Samal MCRO and PSA-Bataan conduct training for solemnizing officers

Contributed by Ledesma L. Morante, Chief Statistical Specialist, PSA-Bataan

PILAR, Bataan – The Municipal Civil Registry Office (MCRO) of Samal in coordination with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Bataan Provincial Statistical Office conducted a Training Workshop on Civil Registration to Solemnizing Officers (SOs), Secretaries/Clerks and Stakeholders at the Conference Room, Skills Enhancement Building, Samal, Bataan last July 24.
Chief Statistical Specialist Ledesma L. Morante, PSA started the lecture proper with her discussion on Certificate of Registration on Authority to Solemnize Marriage (CRASM) and Updates. The lecture aims to brief the SOs, (who may be any priest, rabbi, imam, or minister of any church or religious sect duly authorized by his church or religious sect) in the requirements, registration procedures and other supporting documents needed for application to solemnize marriage.
Municipal Civil Registrar Josefina E. Cortez, Samal, Bataan on the other hand delivered the lectures on 1) Accomplishment of Certificate of Marriage – Important Notes; 2) Void and Voidable Marriages; 3) Article 34 of Family Code; and 4) Proposed Bill on Marriage in the Philippines.
The highlight of the activity is the lecture of invited speakers from Integrated Bar of the Phillippines Bataan Chapter, Atty. Kim Israel S. Buhain and Atty. Marilet Santos Layug. Atty. Buhain discussed Information/Updates on Marriages Matter particularly, Family Code of the Philippines, while Atty. Layug handled the questions during the open forum.
The Training, which is a continuing program of MCR Office of Samal is attended by more than 30 SOs, their secretaries/clerks and other stakeholders around Bataan. MCR Cortez sees the need to include the personnel of Sects and religious groups. Further, she advocates the rights of the children in every activity she organize such as information dissemination in schools, mobile civil registration and seminar to other sectors, in these past years.
Apparently, MCR Office of Samal topped as Outstanding Local Civil Registry Office in 2016 and ranked Second Place Local Civil Registry Office in 2017, besting hundreds of MCR Offices in extra small category in the country. MCR Cortez personally received the recognitions during the awarding rites of 9th National Workshop on Civil Registration held at SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.
PSA is the major statistical agency responsible in collecting, compiling, classifying, producing, publishing, and disseminating general-purpose statistics as provided for in Republic Act 10625. It carries out, enforces and administers civil registration function in the country as provided for in Act 3735, otherwise known as Civil Registry Law.
The MCR Office is an office or department in the city/municipal government that is mandated to perform civil registration function. It records vital events in the life an individual as marriage in appropriate Registers.