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

Title in the Language of the Record
Pilipinas, Civil Pagpaparehistro (Archives Division)

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 information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
These birth records usually contain the following information:


 * Child's name and gender
 * Child’s date and place of birth
 * Child’s nationality
 * Child’s legitimacy
 * Names of parents, including maiden name of mother
 * Parents' age, birthplace and occupation
 * Number of children born to this mother

These marriage records usually contain the following information:


 * 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

These death records usually contain the following information:


 * Municipality and province of registration
 * Name, age and gender of deceased
 * 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

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

Searching the Images

To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Province" category ⇒Select the “Municipality/Town" category ⇒Select the "Record Type" category which will take you to the images

Look at each image 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.

Using the information

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.

Can't Find Information?

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

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

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
“Philippines, Civil Registration (Archives Division), 1902-1945,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-26328-12067-68?cc=2018411&amp;wc=MMTB-T6T:n698794654), Abra &gt; Bangued &gt; Births &gt; 1922-1931, &gt; image 5 of 199, &gt; Petra Trinidad age 25; citing Municipal Secretary. Philippines, civil registration. Record Management and Archives Office, Manila, Philippines.