The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recently issued free copies of Certificates of Live Birth (COLBs) in Security Paper (SECPA) to the first batch of beneficiaries of the Birth Registration Project on 15 October 2021 at Astoria Current Hotel, Boracay, Malay, Aklan. The successful ceremonial awarding of the COLBs is an initial result of the efforts of the Office of the Civil Registrar General (OCRG) to intensify the campaign to improve the civil registration aligned with the goals of the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Decade for 2015-2024.

The issuance of the printed copy of the COLBs in SECPA was spearheaded by the PSA Deputy National Statistician, Assistant Secretary, Atty. Leo B. Malagar, Regional Director Engr. Fred S. Sollesta
of Regional Statistical Services Office VI, and Chief Statistical Specialist Antonette B. Catubuan of the Provincial Statistical Office - Aklan. Also, various Local Civil Registrars of the Province of Aklan participated during the said awarding ceremony and received the copy of birth records on behalf of the beneficiaries from the marginalized communities in the Province.

The said activity is an indication of the efficient implementation of the Birth Registration Project between the PSA and the Provincial Government of Aklan, which aims to register a total of 10,000 unregistered births of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and the poorest sector of the cities/municipalities in the province. Further, the Project involves the provision of assistance in the processing of delayed registration of births of the beneficiaries, facilitating the out-of-town registrations of births and other civil registry documents; verification of the existence of civil registry records from the PSA Civil Registry System database; and the implementation of the Philippine Civil Registry Information System (PhilCRIS) in mobile registrations.

The registration of the birth records of the beneficiaries will pave the way to access social services and other government or private transactions. This initiative on civil registration is expected to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the beneficiaries since these documents are being used and submitted as a requirement in school applications, passport applications, job applications, among others.

-Civil Registration Service, Civil Registration and Central Support Office