March 28, 2024

The Philippine Statistics Authority Benguet Provincial Statistical Office (PSA-Benguet) is reminding solemnizing officers from different religions and religious sects to apply or to renew their certificate of registration of authority to solemnize marriage (CRASM).
Under Administrative Order 1, s. 2007, the PSA is tasked to implement the rules and regulations governing the procedures in the registration of the authority to solemnize marriage of solemnizing officers with the Civil Registrar General.
The order provides that bishops, heads/founders of religions or religious sects, priests, imams, tribal heads/leaders/chieftains, and other religious ministers or pastors must secure or renew their CRASM.
Marriage laws provide the essential and formal requisites to be met for the marriage to be valid, and the authority of the solemnizing officer is among them.
The CRASM expires after three years from the year of effectivity and is renewable on the last quarter of the year of expiration, which is from October 1 to December 31.
Those whose CRASM licenses will expire on Dec. 31, 2019 can now apply for the renewal this month, to prevent congestion of applications on December.
Once approved, the new license will be valid starting 2020.
The jurisdiction of solemnizing officers will be dependent on the endorsement/ recommendation and appointment of the endorsing officer. Endorsement/recommendation of members comes from the head/founder/president of the religion or religious sect.
Application and issuance of CRASM license will be at the PSA provincial office where the solemnizing officer is assigned. The PSA or the personnel-in-charge will notify them when the CRASM license becomes available. – Imelda L. Buyuccan