Filipinos advocating for divorce in the country could well use recent statistics culled by
government authorities to support their campaign,.
According to figures shown by Philippine Civil Registrar and National Statistician Lisa
Grace Bernales during a lecture at the Consulate on Aug. 16, one in three Filipino babies being born now
is illegitimate.
This could indicate that the parents are unmarried, either because they cannot because of a
legal impediment, or choose not to.
Bernales also said that while the number of babies being born is on the rise, the number
of people getting married is on the decline.
This again could bolster the argument for divorce, but she said it is not the job of the
Philippine Statistics Authority to take a part in the advocacy.
"We only provide the data," she said. "Those who feel strongly about divorce could
probably approach their local politicians with the figures to support their cause."
Corollary to this is another worrying trend. "Ang nakaka-bahala ay dumarami ang
teenage pregnancy," she said.
The figures on births and other significant events in a person's life were just some of the
things shared by Bernales and interim assistant national statistician Lourdes Hufana during the lecture.
The two also disclosed that the nationwide census that is carried out once every five years
is underway.
Hufana said that the final tally is expected to show the country's population to be past the
100 million mark.
In her lecture, Hufana showed that between 1945 and 2015, a total of 111.09 million
Filipinos were born, while the reported deaths for the same period totaled only 20.55 million. Total
marriages recorded were at 24.07 million.
Hufana said the Philippines takes pride in having 93.2% of all live births in the country
being recorded. Nearly 100% , or 99.2% reporting rate was recorded in Region 1 of the Ilocano
region, while the lowest was recorded in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao or ARMM,
at 37.9%.
"Maganda ang ating reporting because 93% ng ating mga kababayan ang registered at
birth, whether napanganak sa Pilipinas or abroad," Hufana said.
She warned that reporting of births, deaths and marriages is compulsory for those with
direct knowledge of the events. These include in particular the parents and hospital staff or midwives
in cases of births, and the contracting parties and the solemnizing officer in cases of marriages.
"Compulsory ito kasi kapag hindi mo ginawa ikaw ay mapaparusahan," she said.
The two officials gave other bits of important information, like an illegitimate person
acquiring his or her mother's maiden name but not surname, when the father does not acknowledge
paternity. In this particular case, according to Hufana, the illegitimate child should go without a middle
name as this could create confusion about the relationship with the mother.
In the case of foundlings, like in the case of Senator Grace Poe, the status remains as
such unless the child goes through a formal adoption process, in which case an amendment to the
original birth certificate is made.
Once a birth certificate is issued it becomes a person's permanent identification document,
said Hufana. It cannot be replaced, but could only be amended through the prescribed legal process.
Much of the three-hour lecture and forum centered on personal issues faced by participants
as regards their civil status.
One female migrant worker consulted about getting her child's birth registered, despite
the Chinese father's reluctance to personally appear at the Consulate to sign documents.
Another asked how he could have his marriage solemnized by a Muslim datu annulled.
Told that the marriage was probably without effect because a datu is not one of those authorized to
conduct marriages, the male OFW jumped for joy. However, he was told that he still needed to go
to court to get a certificate nullifying his marriage.
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