City civil registry to bring free services to barangays

The office of Cebu City Civil Registry will be visiting the different barangays starting Monday to accept and process applications for delayed birth registration for free and render free notarial services, said lawyer Evangeline Abatayo.

Abatayo, head of the Cebu City Civil Registry, said the mobile registration program, as well as the university visits to help graduating college students process their civil registry records, is part of the celebration of Civil Registry Month.

On Feb. 15, their office will also issue civil registry documents like certificates of live birth, marriage and death for free.

Issuance of said documents would normally cost P50 each while application for delayed registration is charged P250.

“We are bringing public service closer to the barangays,” said Abatayo.

Abatayo said it is important for parents to register their children with the City Civil Registry Office upon birth because said the birth certificate is needed for baptism or when the child goes to school.

There were also instances where senior citizens applied for delayed registration to support their benefit claims from the city government, including the P7,000 cash assistance.

Applications for delayed registration are posted at the City Civil Registrar bulletin board.

Application requirements for delayed registration such as baptismal certificates, medical and school records and immunization records issued by the barangays will be screened to determine residency of the applicants.

In 2012, the Office of the City Civil Registrar has issued a total of 44,411 certificates of live birth and process 3,434 applications for delayed registration.

Applications included those from students of Asian College of Technology (ACT) and three University of Cebu (UC) campuses whom they visited last year to help process their civil registry records.

Abatayo said that their three storey office building amounting to P27 million located at the back of the City Health Department is now 90 percent complete and almost ready for occupancy. /CHIEF OF REPORTERS DORIS C. BONGCAC