Three Things You Should Know to Get Started with Your Philipino Genealogy

The Philipines

Philipino Genealogy - Getting Started

Do you have Filipino ancestry? Have you had any issues with finding records for your family history? While genealogy research has not been a common thing in the Philippines, interest in it has started to grow. Below we will discuss things that you will need to know to get you started.

Before you start your search here are three things you should know

  1. There is no centralized database for records in the Philippines.
  2. There are websites but they are fragmented and not complete.
  3. There are no census records or even state records to look at.

Some records can be found in the National Archives of the Philippines.

What records there are can be found in the National Archives of the Philippines, but these records are still in the early stages of being digitized. Another thing to keep in mind is most Filipino families only started using formal last names in 1850, after a decree in 1849 required all inhabitants to adopt a single family name. So you must be extra careful to make sure you are related to the people in records you find. Finally, the Data Privacy Act was implemented starting in 2016, which restricts the online access to records that pertain to personal information action of anyone in or from the Philippines. So resources that are already scarce are even less accessible.

So, where can you start? Start with interviewing your relatives. Interview as many as you can because it is possible each will have their own stories about ancestors and relatives. The more relatives you have direct contact with and the older they are the better off you will be. If you can contact any relatives still in your family's hometown in the Philippines they may have invaluable information. You may also search online using social media to find new relatives. You can also search online with your favorite search engine. Just make sure you use specific parameters. An example would be son (name of person searching for). These results could give you existing family trees or even a family website. Try many different keyword phrases. While online searches are not always fruitful you may just get lucky.

The Data Privacy Act has made online records a bit more elusive.

Finally, there are genealogy sites that may have indexes mostly because the new Data Privacy Act, they won’t have the complete records. FamilySearch had many of the records and you can still find a Family History Center close to you and the volunteers there can help you see the indexes of the records. They will not be complete but are a good starting point. Also check out Geni.com where millions of people contribute their personal family trees. If you are lucky, maybe a relative will have put their family tree online. Also, look for newspapers from the Philippines and see if you can find any information. There is also Find A Grave. Many people put extra information on the listings like the names of children and parents. Even little stories about where the person lived or a major life event.

While finding your Filipino ancestors may not be as easy as your American or many European ancestors, it is worth the effort and time. Maybe one day the records of the Philippines will be allowed to be accessed again online. But until then try using these tips to find out as much information as you can.

We can help

If you need any help finding your ancestors, just let us know.

Tracy Hall

Tracy is an owner, a genealogy researcher, and author. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois and a master's degree from Grand Canyon University. She has done genealogical research in the U.S., England, and Ireland. She has been actively researching family histories for over 20 years. She loves working with clients, breaking down brick walls, seeing the places where hers and your ancestors lived, learning about their jobs and work, and researching immigration and migration patterns. She is the Holder of the Tree in several of her family lines and has been for decades.