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

Philippines

What is in This Collection?
The records in this collection include 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. 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.

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

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

Birth
 * Child’s name
 * Birthdate, birthplace, parents’ names, and residence
 * Parent's names, residence and occupation
 * Witnesses' names, age, relationship, and residence

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

Death
 * Municipality and province of registration
 * Name, age, and gender of deceased (death records for women may be filed under their married name)
 * Nationality, civil status, occupation, and residence
 * 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, and the birthdate and birthplace of deceased are given

Inventory
For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see Philippines, Civil Registration (Archives) - Inventory.

How Do I Search This Collection?

 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year
 * Family relationships

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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Check the image the index was taken from to see if there is additional information
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Continue to search the index to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives. Remember that family members often appear on an individual's vital records, such as in the role of witnesses to a marriage

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

 * Spelling was not standardized for much of the period of this collection, so names were often spelled as they were pronounced. Pay attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try spelling variations that could have that pronunciation
 * Spanish name abbreviations may also be helpful with names
 * 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. Alternatively, try expanding the date range
 * Search the records of nearby localities. While it was uncommon for an individual in this period to move more than about 20 miles from their place of birth, smaller relocations were not uncommon
 * Philippines Church Records are a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable
 * The Philippines Births and Baptisms, Coverage Table - FamilySearch Historical Records may also be useful.

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

Filipinas, Registro Civil (Divisão de Arquivos) (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)