Free services offered to change defects in birth, marriage records

CEBU, Philippines -A team of personnel from the Cebu City Office of the Civil Registrar will proceed to different barangays of the city starting Monday to provide free services to the public in line with the celebration of the Civil Registration Month this February.

Civil Registrar Evangeline Abatayo asked those who have problems about their birth registrations, death records of their departed love ones and marriage-related documents to take advantage of the government’s offer without paying even a single centavo.

 Because there are 80 barangays in Cebu City and the project will only last for the whole month, Abatayo said they have decided to cluster three to four barangays and those who wish to avail of their free services will be asked to proceed to the venue.

The mobile registration team will be at Pahina Central barangay sports complex on February 4 for those people residing in Barangays Sambag 1, Sambag 2, Pahina Central, San Cruz and Ermita.

Abatayo said the team will proceed to Banilad the following day for those coming from Hipodromo, Mabolo, Banilad, Kasambagan and Luz.

Residents from Barangays Tinago, Tejero, San Roque, Caretta, Lorega-San Miguel, T. Padilla, Santo Niño, Kalubihan and Kamagayan are advised to proceed to San Roque (Ciudad) Barangay Sports Complex onFebruary 6.

The following day, the same team will also proceed to the Barangay Cogon-RamosSports complex to serve those from Barangays San Antonio, Day-as, Parian, Zapatera and Cogon-Ramos.

On February 8, the mobile registration team will be proceeding to Barangay Kamputhaw Sports Complex to give free services for the residents of Apas, Capitol Site, Lahug, Busay and Kamputhaw.

The residents of other barangays are advised to coordinate with their barangay officials for them to know of the dates that the mobile registration team from the Office of Civil Registrar will serve them, although maybe in other venues.

Abatayo said although the residents from other barangays can be also accommodated, but those from the concerned barangays which are on schedule will be prioritized by the team.

The records showed that the comparative income of the Civil Registrar’s Office had tremendously increased last year compared to 2011. Its collections had reached P11.2 million as of October last year, which is even higher to only P11,097,379 collections for the whole year 2011.

“Usa nga nakapataas sa atong income kay daghan na kaayo nga mga senior citizens nga wala unta marehestro apan karon nagparehestro kay aron makadawat sila og cash assistance sa Cebu City. Ang uban gikan sa P50 nga service fee niadtong mokuha og record sa National Statistics Office nga ari ipaagi sa among opisina,” Abatayo said. (One reason for the higher income are the senior citizens who avail of the late registration and pay the fees just so they can avail of the city’s cash aid.)

Because the total expenses of the Civil Registrar’s Office for the salaries and other expenditures of its personnel was only P9,068,306, Abatayo proudly announced that her office even had a surplus of its income amounting to over P2 million.(FREEMAN)