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.

• Number: Presidential Decree No. 766
• Sections: 6

Preamble

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 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."

Section 2

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.

Section 3

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."

Section 4

SEC. 4. All laws or part of laws inconsistent with this

Decree are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

Section 5

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