MCRO – Municipality of Lantawan thru the Office of the Municipal Civil Registrar in close coordination with the Philippine Statistics Office Basilan Provincial Field Office (PSA-BPFO) were one in celebrating the Civil Registration Month 2018 with the theme “napapanahong CRVS” on February 26, 2018 at barangay Lower Baňas, Lantawan municipality, Basilan.

This celebration stresses the importance of up-to-date and accurate Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the formulation and implementation of government programs. It is aimed to improve the lives of the Filipino people and one of the highlights of the celebration is the mobile free birth registration to selected barangays for the year, it is also an annual program of the municipal government that aims to remind Lantaweňos of their duty to register vital events in their life such as births, marriages, and deaths, as well as decrees, legal documents and judicial orders affecting their civil status. Also, to decrease the number of illegitimate individuals in various barangays of the municipality.

About a month ago the MCRO personnel informed and encouraged the applicants for the free birth registration through barangay officials to bring the following: PSA copy of Negative Result, Photocopy of Parents Marriage Contract, Form 137 or Voter’s registration Record or any document that can prove the date and place of birth, Health Record or the Early Childhood Care & Development Card from the Health Center for children aging from 1 to 3 years old, Marriage Contract of the child’s parents, presence of the parents with their 2018 issued Community Tax Certificate (Sedula), 2 witnesses testifying the authenticity of the Sedula and signature of the midwife if he/she is still alive.

Hon. Rustam M. Ismael, Municipal Mayor of the municipality in his message during the opening program that “Kemon makanak duk bahu inanak duk sampay aa bahi subey recognized asal aa subey taga birth certificate” which means all children, new born and even old ones will be recognized as person unless registered by means of Certificate of Live Birth (COLB) issuance.

Information dissemination was also conducted simultaneously spearheaded by Mr. Pedro Baradi, Jr., Provincial Statistician of PSA aimed to raise awareness and appreciation of legal, administrative, and statistical values of civil registry documents. He also emphasized that the said activities in local civil registry offices nationwide are free registration, free giving of affidavits and certificates, information campaign in barangays and schools. The holding of mass weddings is an important activity. Free mobile service brings civil registration to the people and imparts to them the significance of registering vital events. Hence, the said barangay is so blessed and lucky since there are some parents reportedly among the five (5)-barangays in the municipality who are not married accordingly.

The MCRO gathered and registered more or less 126 births to Lantaweňos who will avail the free birth registration and even save up to P550.00 as this is the amount of an individual has to pay for the process of the said document.

According to the Local Civil Registrar (LCR), birth registration is a process by which a child’s birth is recorded to provide the first legal recognition of the child and is generally required for the child to obtain birth certificate and as a result any other legal documents and rights.

#Lantaweňos #SerbisyongSibil