By Allysa Nievera
Over 3.7 million people born in the Philippines have no registered birth certificates, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Of this number, 1.4 million are children aged 0 to 14 and are living in remote and disadvantaged areas where acquiring birth certificates remains difficult.
In a media forum on Friday, July 12, the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) underscored the importance of the passage of a bill that will help Filipinos gain access to civil registry.
(Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development)
“Without a birth certificate, a child or an individual faces the risk of being denied of their rights to identity, education, health services, inheritance, employment, and even legal justice in cases where determining age is crucial,” PLCPD Director Romeo Dongeto said.
“We need to pass the Civil Registration Bill to make birth registration free and accessible,” he added.
The Civil Registration Bill was filed to improve the civil registration system for all Filipinos regardless of social status and to prevent fraudulent registration.
“If every birth or vital event of a Filipino is registered, we can generate accurate data. With accurate data, we can make evidence-based policies and decisions to ensure that no one is being left behind,” House Deputy Majority Leader and Tingog Party-List Rep. Jude Acidre said.
Acidre, who is one of the principal authors of the bill, said that an improved civil registration system will also be beneficial to national progress.
Meanwhile, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Claire Dennis Mapa also called on the passage of the Civil Registration Bill.
“An Omnibus bill on civil registration and vital statistics is long overdue and should be a legislative priority to improve further the efficiency of the delivery of civil registration services as well as ensuring the integrity of civil registry documents in the civil registry offices,”. he said.
In 1930, the Civil Registry Law or RA 3753 National law on Civil Registration was passed.
The Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Bill was unanimously approved by the House of Representatives Committee on Population and Family Relations last February.