Philippines Probate Records

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Philippines

Probate Records

Background

Probate records are court records that determine, after a person’s death, how an estate is distributed to heirs and creditors and how dependents are cared for. You may find:

• The person’s death date.
• Names of family members.
• Family relationships and residences.
• Information about adoptions or guardianship of minor children and dependents.

Although probate records are one of the most accurate sources of genealogical evidence, use them cautiously. For example, they may omit the names of deceased family members or those who previously received an inheritance, or the spouse mentioned may not be the parent of the children mentioned.

Spanish Colonial Period

The Bureau of Records Management has some probate records from the Spanish colonization period. Most of these records are personal estates (bienes de difuntos). Some of these records are indexed. They generally give:

• The name of the deceased.
• The date of death.
• A detailed list of heirs.
• Supporting documents about the wealth and property of the deceased.

These records are in the FamilySearch Catalog, Locality section, under “Probate Records”:

Inheritance Records and Wills (Declaración de Herederos, Bienes de Difuntos, Testamentos)

These records can provide linking information for family relationships. They include records of wills, inventories, codicils, and distribution of estates. Records begin about 1800. They may contain names of individuals, their parents, children and grandchildren, dates, relationships, sometimes places of events, race, civil status.

Records may be found at the National Bureau of Records Management, National Census and Statistics Office, local courts and civil registry offices. About 10% of the population may be found in these records.

Records Post-1945

Records from this time period are most likely still in the custody of the courts and civil offices, with some having been transferred to the National Archive. Because Filipinos are not likely to write wills and testaments, this source tends to be rare. It is also rather difficult to use. Nevertheless, it can be helpful to check local courts, civil archives, and the National Census and Statistics Office for probate records, especially if your ancestor was affluent.

The FamilySearch Library also has some guardianship records from Manila, Philippines. Court of First Instance (Manila), Guardianships, 1923-1967.