What is the oldest date of birth certicate and marriage contract stored in Phil.

Question:

What is the oldest date of birth certicate and marriage contract stored in Phil. National Archive?

I am interested to know if there are old birth certificates (from what year) from all western towns of Pangasinan. This is to trace my ancestors up to the 17th century or earlier if ever there are available records in Phil. National Archive.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The typescripts in the Record Management and Archives Office, Manila, Philippines include indexes that go back as far as 1706 for births, 1757 for marriages, and 1800 for deaths. Microfilms of these records are available at the Family History Library and may be ordered through a Family History Center near you.

Check out the Family History Library Catalog for more details. Go to http://www.familysearch.org , click on the LIBRARY tab at the top of the page, then click on Family History Library Catalog. Click on "Place Search" and type in the place name.

Unfortunately, for Pangasinan, the civil registration records at the Family History Library only go back as far as 1886, but if you conduct a Place search just for "Philippines" you will find the indexes for civil registrations I mentioned above that include dates back into the 1700s.

Be sure to check both civil registrations and the records held by the church. If you know the village your ancestors were from, you can contact the local church and see if they have the records you're looking for.