Philippines, Civil Registration (Archives Division) - FamilySearch Historical Records

Philippines

What is in This Collection?
The records include copies of marriage and death certificates from the Archives Division of the Bureau of Records Management. It includes many localities throughout the Philippines primarily from 1922 to 1932, but some beginning as early as 1902 and ending as late as 1945.

Marriage and death records are handwritten in English for the most part. A few of the earlier marriage records are written in Spanish. Spanish is also used in sections of later records; see the section "For Help Reading these Records" below.

Coverage Table
This coverage table shows localities, record types and years that this collection has published:

Philippines, Civil Registration (Archives) Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Collection Content
The information found in each record varies by year. The recording of civil events in a person's life, such as birth, marriage and death, require valid evidence making these records very reliable.

Sample Images
Marriage records usually contain the following:


 * Husband’s name and age
 * Wife’s name and age
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Husband's birthplace, nationality, and occupation
 * Number of previous marriages of husband
 * Wife's birthplace, nationality, and occupation
 * Number of previous marriages of wife
 * Names of the husband’s parents
 * Names of the wife’s parents
 * Name of the person solemnizing the marriage and their title

Death records usually contain the following information:


 * Municipality and province of registration
 * Name, age, and gender of deceased (keep in mind that death records for women may be filed under their married name)
 * Nationality, civil status, occupation, and residence of deceased
 * Date, place, and cause of death
 * Name of surviving spouse
 * Name of the hospital or institution, if death occurred there
 * Burial information
 * Name of attending physician
 * On death certificates after 1958, names of father and mother appear
 * On death certificates after 1958, the birth date and birthplace of deceased are given

How Do I Search This Collection?
When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, and family relationships. 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.

Some record sets have indexes; these indexes were created at the end of the year. Copy errors could have been made in the index, so you want to find the actual record to verify the information is correct. Using the index is a helpful way to find the actual record.

See the sections below for tips and uses for searching and finding the record of your ancestor in this collection and using the information in the record.

If you are unable to find a record for your ancestor in this collection, see the corresponding section below.

Search This Collection To search by image: To search the collection image by image ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page: ⇒Select the appropriate "Province" ⇒Select the appropriate “Municipality" ⇒Select the appropriate "Record Type" ⇒Select the appropriate "Year Range" which takes you to the images.  Look at the image and compare the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

For Help Reading These Records
Some records may be in Spanish. For help reading the records see the following guides:


 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Reading Spanish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Spanish

What Do I Do Next?

 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of a marriage officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties.
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Use the marital status/marriage number (how many times a person was married) to identify previous marriages.
 * Witnesses often were relatives of the parents.
 * If you know your ancestor’s religion, also check the church archives of that region. Divorce records may be found in other countries where a person may have gone to get a divorce, such as the United States.

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 the 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.

What if I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For?
A boundary change could have occurred and the record of you ancestor is now in a neighboring province, or your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or immigration/emigration records Philippines Emigration and Immigration.

Until 1889 there was no central civil administration to collect, interpret, and preserve the civil registration records. Most vital records from before 1889 are in Catholic parish and diocesan archives. Church records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable.


 * Philippines Church Records
 * Philippines Births and Baptisms, Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records)

General Information about These Records
In 1889, the Spanish government created the Central Office of Statistics. This office required each parish priest to periodically give the government a list of the births, marriages, and deaths in his area. The Catholic clergy had previously maintained records about births, marriages and deaths, and sent copies to the government. After 1889, clergy were required to regularly submit detailed reports. This system continued until the end of the Spanish administration in 1898.

After the Philippine Revolution of 1898, the church and state became separate. Within the first few years, officials responsible for civil registration were appointed in each municipality. In 1930, civil registration became mandatory.

In 1932 the Bureau of Census and Statistics was created to oversee civil registration. Many civil records were destroyed during World War II.

Divorce is not legal in the Philippines, but some records of annulment and legal separation are kept in the National Census and Statistics Office and in the local Domestic Relations Court of First Instance.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.
 * Collection Citation:

Top of Page