BAGUIO CITY – Baguio’s Civil Registry Office held its first Civil Registry Caravan at People’s Park on Friday, February 21, 2025, in celebration of the 35th Civil Registration Month.
The event, themed “Building a Resilient, Agile, and Future-Fit Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) System,” offered a range of services, including birth registration, the issuance of civil documents (birth, marriage, and death certificates), national ID registration, and more.
Several government agencies were also on-site, including the City Legal Office, CSWDO, HSO, EMS, the Philippine Statistics Authority – CAR/Benguet, PhilHealth, SSS, and the Regional Alternative Child Care Office – CAR.
According to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, having proper government identification is crucial for every Baguio resident, especially in today’s data-driven age. “Kailangan ma-register natin para pag may mga government services, madali natin ma-deliver,” he stressed. “For example, sa mga bata, para sa vaccination ng mga rubella, measles, kailangan naming malaman kung nasaan yung mga bata. Saan sila nakatira, anong edad nila. With this information gathering, in just a matter of minutes, malalaman kaagad namin.”
A resident who benefited from the initiative emphasized its convenience, “Before, you’re going to have your forms sa mga PSA. Kinakailangang mag-online ka muna. And then we have a lot of senior citizens or yung mga illiterate, medyo nahihirapan sila. So, for this kind of opportunity, they’re given access.”
After the program, the judging and awarding of a poster-making contest on the importance of Civil Registry Documents also took place.
Civil Registration Month is celebrated every February to remind every Filipino to register important life events such as births, marriages, and deaths. It was established through Proclamation No. 682, signed in 1991 by then-President Corazon Aquino. Additionally, the Civil Registry Law (Republic Act 3753) requires that all significant events and legal records related to a person’s civil status be officially documented. By Julianna Mallari
