Explorers Ferdinand Magellan and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi
landed in Camiguin in 1521 and 1565, respectively. The
The first major Spanish settlement established in 1679
On July 4, 1946, the Philippines gained independence
In 1930, civil registration became mandatory and, in
Marriages: Bride and groom names, ages, residences, occupations,
Death registers: Name of deceased, age, death date and
The following online collections may have records for
your town. There is a small possibility that some of
You can also search microfilmed copies of available civil
registration records. If the locality and time period
f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the
far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL
Civil registry records from the National Archives, prior
to 1945. See Philippines Civil Registration (Archives
A copy of the records have been retained in local civil
registry offices. Because many records were lost or damaged
Church records are very important for family research.
Civil authorities did not consistently register vital
Baptismal records: Baptism dates; children’s names; parents’
You can also search microfilmed copies of available church
records. If the locality and time period you need are
f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the
far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL
Unless you know your ancestor was of another religion,
Write, call, or personally visit the parish or church.
Many records are written in Spanish. You do not have
to be fluent in Spanish to read your documents. Genealogical
History
The name Camiguin is derived from the native word “Kamagong”,
first Spanish settlement was established in 1598 in what a species of the ebony tree.
is now Guinsiliban. Guinsiliban which comes from the
re the Camiguinons kept watch for Moro pirates. old Kinamiguin word “Ginsil-ipan” which means “to
was called Katagman or Katadman (known as Catarman). The look out for pirates from a watchtower” has an old Spanish
settlement grew and prospered but was destroyed by the watchtower whe
eruption of Mt. Vulcan in 1871. The former location is
from the US. Camiguin was then part of Misamis Oriental. what is now Barangay Bonbon of Catarman
In 1958, it became a sub-province and was made into a
separate province on June 18, 1966, and formally inaugurated
The vast majority of your family research will be in civil Research Methods in 1968.
registration and church records. This article explains
different methods for obtaining these records.
The recording births, marriages and deaths, provides important Civil Registration (Registros Civiles)
information of events in a person's life and required
Most vital records from before 1889 come from Catholic valid evidence, making these records very important.
In 1889, the Spanish government created the Central Office parish and diocesan archives.
of Statistics, which required each parish priest to
After the Philippine Revolution of 1898, the church and give the
state became separate. Within the first few years, officials government a detailed list of the births, marriages, and deaths in his area.
1932, the Bureau of Census and Statistics was created responsible for civil registration were appointed in
to oversee all civil registration in the Philippines. each municipality.
It was not until 1940 that most registrations began
Contents: to be recorded.
Births: Child’s name, birth date and place; parents’
names, residence, and occupation; witnesses’ ages, relationships,
marriage date and place; sometimes ages and/or birth residences.
dates and places; parents' names; residences, occupations;
place, occupation, name of surviving spouse, informant’s witnesses and officer who performed ceremony; former
name and residence, cause of death, sometimes birth date spouses.
Fetal deaths: Record of all stillbirths, includes information and place, parents’ names, children’s names.
similar to birth and death data shown above.
Population coverage: Before 1922, 20%; after 1922, 90%.
1. Online
the records for your town have been indexed. A comprehensiveCivil Registration Records
llections. The next section of this article 2. Microfilm index will search all the available indexed records of
Copies of these collections at once: Search Historical Records.
1706-1911 - Misamis, Philippines Civil Registration (Spanish Civil Registration Records in the FamilySearch Catalog, should lead you to many more records. Do not be discouraged if records for your town are not
found in these co
Period), 1706-1911, images,
1888-1986 - Philippines Civil Registration (Local), 1888-1986 incomplete. During this period, Camiguin was part of Misamis.
1888-1984 - Philippines Civil Registration (Local), 1888-1984 at FamilySearch — index and images
1902-1945 - Misamis Oriental, Philippines Civil Registration at FamilySearch — images, incomplete.
(Archives Division), 1902-1945 at FamilySearch — images,
1945-1984 - Philippines Civil Registration (National), incomplete. During this period, Camiguin was part of
1945-1984 at FamilySearch — index, incomplete. Misamis Oriental.
1945-1984 - Camiguin, Philippines Civil Registration (National),
1945-1984 at FamilySearch — images, incomplete.
2. Microfilm Copies of Civil Registration Records in
you need are not included in the online records, the the FamilySearch Catalog
ack occasionally to see if your records have become available. next step is to try to find them in the microfilm collection of the Family History
In the meantime, some of them might be available at Library. Currently, they are being digitized, and plans
a Family History Center near you. are to complete that project by 2020. Check b
To find a microfilm:
a. Click on this link to see a list of records for Philippines,
b. Click on "Places within Philippines, Camiguin" and Camiguin.
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
icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilmperiod for your ancestor.
is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take
3.Writing for Records you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you
Civil registry documents that can be obtained from the to an online digital copy of the microfilm.
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), 1945 -.Click here
Division) collection listed above under 1. Online Civil for detailed instructions for requesting certificates
Registration Records to find the starting date for your by mail. Click here to order records online.
records from the National Archives. province. Click here for the Archives Collection and
Access Division. . Here you will find instructions and
in the war, checking both the national office and local forms for ordering
office might help find a surviving record. Click here
for a directory of office telephone numbers, fax numbers,
tter to: and sometimes e-mail addresses. To write to them, address
City Civil Registry your le
(postal code--find it here) (City)
English is the official language of the Philippines. Camiguin, Philippines
This Letter Writing Guide will help you with organizing
your letter and phrasing your requests.
Church Records
events in the Philippines until the nineteenth century.
cellent source—and many times the only source—of names, Church records, on the other hand, were well kept from
dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths. Key 1569 (in accordance with the directives of the Council
records are baptisms/christenings, marriages, and deaths/burials of Trent), with some records dating even earlier. They
Generally registers exist for the following denominations: . are generally an ex
Roman Catholic (Iglesia Católica) 1579-
Philippine Independent (Aglipayan) 1902-
Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo) 1914-
Presbyterian 1899-
Baptist 1900-
Methodist 1900-
Protestant Episcopal 1901-
United Brethren 1901-
Disciples of Christ 1901-
Congregational 1902-
Other religious groups in the Philippines:
Islam (Muslim immigrants and converts 11th-15th centuries,
Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian (Some Chinese immigrants arrived also called Moros)
in the 16th-19th centuries, but many more arrived in
Hindu (East Indian immigrants arrived in the 20th century) the 20th century)
Jews (Arrived in the 20th century)
Contents:
residence and names (sometimes mother's maiden name
Marriage records: Candidates’ names; marriage and/or is given); witnesses’ and godparents’ names, and sometimes
proclamation dates; often birth places, residence, witnesses, their residence and relationship to infants; sometimes
Death/burial records: Name of deceased; burial date; often former spouses and parents’ names. grandparents’ names.
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:
1642-1994 - Philippines Births and Baptisms, 1642-1994,
index, incomplete.
1723-1957 - Philippines Marriages, 1723-1957, index,
incomplete.
1726-1957 - Philippines Deaths and Burials, 1726-1957,
The Ancestry.com collections are the same, but their search index, incomplete.
engine seems more powerful.
1642-1994 - Philippines, Select Births and Baptisms,
1642-1994, index, incomplete, ($).
1723-1957 - Philippines, Select Marriages, 1723-1957,
index, incomplete, ($).
1726-1957 - Philippines, Select Deaths and Burials, 1726-1957,
index, incomplete, ($).
The collections are also available on MyHeritage.
1642-1994 - Philippines, Births and Baptisms, 1642-1994,
index, incomplete, ($).
1723-1957 - Philippines, Marriages, 1723-1957, index,
incomplete, ($).
1726-1957 - Philippines Deaths and Burials, 1726-1957,
Ancestry.com, findmypast, and MyHeritage.com can be searched index, incomplete, ($).
free of charge at your local Family History Center or
2. Microfilm Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
.
not included in the online records, the next step is Catalog
ally to see if your records have become available. In to try to find them in the microfilm collection of the
the meantime, some of them might be available at a Family Family History Library. Currently, they are being digitized,
History Center near you. and plans are to complete that project by 2020. Check
back occasion
To find a microfilm:
a. Click on this link to see a list of records for Philippines,
b. Click on "Places within Philippines, Camiguin" and Camiguin.
a list of towns and cities will open.
c. Click on the town or city you wish to search.
d. Click
e. Choose the correct event and time period for your ancestor.on "Church Records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
"Bautismos" are baptisms. Matrimônios and
icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm "Casamentos" are marriages. "Óbitos" and Defunciones are deaths. "Índice" is the index.
is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take
3. Writing to Request Records you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you
begin by searching Catholic records. Camiguin Province to an online digital copy of the microfilm.
is in the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. Write or telephone
Archdiocese of Cagayan to inquire whether the diocese holds the parish records:
Archbishop's Residence
Fernandez St., Barangay 01
9000 Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
Telephone: (08822)722-375
Fax: 726-304
Or write directly or call the parish. See The Catholic
Directory for addresses and telephone numbers for parishes.
Use this address, substituting names:
Parish Priest
(name of parish)
(city), (postal code--find it here) Camiguin
Philippines
For other religions, Google the denomination and the
Ask for permission to study their records or make arrangements location. Many churches maintain websites.
for them to search for you. It is usual to pay for their
Full name and the gender of the person sought. help in the form of a donation to the church. When you
write, send the following:
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
records usually contain a limited vocabulary. Use this
Spanish Genealogical Word List to translate the important
Online Learning Center class on reading Spanish handwriting: points in the document. Handwriting skills are taught
in BYU Spanish Script Tutorial.
Detailed instructions for reading Spanish records, examples Deciphering Spanish Handwriting
of common documents, and practice exercises for developing
skills in translating them can be found in the Spanish
The Spanish Documents Script Tutorial also provides lessons Records Extraction Manual.
and examples.
Tips for finding your ancestor in the records
Effective use of church records includes the following
Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. strategies.
Next, search for the marriage of his parents. The marriage When you find his birth record, search for the births of his brothers and sisters.
record will have information that will often help you
You can estimate the ages of find the birth records of the parents.