BAGUIO CITY – The Local Civil Registry Office (LCR) reported that births, deaths and marriages recorded by the office last year are higher compared to the figures recorded the previous year.
Local Civil Registrar Sylvia Laudencia revealed there were 10,040 live births in the city last year, 1.75 percent higher compared to the 9,867 registered live births the previous year, with 98 percent of the said births delivered in the 5 hospitals in the city and 2 percent were delivered at home.
She added there were more males which comprise 51.51 percent of the total population last year compared to females that account for 48.48 percent.
Laudencia claimed that babies delivered from mothers coming from the age group less than 15 to 19 years old totalled to 904 or 9 percent of the total live births.
Ironically, she admitted that percentage of illegitimacy remains high with a total of 4,729 or 47.10 percent of the total live births, an increase of 1.31 percent as compared to the figures recorded the previous year.
On the other hand, the Local Civil Registrar reported total registered deaths was 2,679, 4.4 percent higher compared to the total deaths of 2,566 in 2017.
Further, there was also a significant increase of 22.22 percent or 110 infant deaths compared to the 90 infant deaths in 2017.
Laudencia also reported marriage registration increased by 8.68 percent last year with a total of 1,852 with marriage under church rites preferred by couples with a total of 801 or 43.25 percent.
Under quasi-judicial services, specifically on the clerical error law or Republic Act (RA) 9048 or RA 10172, she stated there were 1,223 petitions filed last year with petitions for change of first name at 163, corrections of clerical error – 979 and migrant petitions – 81.
Moreover, she said there were 130 court registered decrees and 46 percent or 60 court decisions were of nullity of marriage.
The Civil Registry Office is mandated to register vital events occurring in the life of an individual such as birth, marriage, death, as well as all court decrees and legal instruments affecting the civil status of a person.
The office is deputized to collect fees for the issuance of certified copies of birth, death, marriages, registration of legal instruments and petitions under RA 9048.
Last year, the Civil Registry Office generated an income of P3,805,232.
Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan expressed concern over the rise in illegitimate births in the city which warrants the need for concerned offices of the local government to intensify their campaign to inform and educate residents regarding the need to improve on their values and morals for the city to sustain its identity as a character city, one of the city’s major advocacies to restore the value of the people, especially in dealing with the current situation in the different parts of the city.
By Dexter A. See
