CIVIL REGISTRATION SYSTEM in the PHILIPPINES ... - nsor12.ph
CIVIL REGISTRATION SYSTEM in the PHILIPPINES ... - nsor12.ph
CIVIL REGISTRATION SYSTEM in the PHILIPPINES ... - nsor12.ph
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OVERVIEW OF THE PHILIPPINE <strong>CIVIL</strong><br />
<strong>REGISTRATION</strong> <strong>SYSTEM</strong> and its<br />
GOVERNING LAWS<br />
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Before Spanish Regime<br />
There were no known<br />
system of document<strong>in</strong>g<br />
civil status of persons.
Spanish Regime<br />
The first known records of civil status<br />
of persons were <strong>the</strong> records of <strong>the</strong><br />
Catholic Church consist<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>the</strong><br />
records of baptisms, marriages and<br />
deaths. Unfortunately, most of <strong>the</strong>se<br />
records are no longer available,<br />
except those from 1876 to 1885.
Philipp<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Revolutionary Period<br />
The Philipp<strong>in</strong>e Revolution <strong>in</strong><br />
1889 caused <strong>the</strong> separation<br />
of <strong>the</strong> church and state.
Philipp<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Revolutionary Period<br />
After <strong>the</strong> declaration of Philipp<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Independence on June 12, 1898, one<br />
of <strong>the</strong> early actions of <strong>the</strong> government<br />
was <strong>the</strong> promulgation of a decree on<br />
June 18, 1898 reorganiz<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>the</strong> towns under its control.
Philipp<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Revolutionary Period<br />
Section 3 of this decree required <strong>the</strong><br />
election of three delegates, one of<br />
whom was <strong>the</strong> Delegate of Justice and<br />
Civil Registration to assist <strong>the</strong> Chief of<br />
<strong>the</strong> Pueblo <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>itiation of court<br />
proceed<strong>in</strong>gs and preparation of <strong>the</strong><br />
record books of births, death and<br />
marriages and <strong>the</strong> census.
The American Regime<br />
The Municipal Law or Act No. 82,<br />
enacted by <strong>the</strong> Philipp<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Commission of 1901 provided <strong>in</strong> its<br />
Section 20 that each Municipal<br />
Secretary should keep <strong>the</strong> civil<br />
registers of his locality.
The American Regime<br />
Act No. 273 which was promulgated on<br />
October 21, 1901 created <strong>the</strong> Bureau of<br />
Archives. The act provided that one of <strong>the</strong><br />
duties of <strong>the</strong> Bureau of Archives was<br />
“to have <strong>the</strong> care and custody of such<br />
public records as may be <strong>in</strong> accordance<br />
with law or by direction of <strong>the</strong> Civil<br />
Governor be deposited <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>sular<br />
archives.”
The American Regime<br />
Act No. 3022 amended Act No. 2711 on<br />
March 8 1922 by convert<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
Bureau of Archives as one of <strong>the</strong><br />
divisions of <strong>the</strong> National Library, and<br />
requir<strong>in</strong>g all municipal secretaries to<br />
submit quarterly reports on all<br />
registration matters to <strong>the</strong> Chief of <strong>the</strong><br />
Division of Archives.
Enactment of Civil Registry Law<br />
(Act No. 3753)<br />
“An Act to establish a Civil<br />
Register” on November 26,<br />
1930. It took effect on 27<br />
February 1931.
Creation of <strong>the</strong> Bureau of<br />
<strong>the</strong> Census and Statistics<br />
Commonwealth Act<br />
No. 591 created <strong>the</strong><br />
Bureau of <strong>the</strong> Census<br />
and Statistics.
Creation of <strong>the</strong> Bureau of<br />
<strong>the</strong> Census and Statistics<br />
Act No. 3753 by transferr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> civil<br />
registration function from <strong>the</strong> National<br />
Library to <strong>the</strong> Bureau of <strong>the</strong> Census and<br />
Statistics. The Director of <strong>the</strong> Bureau of<br />
<strong>the</strong> Census and Statistics <strong>the</strong>n became<br />
<strong>the</strong> ex-officio Civil Registrar-General.
Creation of <strong>the</strong> Bureau of<br />
<strong>the</strong> Census and Statistics<br />
The Bureau of <strong>the</strong> Census and Statistics has<br />
been renamed to National Census and<br />
Statistics Office and later on to <strong>the</strong><br />
National Statistics Office, ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
basically <strong>the</strong> same functions <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
those that perta<strong>in</strong> to civil registration.
O<strong>the</strong>r Important Laws on<br />
Civil Registration<br />
Presidential Decree 651 –<br />
promulgated on January 31, 1975,<br />
ordered that unregistered with<strong>in</strong> 60<br />
days from effectivity of <strong>the</strong> decree<br />
are without fee or free of charge.
O<strong>the</strong>r Important Laws On<br />
Civil Registration<br />
Presidential Decree No. 603 –<br />
known as Child and Youth Welfare<br />
Code and took effect on June 10,<br />
1975, provides that birth records<br />
of a person are to be kept<br />
confidential.
O<strong>the</strong>r Important Laws On<br />
Civil Registration<br />
Presidential Decree No. 856 –<br />
Code on Sanitation of <strong>the</strong><br />
Philipp<strong>in</strong>es (December 23, 1975)<br />
specifies that no human body<br />
shall be buried without death<br />
certificate.
O<strong>the</strong>r Important Laws On<br />
Civil Registration<br />
Presidential Act No. 386 –<br />
(Civil Code of <strong>the</strong> Philipp<strong>in</strong>es)<br />
Title XVI of this Code is<br />
entitled Civil Register.
O<strong>the</strong>r Important Laws On<br />
Civil Registration<br />
Rules of Court – requires <strong>the</strong> Clerk<br />
of Court to report certa<strong>in</strong> court<br />
decisions concern<strong>in</strong>g civil status<br />
of persons to local civil registry<br />
office for record<strong>in</strong>g …
O<strong>the</strong>r Important Laws On<br />
Civil Registration<br />
Batas Pambansa Blg. 337 –<br />
(Local Government Code of 1983).<br />
This code transferred <strong>the</strong> civil<br />
registration function from <strong>the</strong><br />
municipality plann<strong>in</strong>g and development<br />
coord<strong>in</strong>ation to a permanent<br />
city/municipal civil registrar.
O<strong>the</strong>r Important Laws On Civil<br />
Registration<br />
Former President Corazon C. Aqu<strong>in</strong>o<br />
issued Proclamation No. 682 on<br />
January 28, 1991, mak<strong>in</strong>g February of<br />
each year as Civil Registration Month.
O<strong>the</strong>r Important Laws On<br />
Civil Registration<br />
Republic Act No. 9048 –<br />
an act authoriz<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> City or<br />
Municipal Civil Registrar or <strong>the</strong><br />
Consul General to Correct a<br />
Clerical or Typographical Error
O<strong>the</strong>r Important Laws On<br />
Civil Registration<br />
Republic Act No. 9255 –<br />
an act allow<strong>in</strong>g illegitimate children<br />
to use <strong>the</strong> surname of <strong>the</strong>ir fa<strong>the</strong>r<br />
Amend<strong>in</strong>g for <strong>the</strong> purpose Article<br />
176 of Executive Order No. 209,<br />
O<strong>the</strong>rwise known as <strong>the</strong> “Family<br />
Code of <strong>the</strong> Philipp<strong>in</strong>es”
O<strong>the</strong>r Important Laws On<br />
Civil Registration<br />
Republic Act No. 9858 –<br />
An Act Provid<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
Legitimation of Children Born to<br />
Parents Below Marry<strong>in</strong>g Age,<br />
Amend<strong>in</strong>g for <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>the</strong><br />
Family Code of <strong>the</strong> Philipp<strong>in</strong>es