The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is responsible for overseeing the production of official statistics and civil registration services. It manages the issuance, authentication, archiving of civil registry documents, and the generation of vital statistics reports. Under the Civil Registration Service (CRS), the PSA processes annotated civil registry documents affected by court decrees, legal instruments, and certain laws, such as RA 9048 and RA 10172.

To address issues with annotations, the PSA introduced the Electronic Annotation System (EAS) in 2012, centralizing the process and improving efficiency. Over time, the demand for annotated civil registry documents has grown significantly, from an average of 1,550 transactions per day in 2013 to around 3,500 in 2019. In response, the PSA decentralized the annotation process to improve service delivery and comply with the Ease of Doing Business Act (RA 11032).

The Decentralized Copy Annotation Project (DeCAP) is a system designed to allow Regional Serbilis Outlets to process requests for annotated civil registry documents. This system aims to reduce processing time and make civil registration services more accessible to the public. Under DeCAP, annotations related to administrative proceedings such as Republic Acts No. 9048, 10172, and Supplemental Reports will be filed, processed, annotated, and released by these outlets.

Annotations are corrections or changes made to civil registry documents (e.g., birth, marriage, death certificates) due to Court Decrees or administrative decisions. For example, a corrected misspelling in a birth certificate under RA 9048 (Clerical Error Law) would be reflected as an annotation, while the original erroneous entry remains unchanged.

Table 1. Number of R.A. 9048/10172 processed by month: Benguet 1^st semester, 2023-2024

Figure 1. Number of processed RA 9048/10172, 1^st semester 2023-2024

The data presented for the months of January through June in 2023 and 2024 reveals noticeable fluctuations in the figures across both years, showing some significant changes month-to-month.

In January, there is a significant increase in R.A. 9048/10172 requests, rising from 123 in 2023 to 268 in 2024, a jump of 145. This surge suggests a strong start to 2024, possibly reflecting an early rise in demand for corrections in civil registration documents compared to the same month in 2023.

However, the trend takes a sharp downturn in February, where the figure drops dramatically from 166 in 2023 to just 47 in 2024. This represents a significant decrease of 119, indicating a seasonal decline or a temporary disruption in whatever process is being measured.

Similarly, March shows a dramatic fall from 223 in 2023 to 23 in 2024, marking a drop of 200. This steep decline suggests that the situation in March 2024 may be particularly unusual, possibly due to factors such as administrative changes, external circumstances, or seasonal trends affecting the data.

Moving to April, the data shifts back upward, with an increase from 167 in 2023 to 231 in 2024, a rise of 64. This positive change suggests a recovery or improvement after the drops in February and March, indicating a possible rebound or stabilization.

In May, there is another notable rise, with the figure increasing from 129 in 2023 to 308 in 2024, an increase of 179. This surge may suggest a peak period for RA 9048/10172 approval of petitions, indicating significant growth or a rise in demand.

Finally, in June, the numbers rise slightly from 142 in 2023 to 160 in 2024, an increase of 18. This modest growth suggests that, while the fluctuations in earlier months were more extreme, June has seen a more stable increase in the metric.

Overall, the data from January to June of 2024 shows a combination of sharp increases and decreases in petition requests for corrections. The year begins strong but faces significant declines in February and March before recovering and displaying positive trends in April, May, and June. This volatility could be attributed to external factors, seasonal fluctuations, or cyclical changes in the correction process. The overall trend suggests a recovery after a low period early in 2024. 

Table 1. Number of Supplemental Reports processed by month: Benguet, 1^st semester 2023-2024 

Figure 1. Number of processed RA 9048/10172, 1^st semester 2023-2024

The data from January to June in 2023 and 2024 shows notable shifts in trends related to supplemental reports. In January, there is a decrease from 179 in 2023 to 100 in 2024, a decline of 79. This suggests a weaker start to 2024 compared to the previous year, possibly indicating a drop in the number of supplemental report requests at the beginning of the year.

In February, the trend reverses with a modest increase from 109 in 2023 to 131 in 2024, an uptick of 22. This suggests a slight recovery of request, possibly reflecting an increase in supplemental report submissions or a rise in civil registration needs.

March shows a significant decline, from 160 in 2023 to 76 in 2024, a drop of 84. This sharp decrease may indicate a seasonal dip or temporary reduction in requests for supplemental reports, possibly due to external factors affecting the processing of applications.

The trend improves slightly in April, with an increase from 72 in 2023 to 108 in 2024, a rise of 36. This suggests some stabilization and a return to more normal levels of supplemental report applications after the decline in March.

In May, the figures fluctuate slightly, with a small decrease from 112 in 2023 to 100 in 2024, a drop of 12. While this represents a minor decline, the data indicates a relatively stable level of activity compared to the larger fluctuations earlier in the year.

Finally, June shows a modest increase from 116 in 2023 to 121 in 2024, a rise of 5. This suggests a slight upward trend in the second quarter, indicating a gradual increase in supplemental report requests as the year progresses.

Overall, the data reflects a mixed pattern of fluctuations in supplemental report requests, with significant declines in the early months of 2024, followed by slight recoveries and moderate increases toward the latter part of the period. These variations may be influenced by external factors, seasonal trends, or cyclical changes in the demand for supplemental reports.

TECHNICAL NOTES

Republic Act No. 9048 (RA 9048) is an Act authorizing the City or Municipal Civil Registrar or the Consul General to correct a clerical or typographical error in an entry and or change of first name or nickname in the civil register without need of a judicial order.  This law amended Articles 376 and 412 of the Civil Code of the Philippines.

Republic Act No. 10172 (RA 10172) is another act which further authorizes the City or Municipal Civil Registrar or the Consul General to correct clerical or typographical errors in the DAY and MONTH in the DATE OF BIRTH or SEX of a person appearing in the Civil Register without need of a judicial order, amending RA 9048.

Supplemental Report, is used to supply entries or information in the Certificate of Live Birth, Certificate of Marriage, Certificate of Death and Certificate of Fetal Death, which are inadvertently omitted when the document was registered. However, the “Medical Certificate” in the Certificate of Death and all applicable certifications contained in the Certificate of Marriage should be accomplished completely before registration.  Hence, no supplemental report having reference to the mentioned certificates is acceptable [A.O.1a, Rule 11(1)].

 IMELDA L. BUYUCCAN (SGD)

 Chief Statistical Specialist

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