Philippines, Negros Occidental, Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacolod, Parish Registers, - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Filipinas, Negros Occidental, Diócesis de Bacolod, Registros Parroquiales

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1755-1976. Records may include confirmations, marriages, deaths, parish censuses, diocesan orders and decrees. The records come from parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacolod, Philippines. Original records are located in the various parish archives of the diocese.

Some records may be in Spanish; see the section For Help Reading these Records below for translation help.

Record Content
These records may mostly be hand-written (not on type-written forms), and may be difficult to read.

Death records may contain the following information:


 * Name, gender, and age of deceased (keep in mind that the death records of women may be filed under their married names)
 * Date and place of death
 * Date and place of burial
 * Marital status/name of spouse
 * Names of parents
 * Names and residences of informants/witnesses

How to Use the Record
When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know your ancestor's name and which type of record (baptism, confirmation, marriage, etc.) you are looking for.

Some record sets included in this collection have indexes. Try finding your ancestor's name in an index first, as it can help you narrow down which images you need to look through. Remember that these indexes were created at the end of the year and that copy errors could have been made. Always verify information in the index by looking at the image of the actual record.

Also, remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Search the Collection
To search by image: To browse the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the 'Municipality (Parish)' ⇒ Select the '(Record Type, Year Range (Volume Numbers)' which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information you find with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images to make this determination.

For Help Reading these Records
These records are in Spanish. For help reading the records see the following guides:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Reading Spanish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Spanish

Using the Information

 * Use an individual's birth date or age along with the place of birth to find a birth records and parents' names.
 * Use an individual's birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records Philippines Census.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate civil and land records Philippines Land and Property.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of a marriage officiator may be a clue indicating religion or area of residence in the province. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other provinces.
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom. This may be especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Use the marital status to identify previous marriages (whether a divorce or death dissolved a previous marriage).
 * Witnesses often were relatives of the parents.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * For death records, the information in records is usually reliable, but depends upon the knowledge of the informant.
 * For marriage and death records, your ancestors may have used shortened names or nicknames, so pay attention to other relationships (parents, spouse, siblings, children, etc.) that can confirm whether you have the right person/record.
 * Continue to search marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * Continue to search the indexes and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same area or a nearby area.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Try searching the records of neighboring islands such as Guimaras and Panay.
 * Try searching immigration/emigration records if you think your ancestor may have migrated to another area. Philippines Emigration and Immigration
 * Civil registration records are also a good substitute when church records are insufficient. Philippines, Civil Registration, Local (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Related Websites

 * Parish Registers – Family History before 1837
 * Philippine Islands Death Records
 * Catalog of Filipino Names
 * Philippine Research

Related Wiki Articles

 * Philippines Church Records
 * Philippines Births and Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Philippines Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Philippines Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Philippines Civil Registration- Vital Records
 * Philippines, Civil Registration (Archives Division) (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Philippines, Civil Registration, Local (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Philippines, Civil Registration, National (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Philippines, Civil Registration, Spanish Period (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Philippines, Court Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Philippines Emigration and Immigration
 * Philippines

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.