MESSAGE
Dennis S. Mapa, Ph.D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General
Awarding Ceremony of the Outstanding Local Civil Registry Offices
Culminating Activity of the 31st Civil Registration Month
26 February 2021
To our newly appointed Assistant Secretary Atty. Leo Malagar, Deputy National Statistician of the Civil Registration and Central Support Office, Regional Director of the Regional Statistical Services Office Region XII, Atty. Maqtahar Manulon, Officer-in-Charge Assistant National Statistician of the Civil Registration Service, Engr. Marizza Grande; to our Field Office Officials headed by our Regional Directors, colleagues from the Philippine Statistics Authority, and of course, to the City and Municipal Civil Registrars, and employees who are with us today, good morning to all of you.
Today, we are to give recognition to the most outstanding Local Civil Registry Offices for their exemplary performance across six (6) different categories for both the years 2018 and 2019. This early, I would like to extend my congratulations to all the awardees. As much as it would have been a great pleasure to be able to handover to you personally the award and the token for your continued support to the civil registration and vital statistics activities, it is still hopeful that we can conduct this event virtually in the ways of the new normal.
With these awards, we commend our partners as they ensure to provide timely delivery of quality outputs in the attainment of its mandates. Under the Civil Registration category, the evaluation of activities in carrying out and administering the provisions of Act No. 3753, "An Act to Establish a Civil Register" (Section 2, C.A. 591) and other laws on civil registration is its foundational system.
Guided by integrity, accountability, accuracy, and reliability, the main objectives of the Local Civil Registration Office Awards are to: 1) encourage efficiency and productivity, innovativeness, and creativity in its offices; 2) acknowledge its initiatives in supporting the programs and activities relevant to the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics; and 3) to promote values of participation and cooperation.
This year’s nationwide celebration of the Civil Registration Month has adopted the theme, “Strengthening Civil Registration and Vital Statistics’ Digital Information: The Ways to Manage the New Normal”. The Office of the Civil Registrar General together with the Civil Registration Services continued to seek new and innovative ways to encourage its partners and stakeholders to work together towards achieving our never-ending advocacy for an effective and efficient Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the country.
In this the month-long celebration, we are happy to report that several activities have been successfully conducted to include among others, online trainings for the Philippine Statistics Authority employees and field office personnel, and virtual consultative forum on the preparation of the guidelines for Republic Act 11222 or the Simulated Birth Rectification Act, as well as on Data Sharing and Data Privacy with our partners and stakeholders.
The latest online activity that we also conducted was the First National Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Quiz Bee held last Tuesday, which was participated by regional representatives from the Local Civil Registrar Offices. At this point, let us congratulate Municipal Civil Registrar ELIZABETH BADAJOS from Sibagat, Agusan del Sur, representing CARAGA Region, who was declared as our first national champion. My appreciation too, to all the other winners, participants, and organizers of the event.
I am very much aware that in similar ways, our partnership has likewise conducted several activities in line with the 31st Civil Registration Month in our own creative ways. These only show that despite the continuing challenges and constraints due to the pandemic, we can still work together in achieving universal civil registration of births, deaths, and other vital events; in providing all individuals with legal documentation, necessary to claim identity, civil status, and ensuing rights. Lastly, this is also to ensure the accurate, complete, and timely vital statistics to include the causes of death produced and disseminated based on registration records that are essential inputs to effective policy formulation and efficient program planning. These are our goals and commitment for the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Decade: 2015 to 2024.
We are strong in our belief that with the Awarding of the Outstanding Local Civil Registrar Office, we will further strengthen our partnership and the feeling of belongingness. While this is our Culminating Activity for this year’s nationwide celebration of the Civil Registration Month, this is not yet the end of our noble task and responsibility of providing civil registration and vital statistics service to our country to the Filipino people. We positively look forward that awards will inspire, encourage, and motivate you more to get involved and to actively participate in all our agency’s initiatives.
I would like to thank everyone who are joining us virtually and physically as we take part in this activity and advance congratulations to all our awardees.
Muli, magandang umaga at mabuhay tayong lahat!
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