THE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Negros Occidental is urging local government units (LGUs) in the province, through their Civil Registry Offices, to observe Civil Registration Month celebration in February this year.

Luis Gonzales, provincial statistics officer of PSA-Negros Occidental, said Monday, January 20, that all local civil registry offices are enjoined to organize and conduct activities for the month-long celebration.

These are on top of the suggested activities such as display of streamers, mobile registration, trainings or information and educational campaigns, quiz on civil registration, slogan contest, or poster making contest, among others.

Gonzales said the celebration forms part of the measures to support the agency's advocacy on supporting and improving the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS).

"This is in accordance with all local civil registrars," he said, adding that LGUs are encouraged to organize other activities like mass wedding.

This year's theme is "Shaping Civil Registration and Vital Statistics by Embracing New Trends in the Fourth Industrial Revolution."

Through mobile registration, for instance, residents from "isolated and far-flung" barangays are given more access to civil registration services of the government.

The PSA official pointed out that, nowadays, some students still do not have birth certificates. In fact, this is one of the issues being addressed by the Department of Education (DepEd), he said.

Gonzales said Civil Registry Offices are mandated to register all residents, regardless of age, within their area of jurisdiction.

"Like a data bank, the PSA is just a receiver of the data registered through the local civil registrars," he said, stressing that "all 100 percent of the population should be registered."

For the PSA's part, the agency conducts information dissemination among schools or any requesting-offices.

Through which, students and personnel may raise questions and concerns regarding civil registration.

Gonzales said it is important that at an early age, students already have complete "documents" so they won't have difficulties in terms of requirements in school, work as well traveling abroad in the future.

"There is still a need to update our Civil Registration and Vital Statistics as these data are vital for reporting and planning especially by the LGUs," he added.