Cotabato Province, Philippines Genealogy

Guide to Province of Cotabato family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

History
Article copied verbatim from the LGU of the Cotabato Province

Before the coming of the Christian migrants from Luzon and the Visayas which had accelerated the growth of settlements and subsequently gave rise to bustling municipalities, this area named Cotabato was inhabited by various ethnic groups namely: the Manobos, the Bagobos and the Muslims sometime in 1500 A.D. These various tribes are believed to be descendants of Indonesian immigrants owing to their similarity in physical structure and language.

The area covered by the empire Province of Cotabato is the territory presently occupied by the provinces of Cotabato (the mother province), South Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat, including the area now covered by General Santos and Cotabato Cities.

"Cotabato" comes from the Maguindanao “Kuta Wato”, or “Stone Fort”, and bespeaks of the long tradition of courage and resistance that marks the history of the Pulangi River basin. Its capital was then Cotabato (now a city, a town along the Rio Grande some five kilometers from where said river empties into the sea on the west).

The effectivity of the operation of the original province of Cotabato was on September 1, 1914. Before then, Cotabato was never called a province. It was just categorized as a mere district of the Moro Province.

Mohammedanism or Islam was the first "imported" religion in Cotabato. It was first introduced in the later part of the 15th century by Shariff Kabunsuan, a legendary Muslim missionary who later ruled Cotabato with his descendants and established the Sultanate of Mindanao. Shariff Kabunsuan and his descendants ruled Cotabato until the coming of the Americans in the early part of the twentieth century. The northern part of Cotabato particularly along the boundaries of Davao and Bukidnon was relatively unaffected during the emergence of Mohammedanism in the province.

The influx of Spanish "conquistadores" also did not affect the northern part of the province. The Spaniards came to subdue the "Moros" or Muslim pirates who attacked several islands of the Visayas and Luzon, at the turn of the 17th century. To prevent the further penetration of Muslim pirates, a fort was established at Tamontaka.

The Spaniards arrived in Cotabato way back in 1696 when Captain Rodriguez de Figueroa obtained from the Spanish government the exclusive right to colonize Mindanao. On February 1, 1596, he left Iloilo and landed at the mouth of Rio Grande de Mindanao, in what is known today as Cotabato City. With Cotabato as the base, the Spanish "conquistadores" attempted to enter the interior region following the Rio Grande and reached as far as Pikit to protect the Spaniards from continuous harassment from the Mohammedans. Today, the Spanish Fort in Pikit still stands as the only relic of Spanish colonial power in the province.

The American forces arrived in the early part of the twentieth century. The Mohammedans under Datu Alamada and Datu Ali put up a very strong resistance in Midsayap, which hastened the coming of General Leonard Wood, then Military Governor, to personally lead the assault on the stronghold. But with the capture of the fortress in Midsayap, the Mohammedans engaged the military forces in guerilla warfare.

Though Islam was the first religion, Christianity also was introduced later in 1596. The first Christian settlers in Cotabato from outside of Mindanao-mostly came from the Province of Cebu and arrived in Pikit on June 17, 1913.

Research Methods
'''The vast majority of your family research will be in civil registration and church records. This article explains different methods for obtaining these records.'''

Civil Registration (Registros Civiles)

 * The recording births, marriages and deaths, provides important information of events in a person's life and required valid evidence, making these records very important.
 * Most vital records from before 1889 come from Catholic parish and diocesan archives.
 * In 1889, the Spanish government created the Central Office of Statistics, which required each parish priest to give the government a detailed list of the births, marriages, and deaths in his area.
 * 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 and, in 1932, the Bureau of Census and Statistics was created to oversee all civil registration in the Philippines. It was not until 1940 that most registrations began to be recorded.
 * Contents:
 * Births: Child’s name, birth date and place; parents’ names, residence, and occupation; witnesses’ ages, relationships, residences.
 * Marriages: Bride and groom names, ages, residences, occupations, marriage date and place; sometimes ages and/or birth dates and places; parents' names;  residences, occupations; witnesses and officer who performed ceremony; former spouses.
 * Death registers: Name of deceased, age, death date and place, occupation, name of surviving spouse, informant’s name and residence, cause of death, sometimes birth date and place, parents’ names, children’s names.
 * Fetal deaths: Record of all stillbirths, includes information similar to birth and death data shown above.
 * Population coverage: Before 1922, 20%; after 1922, 90%.

1. Online Civil Registration Records
Your search should start with several online collections of civil registration records:
 * 1706-1911 - Cotabato, Philippines Civil Registration (Spanish Period), 1706-1911, images, incomplete.
 * 1888-1986 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1888-1984 - at FamilySearch — images, incomplete.
 * 1902-1945 - Cotabato, Philippines Civil Registration (Archives Division), 1902-1945 at FamilySearch — images, incomplete.
 * 1945-1984 -  at FamilySearch — index, incomplete.
 * 1945-1984 - Cotabato, Philippines Civil Registration (National), 1945-1984 at FamilySearch — images, incomplete.

2. Microfilm Copies of Civil Registration Records in the FamilySearch Catalog
You can also search microfilmed copies of available civil registration records. If the locality and time period you need are not included in the online records, the next step is to try to find them in the microfilm collection of the Family History Library. Currently, they are being digitized, and plans are to complete that project by 2020. Check back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a Family History Center near you. To find a microfilm:


 * a. Click on this link to see a list of records for Philippines, Cotabato.
 * b. Click on "Places within Philippines, Cotabato" and a list of towns and cities will open.
 * c. Click on the town or city you wish to search.
 * d. Click on "Civil Registration" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Choose the correct event and time period for your ancestor.
 * f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.

3.Writing for Records

 * Civil registry documents that can be obtained from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Click here for detailed instructions for requesting certificates by mail.  Click here to order records online.
 * A copy of the records have been retained in local civil registry offices. Because many records were lost or damaged in the war, checking both the national office and local office might help find a surviving record. To write to them, address your letter to:

City Civil Registry (postal code--find it here) (City) Cotabato, Philippines

English is the official language of the Philippines. This Letter Writing Guide will help you with organizing your letter and phrasing your requests.

Church Records
Church records are very important for family research. Civil authorities did not consistently register vital events in the Philippines until the nineteenth century. Church records, on the other hand, were well kept from 1569 (in accordance with the directives of the Council of Trent), with some records dating even earlier. They are generally an excellent source—and many times the only source—of names, dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths. Key records are baptisms/christenings, marriages, and deaths/burials.

Generally registers exist for the following denominations: Other religious groups in the Philippines:

Contents:
 * Islam (Muslim immigrants and converts 11th-15th centuries, also called Moros)
 * Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian (Some Chinese immigrants arrived in the 16th-19th centuries, but many more arrived in the 20th century)
 * Hindu (East Indian immigrants arrived in the 20th century)
 * Jews (Arrived in the 20th century)
 * Baptismal records: Baptism dates; children’s names; parents’ residence and names (sometimes mother's maiden name is given); witnesses’ and godparents’ names, and sometimes their residence and relationship to infants; sometimes grandparents’ names.
 * Marriage records: Candidates’ names; marriage and/or proclamation dates; often birth places, residence, witnesses, former spouses and parents’ names.
 * Death/burial records: Name of deceased; burial date; often age and cause of death; residence; spouse’s name, especially for women; parents’ names for deceased children.

1. Online Church Records
These very limited collections include some church records:


 * 1642-1994 -, index, incomplete.
 * 1723-1957 -, index, incomplete.
 * 1726-1957 -, index, incomplete.

The Ancestry.com collections are the same, but their search engine seems more powerful.
 * 1642-1994 - Philippines, Select Births and Baptisms, 1642-1994, index, incomplete, ($).
 * 1723-1957 - Philippines, Select Marriages, 1723-1957, index, incomplete, ($).
 * 1726-1957 - Philippines, Select Deaths and Burials, 1726-1957, index, incomplete, ($).

A similar collection at MyHeritage should also be checked. This collection shows even larger statistics. Also, frequently, the search engines at these partner sites bring up slightly different results. Your ancestor may show up on one but not the other:
 * 1642-1994 - Philippines, Births and Baptisms, 1642-1994, index, incomplete, ($).
 * 1723-1957 - Philippines, Marriages, 1723-1957, index, incomplete, ($).
 * 1726-1957 - Philippines Deaths and Burials, 1726-1957, index, incomplete, ($).

Ancestry.com, findmypast, and MyHeritage.com can be searched free of charge at your local Family History Center or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. ''.

2. Microfilm Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog
You can also search microfilmed copies of available church records. If the locality and time period you need are not included in the online records, the next step is to try to find them in the microfilm collection of the Family History Library. Currently, they are being digitized, and plans are to complete that project by 2020. Check back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a Family History Center near you. To find a microfilm:


 * a. Click on this link to see a list of records for Philippines, Cotabato.
 * b. Click on "Places within Philippines, Cotabato" and a list of towns and cities will open.
 * c. Click on the town or city you wish to search.
 * d. Click on "Church Records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Choose the correct event and time period for your ancestor. "Bautismos" are baptisms. Matrimônios and "Casamentos" are marriages.  "Óbitos"  and Defunciones are deaths.  "Índice" is the index.
 * f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.

3. Writing to Request Records
Unless you know your ancestor was of another religion, begin by searching Catholic records. Cotabato Province is covered by the Diocese of Kidapawan and the Diocese of Marbel. Use the parish lists below to determine which Diocese covers the parish you want to study. Write or telephone to inquire whether the diocese holds the parish records or if they are still at the parish.

Or write directly or call the parish. See The Catholic Directory for addresses and telephone numbers for parishes. Click here for addresses and telephone numbers for parishes in Marbel.

For other religions, Google the denomination and the location. Many churches maintain websites.

Write, call, or personally visit the parish or church. Ask for permission to study their records or make arrangements for them to search for you. It is usual to pay for their help in the form of a donation to the church. When you write, send the following:


 * Full name and the gender of the person sought.
 * Names of the parents, if known.
 * Approximate date and place of the event.
 * Your relationship to the person.
 * Reason for the request (family history, medical, etc.).
 * Request for a photocopy of the complete original record.
 * Check or cash for the search fee (usually about $10.00).

English is the official language of the Philippines. This Letter Writing Guide will help you with organizing your letter and phrasing your requests.

Reading the Records

 * Many records are written in Spanish. You do not have to be fluent in Spanish to read your documents. Genealogical records usually contain a limited vocabulary. Use this Spanish Genealogical Word List to translate the important points in the document. Handwriting skills are taught in BYU Spanish Script Tutorial.


 * Online interactive slideshow lessons are available to help you learn to read these records:


 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 3


 * Detailed instructions for reading Spanish records, examples of common documents, and practice exercises for developing skills in translating them can be found in the Spanish Records Extraction Manual.
 * The Spanish Documents Script Tutorial also provides lessons and examples.

Tips for finding your ancestor in the records
Effective use of church records includes the following strategies.


 * Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find his birth record, search for the births of his brothers and sisters.
 * Next, search for the marriage of his parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
 * You can estimate the ages of the parents and determine a birth year to search for their birth records.
 * Then repeat the process for both the father and the mother.
 * If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records, search neighboring parishes.
 * Search the death registers for all known family members.

Cemeteries

 * Public Cemetery, Lanao Kuran Arakan Cotabato
 * Private Cemetery
 * Catholic Cemetery
 * Public Cemetery
 * Bannawag Cemetery
 * Public Cemetery
 * Doroluman Cemetery
 * Find A Grave

Websites

 * Cotabato Wikipedia
 * Cotabato Province Government Website
 * Cotabato (North Cotabato)
 * Cotabato Province, Philippines
 * ZIP Codes & Phone Area Code