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

Title in the Language of the Record
Please add the title in Spanish here.

Record Description
This collection includes copies of birth, 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 in Spanish. Spanish is also used in sections of later records.

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.

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.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in this collection may include the following information:

Births


 * Child’s name
 * Child’s gender
 * Child’s birth date.
 * Child’s birthplace.
 * Child’s legitimacy.
 * Father’s name, religion, nationality, race, and occupation.
 * Parents’ marriage date and place of marriage (city, municipality, and province).

Marriages


 * Husband’s name
 * Wife’s name
 * Date and place of the marriage
 * Names of the husband’s parents
 * Names of the wife’s parents
 * Names of the witnesses
 * Names of the persons who gave consent
 * Name of the person who solemnized the marriage
 * Beginning in 1945, birthplace of the husband and wife
 * Date of the marriage license
 * Date of the certificate (marriage contract)

Deaths


 * Name of the deceased
 * Date, place and cause of death
 * Name of the surviving spouse
 * Full name of the hospital or institution (if death occurred there)
 * The date and place of burial (cremation or removal)
 * Name of the informant
 * Name of the attending physician
 * Name of the undertaker
 * On death certificates after 1958, names of the father and mother
 * On death certificates after 1958, the birth date and birthplace of the deceased
 * Date of the certificate or the date the certificate was filed by the local civil registrar
 * Date of burial or transit permit

Beginning Your Search
To find your ancestors civil registration papers, it would be helpful if you know the following information:


 * Ancestor's religion
 * Approximate year of birth, marriage or death
 * Name of your Ancestor
 * Locality where their parents lived

If you do not find the birth of the child in this collection, check the other digital collections for the Philippines published at FamilySearch.org:


 * Philippines, Civil Registration (Local), 1898-1980
 * Philippines, Civil Registration (National), 1945-1980

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.

If you do not find the birth of the child in civil registration records, try looking in Catholic Church records for the appropriate area.

Searching the Images
These records are arranged by locality. In order to use them you will need to know the locality where the parents lived.

To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the “Province” ⇒Select the “Municipality/Town” ⇒Select the “Record Type” which will take you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

Related Websites

 * Research Help for Philippines Civil Registration and Other Philippine Records
 * Philippine Research helps

Related Wiki Articles

 * Philippines Civil Registration- Vital Records
 * Philippines Genealogy
 * Philippines

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata &gt; San Ponciano &gt; Matrimonios 1884-1886 &gt; image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clemtina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata.