31 March 2016 - Top officials of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) are in Washington, D.C. this week to conduct a training on civil registration and vital statistics (CVRS) for the personnel of the Philippine Embassy and Consulates General in the United States. The training is being held as part of the Philippine Government’s extended commemoration of February as Civil Registration Month.

With the theme “Makiisa…Makisali sa Dekadang CRVS,” this year’s celebration is focused on encouraging Filipino citizens all over the world to report vital life events and be counted. The Embassies and Consulates General serve as the Civil Registrars overseas.

National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Dr. Lisa Grace Bersales underscored the importance of the training to “standardizing procedures, and gaining clear understanding of definitions and the things that need to be done.”

“This training also aims to start a network so that we will be able to dialogue more easily and update each other on emerging issues,” Dr. Bersales added.

Created in 2013, the PSA serves as the central statistical authority on primary data collection in the Philippines. Its overall mandate is an amalgamation of the functions of the National Statistics Office, the National Statistical Coordination Board, the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, and the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics.

In a Talakayan on CVRS last March 28, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. described well-functioning CVRS systems as “critical tools to make every life count”.

“Although all people have the right, from birth, to basic freedoms and protections, we access these rights once our births are officially registered and we become citizens. Dysfunctional civil registration and vital statistics systems mean that the lives of many of our people, especially women, children and vulnerable groups, are not counted, not protected and remain essentially invisible to policymakers,” the Ambassador stressed.

“Good datasets are not just about numbers – they are about good policies and building a more inclusive society,” he further stated.

Joining Dr. Bersales are Deputy National Statistician for Civil Registration and Central Support Office Estela De Guzman and Assistant National Statistician Editha Orcilla. Ms. De Guzman and Ms. Orcilla focused their presentations on the civil registration procedure and updates on CRVS rules, respectively. END