TACLOBAN CITY — Tingog party-list Representatives Yedda Marie Romualdez, Andrew Julian Romualdez, and Jude Acidre have filed House Bill No. 5213, or the Philippine Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Act, seeking to overhaul and modernize the country’s nearly century-old civil registration system established under Republic Act No. 3753 of 1930.
The measure aims to establish a fully digital, inclusive, and responsive system for recording births, deaths, marriages, and other vital events—ensuring that every Filipino, including those in remote and crisis-affected areas, is recognized before the law.
Aligned with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) priority agenda for public administration and civil services, the proposed law would make registration services free of charge and streamline processes through digitization, mobile registration units, and barangay-level registration systems.
Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez emphasized that legal identity is the cornerstone of human rights and access to government services.
“Legal identity is the first public service and the gateway to all others,” she said. “When a child’s birth is registered, we unlock a lifetime of rights—healthcare, education, and protection. This bill transforms paperwork into protection and data into dignity.”
Rep. Andrew Julian Romualdez said the modernization of the CRVS system will harness technology and inter-agency coordination to improve efficiency and accountability.
“Good data is good governance,” he stressed. “By professionalizing civil registration and linking PSA with frontline agencies, we create a single, reliable source of truth for births, deaths, and marriages—helping government target social protection more accurately and respond to crises more effectively.”
Rep. Acidre highlighted the bill’s inclusive and rights-based approach, ensuring no Filipino is left unrecorded.
“Civil registration is both a rights and governance issue,” he said. “A modern, inclusive CRVS system is the foundation of equitable development and human dignity.”
The measure mandates the reorganization of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Civil Registration Service into a new Civil Registration Office headed by a Deputy Civil Registrar General, with strengthened regional and field offices. It also establishes a Barangay Civil Registration System (BCRS) to make documentation accessible at the community level.
The Tingog lawmakers stressed that the reform will not only simplify public transactions but also produce accurate, real-time data for policy planning, disaster response, and social welfare programs.
“This reform brings our civil registration system into the digital age,” Acidre added. “It’s a vital step toward inclusive governance and ensuring that every Filipino, wherever they are, is recognized before the law.”
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
