Probate records are court records which 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 Records

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 Family History Library Catalog, Locality section, under “Probate Records”:

PHILIPPINES, METROPOLITAN MANILA - PROBATE RECORDS

Modern (post-1945) probate records are in courts, civil offices, and the National Census and Statistics Office. 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 Family History Library also has some wills and guardianship records. The guardianship records are mostly from Manila (1923–63).

Return to top of page

Previous Document   Next Document

©1998, 2001 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. No part of this document may be reprinted, posted on-line, or reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
[FamilySearch^TM: Research Guidance
Version of Data: 6/9/2001]