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Asia Philippines Mountain Province

Guide to Mountain Province, Philippines Genealogy ancestry, family history

and genealogy: birth records, marriage
:
 Province of Mountain

Philippines Online
Genealogy Records

Ask the
Community

History
:
 Mountain Province became a special province of the Philippines in 1907. It was
made up of the sub-provinces of Bontoc-Lepanto, Amburayan, Apayao, Benguet,
Ifugao and Kalinga. The provincial supervisor was appointed Governor of the
province and Bontoc was then the capital town.

Mountain Province became an independent province on March 25, 1967 when

President Ferdinand E. Marcos officially appointed and inducted into office the first
set of provincial officials. On April 7, 1967, the new Mountain Province came into
operation.

Research Methods

The vast majority of your family research will be in civil registration and
church records. This article explains different methods for obtaining these
records.

Civil Registration (Registros Civiles)

The recording births, marriages and deaths, provides important information of

events in a person's life and required valid evidence, making these records very
important.
Most vital records from before 1889 come from Catholic parish and diocesan
archives.
In 1889, the Spanish government created the Central Office of Statistics, which
required each parish priest to give the government a detailed list of the births,
marriages, and deaths in his area.
After the Philippine Revolution of 1898, the church and state became separate.
Within the first few years, officials responsible for civil registration were appointed
in each municipality.
In 1930, civil registration became mandatory and, in 1932, the Bureau of Census
and Statistics was created to oversee all civil registration in the Philippines. It was
not until 1940 that most registrations began to be recorded.
Contents:
Births: Child’s name, birth date and place; parents’ names, residence, and
occupation; witnesses’ ages, relationships, residences.
Marriages: Bride and groom names, ages, residences, occupations, marriage
date and place; sometimes ages and/or birth dates and places; parents'
names; residences, occupations; witnesses and officer who performed
ceremony; former spouses.
Death registers: Name of deceased, age, death date and place, occupation,
name of surviving spouse, informant’s name and residence, cause of death,
sometimes birth date and place, parents’ names, children’s names.
:
 Fetal deaths: Record of all stillbirths, includes information similar to birth and
death data shown above.
Population coverage: Before 1922, 20%; after 1922, 90%.

1. Online Civil Registration Records

The following online collections may have records for your town. There is a small
possibility that some of the records for your town have been indexed. A
comprehensive index will search all the available indexed records of these
collections at once: Search Historical Records. (https://www.familysearch.org/se
arch/) Do not be discouraged if records for your town are not found in these
collections. The next section of this article 2. Microfilm Copies of Civil
Registration Records in the FamilySearch Catalog, should lead you to many
more records.

1706-1911 Mountain, Philippines Civil Registration (Spanish Period), 1706-1911

(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BLD-Y76?owc=3L7G-VZ9%3A23
3582601%3Fcc%3D1935452&wc=3L72-44F%3A233583201%2C233580402%2C
233580303%2C233583202%3Fcc%3D1935452&cc=1935452) , images,
incomplete.
1888-1986 Philippines Civil Registration (Local), 1888-1986 (https://www.family
search.org/search/collection/1410394) at FamilySearch — index and images
1888-1984 Philippines Civil Registration (Local), 1888-1984 (https://www.family
search.org/search/image/index#uri=https://www.familysearch.org/recapi/sord/co
llection/1410394/waypoints) at FamilySearch — images, incomplete.
1902-1945 Mountain, Philippines Civil Registration (Archives Division), 1902-
1945 (https://familysearch.org/search/image/index?owc=QZ7N-LXK%3A3410215
01%3Fcc%3D2018411) at FamilySearch — images, incomplete.
1945-1984 - Philippines Civil Registration (National), 1945-1984 (https://www.fa
milysearch.org/search/collection/1852584) at FamilySearch — index,
incomplete.
1945-1984 - Mountain, Philippines Civil Registration (National), 1945-1984 (http
s://familysearch.org/search/image/index?owc=Q6S1-QK1%3A167170701%3Fcc
%3D1852584) at FamilySearch — images, incomplete.

2. Microfilm Copies of Civil Registration Records in the

FamilySearch Catalog
:
 You can also search microfilmed copies of available civil registration records. If the
locality and time period you need are not included in the online records, the next
step is to try to find them in the microfilm collection of the FamilySearch Library.
Currently, they are being digitized, and plans are to complete that project by 2020.
Check back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the
meantime, some of them might be available at a FamilySearch Center (https://w
ww.familysearch.org/help/fhcenters/locations/) near you.

To find a microfilm:

a. Click on this link to see a list of records for Philippines, Mountain (https
://familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=169145&query
=%2Bplace%3A%22Philippines%2C%20Mountain%20Province%22) .
b. Click on "Places within Philippines, Mountain" and a list of towns and
cities will open.
c. Click on the town or city you wish to search.
d. Click on "Civil Registration" topic. Click on the blue links to specific
record titles.
e. Choose the correct event and time period for your ancestor.
f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm

listed for the record. . The magnifying glass indicates that the

microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the
index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the
microfilm.

3.Writing for Records

Civil registry documents that can be obtained from the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA), 1945 -.Click here (https://psa.gov.ph/civilregistration/request
ing-civil-registry-document) for detailed instructions for requesting certificates
by mail. Click here (https://www.psaserbilis.com.ph/Default.aspx) to order
records online.
Civil registry records from the National Archives, prior to 1945. See Philippines
Civil Registration (Archives Division) collection listed above under 1. Online Civil
Registration Records to find the starting date for your province. Click here for
the Archives Collection and Access Division. (http://nationalarchives.gov.ph/s
ervices/acad/) . Here you will find instructions and forms for ordering records
from the National Archives.
A copy of the records have been retained in local civil registry offices. Because
many records were lost or damaged in the war, checking both the national office
and local office might help find a surviving record. Click here (https://psa.gov.ph
/lcr-directory/cordillera-administrative-region) for a directory of office telephone
numbers, fax numbers, and sometimes e-mail addresses. To write to them,
:
 address your letter to:

City Civil Registry

(postal code--find it here) (http://zip-codes.philsite.net/) (City)

Mountain, Philippines

English is the official language of the Philippines. This Letter Writing Guide will
help you with organizing your letter and phrasing your requests.

Church Records

Church records are very important for family research. Civil authorities did not
consistently register vital events in the Philippines until the nineteenth century.
Church records, on the other hand, were well kept from 1569 (in accordance with
the directives of the Council of Trent), with some records dating even earlier. They
are generally an excellent source—and many times the only source—of names,
dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths. Key records are
baptisms/christenings, marriages, and deaths/burials.

Generally registers exist for the following denominations:

Roman
Catholic Church of
Protestant
(Iglesia Christ
Baptist Episcopal Disciples of
Católica) (Iglesia ni
1900- 1901- Christ 1901-
1579- Cristo)
Methodist United Congregational
Philippine 1914-
1900- Brethren 1902-
Independent Presbyterian
1901-
(Aglipayan) 1899-
1902-

Other religious groups in the Philippines:

Islam (Muslim immigrants and converts 11th-15th centuries, also called Moros)
Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian (Some Chinese immigrants arrived in the 16th-19th
centuries, but many more arrived in the 20th century)
Hindu (East Indian immigrants arrived in the 20th century)
Jews (Arrived in the 20th century)

Contents:

Baptismal records: Baptism dates; children’s names; parents’ residence and

names (sometimes mother's maiden name is given); witnesses’ and godparents’
names, and sometimes their residence and relationship to infants; sometimes
:
 grandparents’ names.
Marriage records: Candidates’ names; marriage and/or proclamation dates; often
birth places, residence, witnesses, former spouses and parents’ names.
Death/burial records: Name of deceased; burial date; often age and cause of
death; residence; spouse’s name, especially for women; parents’ names for
deceased children.

1. Online Church Records

These very limited collections include some church records:

1615-1985 Philippines, Catholic Church Records, 1615-1985 (https://www.family

search.org/search/collection/2861657) at FamilySearch — How to Use this
Collection; index and images

1642-1994 Philippines Births and Baptisms, 1642-1994 (https://www.familysear

ch.org/search/collection/1500711) , index, incomplete.
1723-1957 Philippines Marriages, 1723-1957 (https://www.familysearch.org/sea
rch/collection/1500713) , index, incomplete.
1726-1957 Philippines Deaths and Burials, 1726-1957 (https://www.familysearc
h.org/search/collection/1500714) , index, incomplete.

The Ancestry.com collections are the same, but their search engine seems more
powerful.

1642-1994 Philippines, Select Births and Baptisms, 1642-1994 (http://search.an

cestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60123) , index, incomplete($).
1723-1957 Philippines, Select Marriages, 1723-1957 (http://search.ancestry.co
m/search/db.aspx?dbid=60130) , index, incomplete($).
1726-1957 Philippines, Select Deaths and Burials, 1726-1957 (http://search.anc
estry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60128) , index, incomplete($).
The collections are also available on MyHeritage.

1642-1994 Philippines, Births and Baptisms, 1642-1994 (https://www.myheritag

e.com/research/collection-30062/philippines-births-baptisms-1642-1994?s=2184
89221) , index, incomplete($).
1723-1957 Philippines, Marriages, 1723-1957 (https://www.myheritage.com/res
earch/collection-30063/philippines-marriages-1723-1957?s=218489221) ,
index, incomplete($).
1726-1957 Philippines Deaths and Burials, 1726-1957 (https://www.myheritage.
com/research/collection-30064/philippines-deaths-burials-1726-1957?s=2184892
21) , index, incomplete($).
:
 Ancestry.com, Findmypast, and MyHeritage.com can be searched free of
charge at your local FamilySearch Center (https://www.familysearch.org/help/fhc
enters/locations/) or the FamilySearch Library (https://www.familysearch.org/en/l
ibrary/) in Salt Lake City, Utah. .

2. Microfilm Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch

Catalog

You can also search microfilmed copies of available church records. If the locality
and time period you need are not included in the online records, the next step is to
try to find them in the microfilm collection of the FamilySearch Library. Currently,
they are being digitized, and plans are to complete that project by 2020. Check
back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the meantime,
some of them might be available at a FamilySearch Center (https://www.familyse
arch.org/help/fhcenters/locations/) near you.

To find a microfilm:

a. Click on this link to see a list of records for Philippines, Mountain (https
://familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=169145&query
=%2Bplace%3A%22Philippines%2C%20Mountain%20Province%22) .
b. Click on "Places within Philippines, Mountain" and a list of towns and
cities will open.
c. Click on the town or city you wish to search.
d. Click on "Church Records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record
titles.
e. Choose the correct event and time period for your ancestor.
"Bautismos" are baptisms. Matrimônios and "Casamentos" are
marriages. "Óbitos" and Defunciones are deaths. "Índice" is the index.
f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm

listed for the record. . The magnifying glass indicates that the

microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the
index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the
microfilm.

3. Writing to Request Records

Unless you know your ancestor was of another religion, begin by searching Catholic
records.

Mountain Province is in the Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe. Write or telephone

to inquire whether the diocese holds the parish records:
:
 Apostolic Vicariati of Bontoc-Lagawe Bishop's House Teng-ab
Bontoc, 2616 Mountain Province
Philippines

Telephone: (074)462.4292

Or write directly or call the parish. See The Catholic Directory (http://www.thecat
holicdirectory.com/directory.cfm?fuseaction=show_country&country=PH) for
addresses and telephone numbers for parishes.Then use this address, substituting
names:

Parish Priest
(name of parish)
(city), (postal code--find it here) (http://zip-codes.philsite.net/) ,
(province)
Philippines

For other religions, Google the denomination and the location. Many churches
maintain websites.

Write, call, or personally visit the parish or church. Ask for permission to study their
records or make arrangements for them to search for you. It is usual to pay for
their help in the form of a donation to the church. When you write, send the
following:

Full name and the gender of the person sought.

Names of the parents, if known.
Approximate date and place of the event.
Your relationship to the person.
Reason for the request (family history, medical, etc.).
Request for a photocopy of the complete original record.
Check or cash for the search fee (usually about $10.00).

English is the official language of the Philippines. This Letter Writing Guide will
help you with organizing your letter and phrasing your requests.

Reading the Records

Many records are written in Spanish. You do not have to be fluent in Spanish to
read your documents. Genealogical records usually contain a limited vocabulary.
Use this Spanish Genealogical Word List to translate the important points in the
document. Handwriting skills are taught in BYU Spanish Script Tutorial (https://sc
ript.byu.edu/spanish-handwriting/introduction) .
Online Learning Center class on reading Spanish handwriting:
Deciphering Spanish Handwriting (https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcente
:
 r/lessons/paleogra-what-deciphering-spanish-handwriting-introduction)
Detailed instructions for reading Spanish records, examples of common
documents, and practice exercises for developing skills in translating them can be
found in the Spanish Records Extraction Manual.
The Spanish Documents Script Tutorial (https://script.byu.edu/spanish-hand
writing/introduction) also provides lessons and examples.

Tips for finding your ancestor in the records

Effective use of church records includes the following strategies.

Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find his birth record,
search for the births of his brothers and sisters.
Next, search for the marriage of his parents. The marriage record will have
information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
You can estimate the ages of the parents and determine a birth year to search for
their birth records.
Then repeat the process for both the father and the mother.
If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records,
search neighboring parishes.
Search the death registers for all known family members.

Cemeteries

Find a Grave (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=csr&CScntry=80&

CSsr=21&)
Cemetery Of Negativism (https://plus.google.com/101937642855171648995/abo
ut?hl=en)
UCCP Cemetery (https://plus.google.com/110845445749705879623/about?hl=en
)
Supang cemetery (https://plus.google.com/116862199100837325970/about?hl=
en)
Maggon cemetery (https://plus.google.com/115922042300243684267/about?hl=
en)
Baguio Public Cemetery (https://plus.google.com/111595447907719727257/abou
t?hl=en)

Websites
:
 Mountain Province Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Province)
Mountain Province, Philippines (http://www.zamboanga.com/z/index.php?title=M
ountain_Province,_Philippines)
Directory of Cities and Towns in Mountain Province, Philippines (http://www.falling
rain.com/world/RP/44/)
Mountain Province (https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?oe=UTF8&gl=us&ie
=UTF8&msa=0&mid=zgTuB7-yE-so.kG56YhLtdiwU)
Mountain Province Map (http://www.mapsofworld.com/philippines/provinces/mou
ntain-province.html)
Mountain Province Mapcarta (http://mapcarta.com/Mountain_Province)
ZIP Codes & Phone Area Code of Mountain Province, Philippines (http://zip-codes.
philsite.net/mountain_province.htm)

Retrieved from
"https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki
/index.php?
title=Mountain_Province,_Philippines_
Genealogy&oldid=5653467"

Last edited 13 days ago by Amberannelarsen

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