by RG Alama

Davao City (5 February) -- Aside from being the month of hearts, February is also the Civil Registration month.

Carrying the theme "Civil Registration: Key to Global Opportunities. The National Statistics Office-XI with the cooperation of different government agencies and local government units are intensifying dissemination efforts to educate the public on the importance of civil registration.

As defined by law Civil Registration is a continuous, permanent and compulsory recording of vital events in the life of an individual as birth, marriage, death as well as decrees, legal instruments and judicial orders affecting his civil status in appropriate Registers as mandated by Civil Registry Law.

Its importance is so evidently vital in these times when its aid is essential for the development of the nation.

Aside from having legal, administrative and statistical values, Civil Registration is an ideal source of statistics in important demographic processes such as fertility, mortality and nuptiality which in turn are the basic important information needed for monitoring population growth.