PSA Caraga highlights civil registration, vital statistics for effective governance
By Mariesh F. Celedeña
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — “Civil Registration and Vital Statistics is not just a record or a piece of paper, it is a system of the government that establishes an individual’s legal identity from womb to tomb. It also allows the government to generate vital statistics that different agencies use in their planning.”
This is the statement of Regional Director Guillermo M. Lipio Jr. of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Caraga as the agency commemorated the 36th Civil Registration Month (CRM) in the region through a Press Launch cum Civil Registry and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Stakeholders Forum on February 10, 2026.
During the activity, representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) shared how they used the various services and statistical products of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Participating agencies emphasized that PSA data played a vital role in verifying the identities of individuals who are beneficiaries of government programs and services, ensuring accuracy and credibility in service delivery.
Marites Gayas, Statistician II of DOH-Center for Health Development Caraga, highlighted the importance of civil registration data, from birth to death, in health planning and policy formulation. She noted that the data significantly contributed to identifying priority populations and crafting appropriate health interventions and programs. This plays a vital role in providing health data, metrics, and indices.
Meanwhile, Emily Sanogal, officer-in-charge of RACCO, underscored the role of birth certificates in protecting foundling children. She explained that civil registration provides these children with a legal identity, safeguarding their rights and ensuring their access to essential services.
Dir. Lipio is committed to providing accurate and relevant vital statistics that agencies could use. “The 2024 data and the first half of 2025 are available. We are still processing the data for the second half of the year. We can readily provide the data that they need.” (MFC, PIA Caraga)
