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

What is in This Collection?
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.

Additional records will be added as they become available.

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

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth
 * Name, age, and gender
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Names of parents

Confirmation
 * Name
 * Legitimacy to parents
 * Names of parents
 * Name of godfather and/or godmother

Marriage
 * Names and ages of groom and bride
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Birthplaces of groom and bride
 * Groom’s parents’ names
 * Bride’s parents’ names
 * Marital status of groom and bride
 * Groom’s occupation
 * Names of witnesses

Death
 * Name, gender, and age of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Date and place of burial
 * Marital status/name of spouse
 * Names of parents
 * Names and residences of informants/witnesses

Note: The date and place of the confirmation will be at the top of the first page of the register

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year
 * Family relationships

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Municipality (Parish)
 * 2) Select Record Type, Year Range (Volume Numbers) to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors
 * Cite the record entry for future reference. Save or print a copy of the image if possible.  The image citation is available by clicking on the information tab at the bottom left of the screen where you’ve found your ancestor
 * 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 spouse to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Use the birth date or age and the place of birth to find the family in census records. See the Philippines Census for more information
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records. See the Philippines Land and Property for assistance
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * 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. For this step, it helps to compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful if the surname is unusual
 * Witnesses often were relatives of the parents

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and see if your ancestor’s records have been added.  You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections and notice the asterisk for recently added or updated records
 * There may be more than one person with the same name. When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * 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
 * Civil records are also a good source of genealogical information. If possible, you should obtain copies of both Civil Registration and church records, since they do not necessarily provide the same information. For example, baptismal registers sometimes provide the names of the fathers of illegitimate children when the civil registration does not
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches. Or try expanding the date range; this is especially useful in searching baptismal records, as it was not unusual for a child to be baptized weeks or even months after birth
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations
 * Try searching the records of neighboring islands such as Guimaras and Panay.There is an excellent map showing the provinces surrounding Negros Occidental. If you click on any of these provinces (ie. Benguet), a wiki page with additional resources is available
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches. Or try expanding the date range; this is especially useful in searching baptismal records, as it was not unusual for a child to be baptized weeks or even months after birth

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Philippines.
 * Record Finder

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.