Acknowledging that a high number of members of indigenous communities have unrecorded civil registry, the House Committee on Ways and Means has unanimously approved a bill providing indigenous peoples (IPs) free and culture civil registration system.

Two legislative measures were consolidated by the House panel during a virtual hearing held Monday, May 10. Both bills sought to address the civil registry problems confronting IPs.

Members of the Makabayan bloc who authored House Bill 1332, noted that IPs are “discouraged to register their biological milestones” because they find the current registration system “not friendly to their unique ways, tradition and culture."

The six-man Makabayan bloc cited the “prohibitive cost” of registration as another reason.

“Without a legal birth record, an individual does not officially exist and therefore lacks legal access to the privileges and protection of a nation,” noted Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez, author of HB 2812.

He pointed out that IPs only realize the importance of registering births, deaths and marriages when they encounter problems in transactions requiring civil registry documents.

“this lack of birth registration is often caused by the fact that many of these IPs are indigent and lack the necessary finances tobe able to register,” said Rodriguez.

Under the consolidated version of the bill, free and culture-sensitive civil registration system for members of indigenous communities are to be guaranteed.

Under Section 6 of the bill, IPs would be exempted from payment of all fees in the recording of their birth, marriage and death. Also free of charge are fees for notarial recording and documentary stamp tax.

The bill provides that within one month from the effectivity of the law, the Philippine Statistics Authority, in collaboration with concerned government agencies, distinguished anthropologists and elders of IP communities, will establish an Indigenous People’s Civil Registration System that will be sensitive and appropriate to the unique cultural practices and identification systems of IPS.

Marriages performed in accordance with IP laws and practices of dissolution of marriages are deemed conclusive upon the Local Civil Registrar without further proof.

However, this will be applicable only to IPs who have been authorized to solemnize marriage by the National Commission on Indigenous People or the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.

Report of death by any member of the IP family or by a tribal doctor shall also be deemed conclusive “upon the LCR without need of further proof.”