Philippines Record Finder

Philippines Wiki Topics
Beginning Research
Research Strategies Record Finder Finding Town of Origin Online Learning
Record Types
Adoption Cemeteries Census Chinese Voluntary Association Records Church Records Civil Registration Colonial Records Directories Emigration & Immigration	Compiled Genealogies Land & Property Military Records Newspapers Notarial Records Occupations Online Records Periodicals Probate Records Religious Records For Further Reading
Philippines Background
Biography Church History Cultural Groups Gazetteers History Jurisdictions	Languages Maps Naming Customs Social Life & Customs Spanish Word List
Local Research Resources
Archives & Libraries Societies FamilySearch Centers

Philippines

Record Finder

Record Finder Table for Philippines

The following Record Finder table assists researchers in determining record types that may list the information they are looking for.

Order of Records

The typically most reliable sources are listed at the top of the list. However, depending on the time period of the record and location, multiple records in the list may need to be searched to achieve the objective. Alternative records are listed as well in case traditional records do not provide the desired information.

List of Topics

This Record Finder table links to the Philippines topic Wiki pages, containing databases and other information about accessing the records.

Vital Events

Searching for:	Best Records to Search:	Alternative Records:
Birth date and place	Church Records Civil Registration
Marriage place and date	Church Records Civil Registration
Death date, place, and burial	Church Records Civil Registration	Cemeteries

Maiden Names and Family Members

Searching for:	Best Records to Search:	Alternative Records:
Maiden name	Church Records Civil Registration
Parents, children, spouses, and other family members	Church Records Civil Registration
Living relatives	Genealogies Directories

Immigration and Country of Origin

Searching for:	Best Records to Search:	Alternative Records:
Immigration date	Emigration and Immigration See the FamilySearch Wiki article for the country to which the ancestor immigrated.
Country and town of origin	Emigration and Immigration

Residences and Locations

Searching for:	Best Records to Search:	Alternative Records:
Residence	Church Records Civil Registration	Directories

Personal Details and Affiliations

Searching for:	Best Records to Search:	Alternative Records:
Occupation	Church Records Civil Registration
Religion	Church Records	History
Social activities	Social Life and Customs	History
Physical description	Military records

The terms used in columns 2 and 3 are the same as the subject headings used in many Wiki articles and in the Locality section of the FamilySearch Catalog. Find an article in this Wiki by searching for "Philippines" and the type of record you found in columns 2 or 3.

What you are looking for:	Try these records first:	Other useful records:
Age	Civil Registration, Church Records	Census, Public Records, Military Records
Birth date	Civil Registration, Church Records	Census, Military Records
Birthplace	Civil Registration, Church Records	Census, Public Records
Country of foreign birth	Emigration and Immigration, Naturalization and Citizenship	Military Records
County origins and boundaries	Atlases	Maps, Gazetteers
Death	Civil Registration, Church Records	Cemeteries, Probate Records, Funeral Homes
Divorce	Civil Registration*
Ethnic background	Minorities
Historical background	History
Immigration date	Emigration and Immigration
Living relatives and guardianships	Directories	Orphans and Orphanages
Maiden name	Civil Registration, Church Records	Schools, Medical Records
Marriage	Civil Registration, Church Records	Public Records
Occupation	Public Records	Census
Parents, children, and family members	Civil Registration, Church Records
Physical description	Medical Records, Biography	Military Records
Place-finding aids	Atlases, Gazetteers	History, Maps
Places of residence	Directories	Public Records, including cedulas or residence certificates
Religion	Civil Registration	Public Records
Social activities	Newspapers, Societies	Public Records

• Because divorce is not legal in the Philippines, there are no divorce records. See Philippines Court Records concerning annulments and legal separations. Also, look for records in other countries where divorce is legal.