Philippines Champions Inclusive and Resilient Civil Registration Systems at Key Ministerial Conference in Thailand

Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). (Photo courtesy of ESCAP)

BANGKOK 30 June 2025 — The Philippines played a significant role in shaping the future of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems in the Asia-Pacific region at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS held from 24 to 27 June 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The conference marked the culmination of the Asian and Pacific CRVS Decade (2015–2024), an ambitious initiative that called on Asia-Pacific countries to promote universal and responsive CRVS systems that ultimately support good governance, health and development, and the realization of people’s rights. 

In line with the country’s steadfast commitment and leadership in strengthening CRVS systems across the region, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Undersecretary Dennis Mapa chaired the negotiations for the Ministerial Declaration on a Decade of Action for Inclusive and Resilient CRVS in Asia and the Pacific.  

The Declaration not only recognized the region’s significant progress for the past decade but also marked a new beginning with a renewed call for countries to accelerate their efforts over the next five years to realize the region’s collective vision for universal and responsive CRVS systems that leave no one behind.

At the national level, Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa underscored the Philippine Government’s significant progress in enhancing the quality, completeness, and timeliness of birth and death statistics over the past decade, with “birth registration at 96.6% and death registration completeness rate of around 90%."  

To promote an inclusive CRVS system, the PSA launched the Birth Registration Assistance Project (BRAP), which deploys mobile registration teams to deliver free civil registration services to rural and marginalized communities. The Philippines is also enhancing data collection on populations at risk of statelessness through digital profiling, including for indigenous, and nomadic communities such as the Sama Bajaus.

The Philippines has also taken steps to modernize its civil registry operations through the expansion of online registration platforms, the utilization of imaging technology, and the development of a centralized system for managing civil registry documents. Looking ahead, the PSA is moving forward with its digital integration through the development of electronic CRVS (e-CRVS), and by linking the CRVS system with the National Identification System, which will enable real-time updates and better data management. 

Demonstrating its commitment to collective progress, the Philippine delegation enriched the conference by sharing its expertise and insights through its participation in several key panels, to contribute to regional solutions on critical aspects of CRVS. Among others, the Philippine delegation lent their experiences in leveraging digital technology for more efficient CRVS systems, and in reinforcing data collection of death statistics at the community level.

The Philippines remains committed to a universal, resilient, and responsive CRVS system that leaves no one behind. END

(Photo courtesy of ESCAP)

Minerva Eloisa P. Esquivias, OIC-Deputy National Statistician, PSA, at a book launching event sharing the Philippines’ efforts to end statelessness. (Photo courtesy of ESCAP)

Marizza B. Grande (left), Assistant National Statistician, PSA, conveys the country's progress on developing a resilient and inclusive CRVS system. (Photo courtesy of ESCAP)

For more information, visit https://www.bangkokpe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinThailand/.