registered, 
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upon payment of the prescribed fees; 
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(e) Classify, digitize, index, and preserve all registered documents in accordance 
20 
with the appropriate archiving procedures; 
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(f) Administer oaths free of charge for civil registry purposes; 
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(g) File, keep, and preserve in a secure place the civil registry book as required by 
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law;  
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(h) Receive all registrable documents and transcribe in the corresponding civil 
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register all documents accepted for registration; 
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(i) Receive applications for the issuance of a marriage license and, after determining 
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that the requirements and supporting certificates and publication thereof for the 
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prescribed period have been complied with, issue the license upon payment of 
1 
the authorized fee for the local treasurer; 
2 
(j) Conduct community education campaigns on vital registration and assist in the 
3 
preparation of demographic and other statistics for the LGU concerned; 
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(k) Recommend to the legislative bodies and collaborate with administrative 
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agencies in the formulation of systems, procedures, policies, rules, and 
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regulations on civil registration; 
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(l) Submit status reports to the CRG on the condition of civil registry documents 
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filed in his civil registry office whenever there are substantial changes in the state 
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of his/her files, in case of fire, flood, earthquake, and other natural and/or man-
10 
made calamities; 
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(m) Reconstruct destroyed civil registry records upon compliance with the 
12 
requirements following the procedures established by the CRG; 
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(n) Make civil registry forms available at all times in the civil registry office; 
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(o) Exercise quasi-judicial functions in the following cases: 
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1. Clerical or typographical errors and change of first name or nickname, the 
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day and month in the date of birth, or sex of a person where it is patently 
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clear that there was a clerical or typographical error or mistake in the entry; 
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or 
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2. Petitioner for the change of first name or nickname finds the first name or 
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nickname to be ridiculous, tainted with dishonor or extremely difficult to 
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write or pronounce, has been habitually and continuously used by the 
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petitioner and has been publicly known by that first name in the community 
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or the change will avoid the confusion as provided for under existing laws. 
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SEC. 7. Civil Registry Books. – The Civil Registrar shall keep, update, and preserve 
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the following books in their offices: 
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(a) Register of Births – the records of birth in the civil registry; 
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(b) Register of Births of Person Without Known Parents or Facts of Birth – the 
1 
records of abandoned children in the civil register; 
2 
(c) Register of Deaths – the records of death of a deceased in the civil register; 
3 
(d) Register of Marriages – the records of solemnized marriage in the civil register; 
4 
(e) Register of Court Decrees or Orders – the records of court decree or order 
5 
concerning the status of a person in the civil register; 
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(f) Register of Legal Instruments – the records of legal instruments executed 
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affecting the vital events of a person in the civil register; 
8 
(g) Register of Applications for Marriage License – the records of application of 
9 
marriage license in the civil register; 
10 
(h) Register of Conversion to Islam – the records of conversion to Islam religion of a 
11 
person in the civil register; 
12 
(i) Register of Muslim Filipino Marriages – the records of marriage of a Muslim 
13 
Filipino in the civil register; 
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(j) Register of Muslim Filipino Divorces – the records of divorce of a Muslim 
15 
Filipino in the civil register; 
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(k) Register of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICC/IPs) 
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Marriage Dissolutions – the records of ICCs/IPs dissolution of marriage in the 
18 
civil register; and 
19 
(l) Register of ICCs/IPs Revocation of Marriage Dissolutions – the records of 
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ICCs/IPs revocation of marriage dissolutions. 
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SEC. 8. Registrable Acts and Events. – The Registrable Acts and Events shall refer to 
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any of the following: 
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(a) Birth; 
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(b) Death; 
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(c) Application for Marriage License; 
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(d) Marriage; 
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(e) Court Orders or Decrees; and 
1 
(f) Legal Instruments. 
2 
 
3 
The Registrable Orders or Decrees of Courts and other competent authorities shall 
4 
refer to any of the following: 
5 
 
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(a) Adoption; 
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(b) Rescission of Adoption; 
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(c) Annulment of Marriage; 
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(d) Declaration of Nullity of Marriage; 
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(e) Declaration of Presumptive Death; 
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(f) Compulsory Recognition of Illegitimate Child; 
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(g) Voluntary Recognition of Minor Illegitimate Child; 
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(h) Appointment of Guardian; 
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(i) Termination of Guardianship; 
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(j) Judicial Determination of Filiation; 
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(k) All forms of naturalization; 
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(l) Cancellation of Naturalization; 
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(m) Judicial Determination of the Fact of Reappearance, if Disputed; 
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(n) Separation of Property; 
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(o) Revival of Former Property Regime; 
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(p) Repatriation; 
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(q) Foreign Court Orders Decided Abroad; and 
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(r) Other orders/decrees that pertain to the civil status and vital statistics of a 
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person. 
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The civil registrar shall properly enter the registrable events and court orders or 
27 
decrees. 
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SEC. 9. Free Registration of Vital Civil Registry Events. – The registration of birth, 
1 
death, and marriage is hereby declared a national policy. Therefore, no fees shall be 
2 
imposed and collected in the registration of these events, whether or not these are 
3 
registered on time. 
4 
 
5 
The first copies of civil registration certificates shall be free. For issuance of 
6 
succeeding copies of civil registry documents, a minimal fee prescribed by the CRG may 
7 
be collected. 
8 
 
9 
For registration of registrable judicial and administrative issuances or orders, and 
10 
legal instruments, a standard fee shall be collected. 
11 
 
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SEC. 10. Registration and Certification of Birth. – The declaration of the physician, 
13 
midwife, nurse, birth attendant, finder, or, in default thereof, the declaration of either 
14 
or both parents or any person who has knowledge of the facts of birth of the newborn 
15 
child shall be sufficient for the registration of birth in the civil register. 
16 
 
17 
The duly accomplished Certificate of Live Birth (COLB) containing the above 
18 
declaration shall be submitted for registration to the Civil Registrar’s Office in the city 
19 
or municipality where the birth occurred within thirty (30) calendar days from date of 
20 
birth by the aforementioned persons, declaring the following when available: 
21 
 
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(a) Full name of the child; 
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(b) Sex; 
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(c) Date of birth; 
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(d) Place of birth or where found; 
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(e) Name of mother; 
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(f) Citizenship of the mother; 
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(g) Name of father; 
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(h) Citizenship of the father; 
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(i) Date and place of marriage of parents; and 
2 
(j) Such other data as may be identified in the implementing rules and regulations 
3 
of this Act. 
4 
 
5 
Birth and other civil registry records of person when any or some of the following 
6 
information is absent/missing shall equal acceptability, and shall be respected before 
7 
all government, public, private, commercial, and business transactions where these are 
8 
presented: 
9 
 
10 
(a) Usual middle initial or middle name; 
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(b) Citizenship, if stateless; 
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(c) Names of parents, if unknown; 
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(d) Date of marriage, if inapplicable; 
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(e) When an individual has only one birth name; or 
15 
(f) Any analogous circumstances. 
16 
 
17 
All regulatory bodies such as, but not limited to, the Securities and Exchange 
18 
Commission (SEC) and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas shall adhere to this law and adopt 
19 
the necessary rules and regulations to implement this Act. 
20 
 
21 
The fetus is considered born if it is alive at the time it is completely delivered from 
22 
the mother’s womb, and shall be considered as live birth and registered in the Register 
23 
of Births. 
24 
 
25 
All cases of birth on board a vessel or airplane en route to the Philippines shall be 
26 
recorded in the civil register of the city or municipality where the mother habitually 
27 
resides if either or both of the parents is/are a citizen/s of the Philippines. When the 
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parents are both foreigners but not residents of the Philippines, the birth may be 
1 
recorded in any civil registry office in the Philippines, if they so desire. 
2 
 
3 
Abandoned children or foundlings whose parents, guardians, or relatives are 
4 
unknown, or children committed to an orphanage or a child-caring institution with 
5 
unknown facts of birth and parentage, shall be registered by the finder or charitable 
6 
institution concerned within thirty (30) days from the date of finding or commitment of 
7 
the child with the C/MCR of the place where such person was found. The CRG shall 
8 
issue a COLB to these children. 
9 
 
10 
All LCR/PSAs in partnership with LGUs shall provide mobile birth registration 
11 
services, especially in all Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Area (GIDA) 
12 
under their jurisdiction. 
13 
 
14 
SEC. 11. Delayed Registration of Birth. – A person, regardless of age, who has not 
15 
been registered with the Civil Registrar’s Office at the place of birth or where found 
16 
shall apply for delayed registration within the prescribed period of thirty (30) calendar 
17 
days shall apply on the basis of his or her nearest kin. The informant and affiant must 
18 
show authentic proof of the identity of the person to be registered, the facts of his birth, 
19 
his parentage, and other relevant data. 
20 
 
21 
In the implementation of this Act, the LCR/PSA shall conduct regular review to 
22 
assess the accessibility of registration and design, and implement programmatic 
23 
interventions to address gaps in CRVS, with PSA as the central office for data 
24 
management and standards. 
25 
 
26 
The record of a person’s birth shall be kept strictly confidential, and any treatment 
27 
thereof shall be fully compliant with the Republic Act No. 10173, otherwise known as 
28 
the “Data Privacy Act of 2012”. 
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SEC. 12. Indigenous Peoples Civil Registration System. – PSA, in collaboration with 
2 
the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), National Commission on 
3 
Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao 
4 
(BARMM), Philippine Association of Civil Registrars, National Commission for Culture 
5 
and the Arts (NCCA), and distinguished anthropologists and selected elders and 
6 
leaders of IPs shall establish an Indigenous Peoples Civil Registration System (IPCRS) 
7 
that is sensitive and appropriate to the unique cultural practices and identification 
8 
systems of IPs: Provided, That the IPCRS shall be harmonized with existing laws and 
9 
systems on civil registry. 
10 
 
11 
In recording the birth of IPs delivered in the traditional customs and practices of the 
12 
indigenous community, the report as to the circumstances of the birth by any of the 
13 
parents or by the tribal doctor or tribal midwife who attended to the delivery shall be 
14 
conclusive upon the Local Civil Registrar without need for further proof and PSA. 
15 
 
16 
The IPCRS shall take into account the various ethnic affiliations of the IPs in the 
17 
country. For this purpose, the PSA Head, acting as the Civil Registrar General, instead 
18 
of issuing separate forms for the IPCRS, shall cause the amendment of the existing civil 
19 
registry forms, for uniformity of all civil registry documents to ensure acceptability by 
20 
end-user agencies or institutions of the facts and information contained in said 
21 
documents and ease of establishing filial bonds between or among parents or parents 
22 
and child. 
23 
 
24 
In the absence of any identifying document, the self-ascription or ascription by any 
25 
of the parents or tribal leader or elder shall suffice to establish the identity of IPs when 
26 
applying with the LCR/PSA for recording birth, marriage, or death. 
27 
 
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SEC. 13. Mandatory Continuing Education and Training Program. – To ensure that 
1 
the efficient and effective delivery of civil registration services meet the demand for 
2 
quality civil registrars who shall perform civil registration functions, the CRG, together 
3 
with LGUs, shall conduct continuing education and training program for Civil 
4 
Registrars, Consul Generals, District Recorders, and Circuit Registrars and their staff, 
5 
in collaboration with relevant partners in government, academe, industry, and non-
6 
governmental organizations. Such training programs shall be initiated and conducted 
7 
based on Training Needs Analysis, and evaluated regularly throughout the year to 
8 
ensure constant upgrading of skills of the Civil Registrars, Consul Generals, District 
9 
Recorders and Circuit Registrars, and their staff. 
10 
 
11 
SEC. 14. Barangay Civil Registration System. – The CRG shall establish a systematic 
12 
civil registration procedure at the barangay level, to be called as the Barangay Civil 
13 
Registration System (BCRS), where elected and appointed barangay officials shall be 
14 
mandated to assist in the facilitation of civil registration within their area or jurisdiction, 
15 
subject to the provision of this Act. 
16 
 
17 
The Barangay Captain shall submit to the Civil Registrar’s Office of his/her city or 
18 
municipality the names of the Barangay Secretary as Ex-Officio Barangay Civil 
19 
Registration Officer (BCRO) and another deputized barangay official as Barangay Civil 
20 
Registration Assistant (BCRA) who shall assist in the registration of all vital events of 
21 
every individual within their area of jurisdiction. 
22 
 
23 
The BCRO shall engage the barangays to support in the implementation of the law, 
24 
including the provision of fiscal and budgetary support. 
25 
 
26 
Proper networking, interconnection, and collaboration between the barangay and its 
27 
respective Civil Registrar’s Office shall be ensured in order to attain mandatory civil 
28 
registration of all born Filipinos. The PSA, LGUs, a national professional organization 
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of local civil registrars duly registered with the SEC, and other accredited government 
1 
or private institutions shall conduct regular training and capacity building programs to 
2 
upgrade the knowledge and skills in civil registration functions of all partners in the 
3 
barangay. 
4 
 
5 
SEC. 15. Free Delayed Registration Program. – LGUs are mandated to implement a 
6 
Free Delayed Registration Program (FDRP) for persons whose births have not been 
7 
registered and certified due to such factors as poverty, distance, or lack of literacy. The 
8 
Sangguniang Barangay shall assist in the implementation of the program through the 
9 
BCRS. 
10 
 
11 
The OCRG, the DILG, and the NCIP shall jointly prepare a Free Delayed Registration 
12 
Program (FDRIP) which shall be implemented by the LGUs and the NCIP regional or 
13 
local offices in the localities concerned. 
14 
 
15 
SEC. 16. Strict Confidentiality of Birth Records. – The record of a person’s birth shall 
16 
be kept confidential and no information relating thereto shall be issued except upon 
17 
request of the following: 
18 
 
19 
(a) The concerned person herself/himself, or any person authorized by him; 
20 
(b) Spouse; 
21 
(c) Any or both the parents, direct descendants, or the guardian, or institution 
22 
legally in charge in case of a minor; 
23 
(d) The Court or appropriate public official whenever absolutely necessary in 
24 
administrative, judicial, or other official proceedings to determine the identity of 
25 
the child’s parents or other circumstances surrounding the birth; and 
26 
(e) The nearest kin in case of a person’s death. 
27 
 
28 


 
 
 
 
19 
SEC. 17. Registration and Certification of Death. – No human body shall be buried 
1 
or cremated, unless the proper death certificate has been presented and recorded in the 
2 
Civil Registrar’s Office. 
3 
 
4 
The physician who attended the deceased, or in his default, the health officer 
5 
concerned, any member of the family of the deceased or any person having knowledge 
6 
of the death shall immediately report the same to the local health authorities who shall 
7 
issue a death certificate and shall order the same to be recorded before the Civil 
8 
Registrar’s Office of the city or municipality where the death occurred. 
9 
 
10 
The death certificate which shall be issued by the attending physician of the deceased 
11 
or, in his default, by the authorized health officer, shall indicate the following data, 
12 
which shall be furnished by the person reporting the death to the civil registrar: 
13 
 
14 
(a) Full name of the deceased; 
15 
(b) Sex; 
16 
(c) Age; 
17 
(d) Civil status; 
18 
(e) Nationality; 
19 
(f) Date of birth;  
20 
(g) Place of birth; 
21 
(h) Date of death; 
22 
(i) Place of death; 
23 
(j) Full names of the deceased’s parents; 
24 
(k) Cause of death; and 
25 
(l) Such other relevant data that may be required. 
26 
 
27 
The surname to be entered in the registry of death and the Death Certificate shall be 
28 
the surname used prior to his/her death. In case the deceased is a legally married 
29 


 
 
 
 
20 
woman, informants shall register the death using the surname she chose as a legally 
1 
married person. 
2 
 
3 
The registration of death shall be made within thirty (30) calendar days from the time 
4 
and date of death before the Civil Registrar’s Office of the city or municipality where 
5 
the death occurred, or the Philippine Consulate Office in the foreign country where the 
6 
death happened.  
7 
 
8 
In the absence of the city or municipal health officer or his authorized representative 
9 
in the place of registration, or when it is a non-working day and the health officer or his 
10 
authorized representative is not expected to be in the office, the death shall be reported 
11 
by the nearest kin of the deceased or by any person having knowledge of the death 
12 
within forty-eight (48) hours after its occurrence, to the mayor or to the vice mayor or 
13 
any member of the Sangguniang Bayan or to the municipal secretary, who shall issue 
14 
and sign the medical certification of the Certificate of Death for burial, cremation, and 
15 
registration purposes. 
16 
 
17 
When the death is subjected to a medico-legal examination, or the cause of death is 
18 
under investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) or other concerned 
19 
government office and the body of the deceased is subjected to autopsy or examination 
20 
of the medico-legal officers and no record of death had been registered, the head of the 
21 
NBI or other investigative agency or the duly authorized representative shall cause the 
22 
registration of such death through the City or Municipal Health Officer of the city or 
23 
municipality where the death occurred. The medico-legal officer shall accomplish and 
24 
sign the medical certification portion of the certificate of death, subject to the review of 
25 
the City of Municipal Health Officer. 
26 
 
27 


 
 
 
 
21 
SEC. 18. Delayed Registration of Death. – A deceased person’s facts of death that 
1 
have not been registered within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of death shall be 
2 
allowed delayed registration before the Civil Registrar’s Office at the place of death. 
3 
 
4 
In any case, out-of-town registration of death may be allowed. 
5 
 
6 
SEC. 19. Registration of the Application for Marriage License. – An application for 
7 
marriage license shall be filed by the contracting parties before the Civil Registrar’s 
8 
Office of the city or municipality where one of the parties resides. The Civil Registrar 
9 
shall enter all applications in the Register of Applications for Marriage License strictly 
10 
in the order of receipt of applications. The CR shall record in said register the names of 
11 
the applicants, the date on which the marriage license was issued, and such other data 
12 
as may be necessary. 
13 
 
14 
No application shall be received by the CR unless supporting documents are 
15 
attached thereto and no application shall be posted unless it is received by the CR. 
16 
Registration of the application shall only take place after the completion of the posting 
17 
period. 
18 
 
19 
All applications for marriage license shall be registered by the solemnizing officer 
20 
before the Civil Registrar’s Office of the place where they were solemnized. 
21 
 
22 
a) In case of marriages solemnized while in transit; 
23 
i. 
En route to, or within the Philippines, the marriage shall be registered at 
24 
the place of residency of either party; or 
25 
ii. 
Leaving the Philippines, the marriage shall be registered at the consulate 
26 
of the Philippines in the place of destination of the parties, or in the absence 
27 
thereof, to the nearest Philippine consulate from the place of destination. 
28 


 
 
 
 
22 
b) In case of registration of traditional marriages and dissolution of marriages 
1 
among and between IPs. 
2 
 
3 
The report of marriage among and between IPs solemnized in accordance with 
4 
customary laws, rites, traditions, and practices by the person duly authorized to 
5 
perform the ritual or ceremony and by the parties to the marriage shall be conclusive 
6 
upon the LCR or PSA without need for further proof. For this purpose, the NCIP shall 
7 
submit to the PSA a list of IPs recognized by each indigenous community to solemnize 
8 
marriage according to its customary laws or practices. The PSA shall issue a Certificate 
9 
of Registration of Authority to Solemnize Marriage (CRASM) to such IPs for free. 
10 
 
11 
In the case of indigenous communities whose traditional marriage ceremony does 
12 
not require the presence of a solemnizing officer, as determined by the NCIP, the report 
13 
by the contracting parties shall be conclusive upon the LCR/PSA without the need for 
14 
further proof except personal confirmation, orally or in writing, by any of the parents 
15 
or by a tribal leader or elder of the indigenous community to which any of the spouses 
16 
belong. For this purpose, the NCIP shall furnish the PSA and the LCR with a list of 
17 
indigenous communities falling under this paragraph: Provided, That pending the 
18 
submission of such list, the oral or written confirmation of the tribal leader or elder shall 
19 
be conclusive upon the LCR/PSA. 
20 
 
21 
The dissolution of marriage of IPs following customary indigenous laws and 
22 
practices shall be directly recorded with the LCP/PSA without need of court 
23 
intervention: Provided, That such facts and information shall be confirmed orally or in 
24 
writing by a tribal leader or elder of the indigenous community to which any of the 
25 
spouses belongs. 
26 
 
27 
All marriages shall be registered within thirty (30) days from the date of the marriage. 
28 
Marriages registered after the stipulated period shall be considered late registration and 
29 


 
 
 
 
23 
an administrative fee shall be imposed on the solemnizing officer. In no case shall 
1 
double or multiple registration of marriages be allowed, except for cases provided by 
2 
law. 
3 
 
4 
SEC. 21. Multiple Registration. – In cases of multiple registrations of birth, marriage 
5 
or death, the first duly registered document shall prevail, unless the Court orders 
6 
otherwise. 
7 
 
8 
For multiple marriages by and between the same parties, the first marriage shall 
9 
prevail, not the first registered marriage of such parties. 
10 
 
 
11 
SEC. 22. Registration of Solemnizing Officers. – All solemnizing officers shall be 
12 
registered with the Office of the CRG, except those who are not required to be so 
13 
registered as provided for by law or existing rules. 
14 
 
15 
The Mayor, with the assistance of the Civil Registrar’s Office, shall determine 
16 
documents pertaining to the existence of religious sects. 
17 
 
18 
SEC. 23. Registration of Court Orders. – In case of court issuance or order concerning 
19 
the status of a person, the Clerk of Court shall advise the successful petitioner to register 
20 
such document before the Civil Registrar’s Office which has jurisdiction on the issuing 
21 
court. 
22 
 
23 
In cases of legal separation, absolute nullity of void marriages, and annulment of 
24 
voidable marriages, the prevailing party shall cause the registration of the decree in (1) 
25 
the Civil Registrar’s Office where the marriage was registered, (2) the Civil Registrar’s 
26 
Office where the family court is situated, and (3) the PSA. Such party shall report to the 
27 
Court compliance with this requirement within thirty (30) days from receipt of the copy 
28 
of the decree. 
29 


 
 
 
 
24 
 
1 
In case a person other than the petitioner shall apply to register a court order before 
2 
the Civil Registrar’s Office, the LCR has the responsibility to verify the veracity of the 
3 
court issuance or order. Otherwise, registration thereof shall be refused. 
4 
 
5 
The Civil Registrar’s Office where the event was registered shall forward a certified 
6 
true copy of the order to the Civil Registrar’s Office where the vital event affected was 
7 
originally registered. The Civil Registrar’s Office where the vital event was originally 
8 
registered shall make proper annotations in the document and in the applicable registry 
9 
book. The Civil Registrar’s Office which has jurisdiction over the original registry shall 
10 
send a certified true copy of the annotated document and the registered court order to 
11 
the CRG. 
12 
 
13 
Each corrected document shall be reported to the Office of the CRG during the usual 
14 
reporting month. 
15 
 
16 
All court orders shall be affected through annotations in the civil registry document 
17 
except in an adoption case when the child shall be entitled to the issuance of an 
18 
amended COLB. 
19 
 
20 
SEC. 24. Registration of a child born abroad to at least one Filipino parent. – The 
21 
parents shall cause the registration of the birth of their child to the Philippine Consulate 
22 
which in turn shall issue a Report of Birth within thirty (30) calendar days from date of 
23 
birth of a Filipino child declaring the following when available: 
24 
 
25 
a) Full name of the child; 
26 
b) Sex; 
27 
c) Date of birth; 
28 
d) Place of birth or where found; 
29 


 
 
 
 
25 
e) Name of mother; 
1 
f) Citizenship of the mother; 
2 
g) Name of father; 
3 
h) Citizenship of the father; 
4 
i) Date and place of marriage of parents; and 
5 
j) Such other data as may be required in the implementing rules and regulations of 
6 
this Act. 
7 
 
8 
SEC. 25. Registration of Persons without Known Parents. – All without known 
9 
parents, guardians or relatives, or a person committed in an orphanage or charitable 
10 
institution with unknown facts of birth and parentage, shall be reported by the finder 
11 
to the Barangay Chairperson or any member of the Barangay Council for the Protection 
12 
of Children (BCPC) of the place where the person was found, or to the Philippine 
13 
National Police Women and Children’s Protection Desk (PNP-WCPD), whichever is 
14 
nearer or convenient to the finder, stating the facts and circumstances surrounding the 
15 
finding of the person. When the report is duly noted, the finder shall bring the child to 
16 
the nearest DSWD office in the region, for proper screening, assessment, and evaluation 
17 
by an authorized social worker within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of finding 
18 
or commitment of the child. The finder shall execute a sworn statement before the 
19 
Barangay Captain stating the facts and circumstances surrounding the finding of the 
20 
person. 
21 
 
22 
In case of foundlings found in Philippine Consulates, embassies, and territories, the 
23 
relevant Philippine Consulate shall be governed by Republic Act No. 11767, otherwise 
24 
known as the “Foundling Recognition and Protection Act”, the finder or charitable 
25 
institution concerned shall cause the registration before the Civil Registrar’s Office 
26 
where such person was found within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of 
27 
entrustment to the institution. 
28 
 
29 


 
 
 
 
26 
Any report made after the thirty (30) day period shall be considered late registration, 
1 
and the concerned party shall be required to state in a sworn statement the 
2 
circumstances that caused the late reporting to the civil registrar. 
3 
 
4 
Should the foundling become adopted, the Local Civil Registrar shall stamp the 
5 
simulated birth record “cancelled” with an annotation of the issuance of a new rectified 
6 
certificate of birth is in place. The rectified birth certificate bearing the names of the 
7 
biological parents of the child or the foundling certificate shall then likewise be stamped 
8 
“cancelled” with the annotation of the issuance of a new birth record in its place, and 
9 
shall be sealed in the civil registry records. Thereafter, the Local Civil Registrar shall 
10 
record, register, and issue a new certificate of birth which shall not bear any notation 
11 
that it is a new or amended issue, as stated in Sec. 12 of Republic Act No. 11222, 
12 
otherwise known as the Simulated Birth Rectification Act. 
13 
 
14 
SEC. 26. Registration of Adoption. – The decree of adoption shall be recorded in the 
15 
civil register within thirty (30) days after the date of issue of the final judgment of the 
16 
court. 
17 
 
18 
After registration of the decree of adoption, the Civil Registrar’s Office where the 
19 
birth of the adopted was registered shall immediately issue an amended COLB. 
20 
 
21 
Such COLB of an adopted child shall not bear any mark or annotation or any 
22 
indication of the facts of adoption. It shall have the same entries as those appearing in 
23 
the original records of birth, except for the following items of information. 
24 
 
25 
a) Name of the adopted – The first name of the adopted child shall be the same as 
26 
in the original COLB, unless the order of adoption carried an order changing it to 
27 
another name. The middle name of the adopted child shall be the same as the 
28 
middle name of the adopter, except when the husband and the wife jointly 
29 


 
 
 
 
27 
adopted the child, in which case, the middle name of the adopted shall be the 
1 
surname of the adopting mother. 
2 
 
3 
 
The surname of the adopted child shall be that of the adopter. If the husband and 
4 
wife jointly adopt the child, the adopted child shall use the surname of the 
5 
adopting father; 
6 
 
7 
b) Names of parents – The names of natural parents of the adopted child shall be 
8 
substituted by the names of the adopting parents, to be indicated in the 
9 
appropriate spaces in the COLB as the father or mother, as the case may be; and 
10 
 
11 
c) Other information – Other information about the adopting parents such as 
12 
citizenship and religion shall be indicated in the appropriate spaces of the 
13 
amended certificate of live birth. 
14 
 
15 
The birth order of the adopted and other information about the adopted shall follow 
16 
the information given by the adopting parents, unless the court order states otherwise. 
17 
In cases where legally married husband and wife jointly adopt the child, the date and 
18 
place of marriage of the adopting parents shall be entered in the appropriate spaces of 
19 
the amended certificate of live birth of the adopted child. 
20 
 
21 
In all cases of adoption, no amendment or changes shall be affected in the civil 
22 
registry books where the original birth records were duly registered, except for the 
23 
marginal annotation by virtue of the adoption decree. 
24 
 
25 
In case the adopted child has no known parents, the basis for the issuance of the 
26 
amended COLB shall be the court order. 
27 
 
28 


 
 
 
 
28 
SEC. 27. Registration of Presumptive Death. – A judicial order or decree declaring a 
1 
person presumably dead for purposes of remarriage shall be registered in the office of 
2 
the local civil registrar of the place where the marriage was solemnizes. It shall be 
3 
annotated and recorded. The registration shall be annotated in the marriage register as 
4 
well as in the marriage certificate. 
5 
 
6 
SEC. 28. Registration of Foreign Court Orders Decided Abroad. – All foreign court 
7 
orders involving status of persons residing in the Philippines shall be registered before 
8 
the Civil Registrar’s Office where the affected document is registered. These foreign 
9 
court orders, to be legal and binding in Philippine jurisdiction, must first be recognized 
10 
by the appropriate embassy of such country here in the Philippines or Regional Trial 
11 
Court which has the lawful jurisdiction over such case. 
12 
 
13 
SEC. 29. Registration of Legal Instruments. – As a general rule, all legal instruments 
14 
shall be registered in the civil registry of the place where they were executed except for 
15 
the following: 
16 
 
17 
a) Affidavit of Reappearance – where the parties to the subsequent marriage are 
18 
residing; 
19 
b) Marriage Settlement – where the marriage is recorded; and 
20 
c) Admission 
of 
Paternity, 
Acknowledgment, 
Legitimation, 
Voluntary 
21 
Emancipation of Minor, Artificial Insemination – where the birth of child was 
22 
recorded. 
23 
 
24 
SEC. 30. Registration of Affidavit of Reappearance. – A sworn statement of the facts 
25 
and circumstances of reappearance of the absentee spouse shall be recorded in the civil 
26 
registry office where subsequent marriage of the present spouse was recorded, at the 
27 
instance of any interested person, with due notice to the spouses of the subsequent 
28 


 
 
 
 
29 
marriage and without prejudice to the fact of reappearance being judicially determined 
1 
in cases where such a fact is disputed. 
2 
 
3 
SEC. 31. Registration of Affidavit of Acknowledgment or Affidavit of Admission of 
4 
Paternity. – it shall be the duty of parents or parent who executed the affidavit of 
5 
acknowledgment to send the original copy to the Civil Registrar’s Office where the 
6 
entries on the birth of the child were recorded for registration on the Register of Legal 
7 
Instruments and for proper annotation in the Register of Births. 
8 
 
9 
SEC. 32. Registration of Repatriation. – The instrument of repatriation and the oath 
10 
of allegiance to the Constitution and the Government of the Philippines, shall be filed 
11 
in the Civil Registrar’s Office of the place where the instrument was executed: Provided, 
12 
That if the Philippine citizenship is reacquired by naturalization, the order of the court 
13 
or any mandated (omnibus) authority granting citizenship shall be recorded in the 
14 
Register of Court Order. 
15 
 
16 
SEC. 33. Registration of Muslim Filipinos, Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) 
17 
or Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Children in Need of Special Protection (CNSP). – 
18 
Muslim Filipinos, ICCs or IPs and CNSP, by reason of their socio-cultural, religious, 
19 
and indigenous peculiarities, and vulnerabilities, shall be registered as follows: 
20 
 
21 
a) Muslim Filipinos – civil registration of Muslim Filipinos shall be governed by P.D. 
22 
No. 1083, Executive Order No. 157, s. 1994, otherwise known as the “Civil 
23 
Registration System for Muslim Filipinos”, and its implementing rules and 
24 
regulations; 
25 
b) Indigenous Peoples – civil registration of indigenous cultural communities or 
26 
indigenous peoples shall be governed by Republic Act No. 8371, otherwise 
27 
known as the “Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997”, and its implementing 
28 
rules and regulations; or 
29 


 
 
 
 
30 
c) CNSP – Civil registration of Children in Need of Special Protection shall be 
1 
governed by the provisions of this Act, special laws, and implementing rules and 
2 
regulations, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and 
3 
Development and other concerned agencies. 
4 
 
5 
SEC. 34. Civil Registry Documents as Public Documents. – The registry books 
6 
making up the civil register, the office files in hard copies and its corresponding digital 
7 
files of the Civil Registrar’s Offices, certifications or certified copies from these files and 
8 
all other documents relating thereto shall be considered public documents and shall be 
9 
prima facie evidence of the truth of the facts therein contained. These public documents, 
10 
except those documents which are to be kept strictly confidential as provided for under 
11 
this Act and other applicable laws shall be opened to the public during office hours and 
12 
shall be kept in a secured place which shall be furnished to civil registrar at the expenses 
13 
of the funds of the civil registrar’s office, Philippine consulate office, or Shari’a court 
14 
concerned. 
15 
 
16 
The civil registrar shall not, under any circumstances, permit any documents 
17 
entrusted to his/her care to be removed from his/her office, except upon lawful order 
18 
of the court, in which case the proper receipt shall be secured. 
19 
 
20 
SEC. 35. Digital/Electronic Reporting of Births, Death, and Marriages. – There shall 
21 
be a compulsory reporting of all occurrences of births, deaths, and marriages from all 
22 
Barangays of the Philippines. As Barangay Registration Agents, all Barangay Secretaries 
23 
or their authorized representatives are hereby mandated to report these events using 
24 
appropriate and duly-inspected secure electronic devices and systems to the LCR/PSA 
25 
and other government agencies mandated by law to monitor the status of registration 
26 
of vital civil registry events and shall assist the subsequent registration thereof. 
27 
Continuing skills training relevant to Digital/Electronic Reporting of Births, Death, and 
28 
Marriages of Barangay Registration Agents shall be provided by the PSA, LGU, PACR, 
29 


 
 
 
 
31 
and other accredited government and private institutions and organizations. This 
1 
training shall equip Barangay Registration Agents with the knowledge and skills 
2 
needed to properly implement digital/electronic civil registration. 
3 
 
4 
SEC. 36. Development of National Civil Registry Database (NCRD) Software. – The 
5 
National Government through the National Computer Center in close coordination 
6 
with the PSA, the PACR, and the DILG shall develop official software responsive to the 
7 
NCRD implementation. Participation and assistance of international and local private 
8 
organization having parallel objectives on the full development of digital civil 
9 
registration may be sought in the development of this software. Among other features, 
10 
this software shall include the highest degree of data security to ensure the integrity 
11 
and confidentiality of its database. 
12 
 
13 
SEC. 37. Digitization of all Civil Registry Files. – All registered documents in the 
14 
LCR/PSA shall be digitized. In addition to the usual reports and forwarding of the 
15 
printed hard copy files, digitized files shall also be submitted to the PSA as back up files 
16 
of the National Civil Registry Database (NCRD), for digital archiving purposes. 
17 
 
18 
SEC. 38. False Statements. – Any person who shall unknowingly make false 
19 
statements in the furnished forms and present the same for entry in the civil registers 
20 
shall be penalized in accordance with law unless it was done for the best interest of the 
21 
child. 
22 
 
23 
SEC. 39. Digitalization of Linkages and Interconnection of All Participating 
24 
LCR/PSA.  – All capable LCR/PSA shall be interconnected to facilitate retrieval, online 
25 
certifications, and for local government revenue generation using LGU-linked NCRD 
26 
digital files. Participating LCR/PSA are hereby authorized to issue certifications from 
27 
NCRD for and in behalf of other LCR/PSA subject to pertinent laws, rules, and 
28 
regulations on the confidentiality of birth records. 
29 


 
 
 
 
32 
 
1 
SEC. 40. Penal Provisions. – Persons in authority who knowingly fail to perform 
2 
their duties in relation to this Act shall be held administratively liable in accordance to 
3 
law. 
4 
 
5 
Any solemnizing officer without being authorized by the Civil Registrar General or 
6 
who, upon solemnizing marriage, refuses to exhibit his authority to solemnize marriage 
7 
when called upon to do so by the parties or parents, grandparents, guardians, or 
8 
persons having charge of the parties; or any bishop or officer, priest, minister, or imam, 
9 
of any church, religion or sect, the regulations and practices whereof require bans or 
10 
publication previous to the solemnization of marriage that is subsequently declared 
11 
illegal, or any solemnizing officer in violation of this Act, shall be punished with 
12 
imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not to exceed three (3) years, a fine of 
13 
not less than Fifty Thousand Pesos (PhP50,000.00) but not more than One Hundred 
14 
Thousand Pesos (PhP100,000.00), or both, and the revocation of the authority to 
15 
solemnize marriage, upon the discretion of the Court. 
16 
 
17 
The attending physician, midwife, nurse, birth attendant, hospital administrator in-
18 
charge to cause the registration of live births, but knowingly fails or withholds the 
19 
delivery of copies of the certificate/s of live birth to the city or municipal civil registrar 
20 
for registration, or any person who caused the failure of delivery, shall be penalized by 
21 
imprisonment of not more than six (6) months and a fine of not less than Fifty Thousand 
22 
Pesos (PhP50,000.00), or both, upon the discretion of the Court. 
23 
 
24 
SEC. 41. Withholding of Documents Due to Non-payment of Hospital Fees. – In no 
25 
case shall failure to settle hospital bills, in full or in part, be a ground for non-delivery 
26 
or withholding of the certificate of live birth or certificate of death or documents 
27 
required in the issuance of the said certificates. 
28 
 
29 


 
 
 
 
33 
SEC. 42. Use of Fees and Income Collected. – All fess that are remitted to the PSA by 
1 
the National Treasury and all income that the PSA is allowed to retain under law shall, 
2 
any provision of law contrary notwithstanding, be used primarily for operating 
3 
expenses including capital outlay, upgrading of its current facilities, acquisition of office 
4 
and space, and establishment of satellite offices in the provinces, and other activities or 
5 
services the PSA in the performance of its mandate needs. 
6 
 
7 
SEC. 43. Transitory Provisions.  – The PSA shall carry out the reorganization of the 
8 
civil registrars in such a manner that personnel of such office absorbed by the PSA shall 
9 
continue to perform their respective duties and responsibilities in a holdover capacity 
10 
so as not to unduly delay the production of statistics from ongoing censuses, surveys, 
11 
and processing of administrative records. 
12 
 
13 
SEC. 44. Appropriations. – There shall be an initial appropriation of One Hundred 
14 
Fifty Million Pesos (PhP150,000,000.00) in the General Appropriations Act, which will 
15 
be included in the PSA’s budget for the initial development of software and the 
16 
digitization of the Civil Registrar’s Office files. 
17 
 
18 
SEC. 45. Mandatory Review. – This Act shall undergo a mandatory review on its 
19 
provisions every five (5) years to make the law more responsive to the needs of the 
20 
times. The review shall be made by Congress, which shall conduct public hearings and 
21 
record relevant testimonies of functionaries in the civil registration system, which shall 
22 
be the basis of any amendment or modification of this Act. 
23 
 
24 
SEC. 46. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). – Within sixty (60) days from 
25 
the effectivity of this Act, the PSA shall promulgate the IRR for the effective 
26 
implementation of this Act. The PSA may consult with the Department of Foreign 
27 
Affairs, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Justice (DOJ), 
28 
DSWD, NCMF, the Office of the Supreme Court Administrator, the University of the 
29 


 
 
 
 
34 
Philippines Law Center, a national professional organization of local civil registrars 
1 
duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the National Privacy 
2 
Commission, the Department of Health, the Office of Solicitor General, the NCIP, the 
3 
Child Rights Network (CRN), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the Bureau of 
4 
Immigration (BIR), the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), the National Council 
5 
of Disability Affairs (NCDA), the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), the 
6 
Department of Education (DepEd), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration 
7 
(OWWA), related child caring agencies, international agencies, civil society 
8 
organizations, related ministries of the BARMM and such other agencies in the 
9 
formulation of the IRR. Other relevant stakeholders may also be consulted in the 
10 
crafting of the IRR. 
11 
 
12 
Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the OCRG shall issue 
13 
implementing rules and regulations for the free delayed registration program, as 
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mandated in Section 15 of this Act. 
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SEC. 47. Separability Clause. – If any part or provision of this Act which shall be 
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held to be invalid or unconstitutional, other parts or provisions hereof which are not 
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affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
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SEC. 48. Repealing Clause. – Act No. 3753 or the “Law on Registry of Civil Status” is 
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repealed. Sections 453, 454, and 479 of Republic Act No. 7160 are also hereby repealed. 
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All other laws, rules, regulations, orders, memoranda, or circulars inconsistent with this 
23 
Act are hereby repealed and modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 49. Construction.  – In the interpretation of this law, the best interest of the child 
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shall prevail. 
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SEC. 50. Retroactivity. – This Act shall have retroactive effect insofar as it does not 
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prejudice or impair vested or acquired rights. 
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SEC. 51. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
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in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation. 
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6 
Approved,  
7