President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has officially extended the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Decade in the Philippines until 2030 to accelerate the country’s transition toward a modernized, universal vital statistics framework.
Signed on July 6 under Proclamation No. 1339, the extension stretches the initiative past its original 2024 deadline. This adjustment aligns local targets with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Regional Action Framework and the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) will continue to lead the program, collaborating with local government units (LGUs), state departments, and private partners to streamline legal identity services and implement registration updates.
The policy shift follows agreements made during the Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, where regional member states pledged to prolong the CRVS initiative to fulfill United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Philippines formalized this dedication via the 2025 Ministerial Declaration and PSA Board Resolution No. 14.
While Malacañang acknowledged the major milestones achieved since the program’s inception in 2015, the newly issued proclamation emphasized that key operational gaps persist.
”During the CRVS Decade, the Philippines achieved significant progress in improving birth and death registration, expanding access to legal identity for marginalized sectors, and strengthening inter-agency and stakeholder partnerships,” the proclamation noted.
However, the directive also highlighted critical vulnerabilities that still need to be addressed.
”Notwithstanding these gains, challenges remain, including gaps in the universal and timely registration of births and deaths, limited integration of health and civil registry systems, and the need for further digitalization.”
Backed by the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013, the PSA is empowered to direct the upcoming phase of reforms.
Under Proclamation No. 1339, all government offices and state-owned corporations are instructed to assist the PSA, while private enterprises, civil society groups, and LGUs are urged to actively participate in the extended rollout.