Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has extended the implementation of the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Decade in the Philippines until 2030 to strengthen efforts toward achieving universal and timely civil registration and enhancing the country's vital statistics system.
According to Philippines News Agency, under Proclamation No. 1339, signed on July 6, Marcos extended the CRVS Decade, which was originally set to conclude in 2024. The extension reaffirms the Philippines' commitment to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Regional Action Framework and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The proclamation designates the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) as the lead agency responsible for coordinating, overseeing, and monitoring the implementation of programs and initiatives under the extended CRVS Decade. The PSA will collaborate with concerned government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and other stakeholders to advance civil registration reforms and improve access to legal identity services.
The extension is consistent with the agreement reached during the Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, where participating countries resolved to continue the regional CRVS Decade through 2030 in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Philippines reaffirmed its commitment by adopting the 2025 Ministerial Declaration on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, as well as PSA Board Resolution No. 14, series of 2025.
While the proclamation recognizes the country's significant progress over the past decade, it also acknowledges that key challenges remain. "During the CRVS Decade, the Philippines achieved significant progress in improving birth and death registration, expanding access to legal identity for marginalized sectors, and strengthening inter-agency and stakeholder partnerships," the proclamation stated. "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 added.
The PSA's mandate to administer, enforce, and carry out the country's civil registration functions is provided under Republic Act 10625, otherwise known as the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013. PSA Board Resolution No. 3 and Proclamation No. 1106, both issued in 2015, declared the period from 2015 to 2024 as the CRVS Decade in the Philippines in support of the UNESCAP regional initiative.
Under Proclamation No. 1339, all government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or -controlled corporations, are directed to extend the necessary support and assistance to the PSA. Local government units, non-government organizations, and the private sector are likewise encouraged to actively participate in implementing programs and initiatives under the extended CRVS Decade.
