Malacañang has extended until 2030 the implementation of efforts to update and strengthen the country’s civil registration and vital statistics systems amid continuing gaps in the timely and universal registration of births and deaths, as well as ongoing digitization initiatives.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., through Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, issued Proclamation No. 1339, which was signed on July 6 and uploaded in the Official Gazette on July 7.
The proclamation extended the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Decade to 2030 following the conclusion of the CRVS Decade 2015 to 2024.
The proclamation said the Philippines made significant progress under the CRVS Decade 2015 to 2024 in improving birth and death registration and expanding access to legal identity, particularly for marginalized sectors.
“Notwithstanding these gains, challenges remain, including gaps in the universal and timely registration of births and deaths, limited integration of health and civil registry systems, and the need for further digitalization,” it read.
It said participating states at the Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific agreed to extend the implementation of the regional CRVS Decade until 2030 to align with the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013.
“The Philippines reaffirmed its commitment to the extension of the CRVS Decade through its adoption of the 2025 Ministerial Declaration on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics,” Proclamation No. 1339 read.
The proclamation also adopted Philippine Statistics Authority Board Resolution No. 14, which recommended the extension of the CRVS Decade to “build on the gains of the previous CRVS Decade (2015–2024) by continuing to improve vital statistics systems, ensuring legal identity for all, and generating reliable data to inform sustainable development.”
Marcos directed the PSA to serve as the lead agency in coordinating, overseeing, and monitoring the implementation of programs and initiatives under the extended CRVS Decade, in coordination with concerned government agencies and stakeholders.
All government agencies and instrumentalities were directed to support the PSA, while government-owned or controlled corporations, local government units, non-government organizations, and the private sector were encouraged to provide assistance and actively participate in the implementation of the CRVS Decade in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Malacañang also issued Proclamation Nos. 1337, 1338, and 1340, which designated parcels of land in Tanza, Cavite; Malvar, Batangas; and Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, as special economic zones or information technology parks pursuant to Republic Act No. 7916, as amended by Republic Act No. 8748.