Presidential Decree No. 766 (PD 766) — Amending Sections 2 and 5 of Presidential Decree No. 651, Dated January 31, 1975, Entitled "Requiring the Registration of Births and Deaths in the Philippines Which Occurred from January 1, 1974 and Thereafter" and Extending the Period of Registration up to December 31, 1975.
WHEREAS, Sections 2 and 5 of Presidential Decree No. 651,
requires unregistered births and deaths which occurred from January 1,
1974 up to the date when said decree becomes effective, to be registered
in the Office of the Local Civil Registrar of the place where the event
occurred within sixty (60) days or from March 16 to May 16, 1975,
without fine or fee of any kind:
WHEREAS, the same sections of said decree also provide that
all births and deaths occurring after the effectivity of the said decree
must be registered within thirty (30) days from date of occurrence,
without fee or fine of any kind;
WHEREAS, due to the present difficulties in the Mindanao
area and the lack of facilities and communication the convey the
relevance and importance of the registration to the births and deaths,
there is a strong clamor for the extension, of the period for the
registration of births and deaths beyond the period prescribed by P.D.
651;
WHEREAS, the extension of the prescribed period of
registration would give more time for complete registration of births
and deaths and provides reliable sources of adequate vital statistics
for the country.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution,
do hereby order and decree:
SECTION 1. Section 2 of Presidential Decree No. 651 is
hereby amended to read as follows:
"SECTION 2. Period of Registration of births.—The
registration of the birth of babies referred to in the preceding Section
including those unregistered births which occurred from March 17, 1975,
to November 30, 1975, must be done until December 31, 1975, without
fine or fee of any kind. Babies born after November 30, 1975 and
thereafter, must be registered within thirty (30) days from birth
without fine or fee or any kind toy the attending physician, nurse,
midwife, hilot or hospital or clinic administrator or, in default of the
same, by either parent or a responsible member of the family or any
person who has knowledge of the birth.
"The parents or any responsible member of the family and the
attendant at birth or the hospital or clinic administrator referred to
above shall be jointly liable in case they fail to register the new born
child. If there was no attendant at birth, or if the child was not born
in a hospital or maternity clinic then the parents or responsible
member of the family alone shall be primarily liable in case of failure
to register the new born child."
SEC. 2. Section 5 of the same decree is hereby amended to read
as follows:
"SECTION 5. Period of reporting and registration of
deaths.—The registration of deaths referred to in the proceding
Section including those unregistered deaths which occurred from March
17, 1975, to November 30, 1975, must be done until December 31, 1975,
without fine or fee of any kind. Deaths occurring after November 30,
1975 and thereafter, must be reported by the nearest responsible
relative or any person who has knowledge of the death within 48 hours
after death to the Local Health Officer of the place of death, who shall
then issue the corresponding certificate of death and order its
registration in the Office of the Local Civil Registrar within thirty
(30) days after death, without fee or fine of any kind. In case the
deceased was attended to by a physician, the latter must issue the
necessary certificate of death within 48 hours after death and submit
the same to the Local Health Officer of the place of death, who shall
order its registration in the Office of the Local Civil Registrar within
the said period of thirty (30) days after death, without fee or fine of
any kind."
The attending physician and responsible member of the family or
person who has knowledge of the death are jointly liable for failure to
report the death to the Local Health Officer, for registration by the
Local Civil Registrar of the place of death. If the deceased was not
attended by a physician or did not die in the hospital, the responsible
member of the family alone shall be responsible for failure to submit
the report of death to the Local Health Officer.
SEC. 3. The same decree is amended by adding the following
section immediately after Section 5 thereof, which read as follows:
"SEC. 5-A. Extension of Registration.—The aforecited
periods within which to register unregistered births and deaths may be
extended in meritorious cases by th'3 Director-General of the National
Economic and Development Authority upon the recommendation of the
Civil Registrar-General."
SEC. 4. All laws or part of laws inconsistent with this
Decree are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
SEC. 5. This Decree shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila this 8th day of August, in the year of
Our Lord nineteen hundred and seventy-five.
(Sgd.)
FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines
By the President:
(Sgd.)
ALEJANDRO MELCHOR
Executive Secretary
Source: Supreme Court E-Library, Republic of the Philippines. Philippine laws are public documents (works of the government).
