COTABATO CITY — For 1,200 individuals living in the isolated municipalities of Mapun and Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi, the simple but vital document of a birth certificate is finally within reach, thanks to a birth registration initiative supported by the Government of Japan and spearheaded by the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
This initiative, part of a broader campaign that targets marginalized communities in 50 areas across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), aims to address a long-standing challenge — the lack of legal identity among residents in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
Due to their remote locations, many residents of Mapun and Turtle Islands grow up without official birth records, which limits their access to essential government services such as healthcare, education, and social protection. The absence of a birth certificate also affects their ability to vote, secure employment, and fully participate as citizens of the Philippines.
“Limited access to birth registration remains a major concern,” said Sheba J. Jamaluddin, Municipal Social Welfare Officer (MSWO) of Mapun, during a training session for social workers held in Davao City earlier this month. Jamaluddin highlighted that some members of the Sama Bajau community often do not see the value of a birth certificate — a perception the MSSD hopes to change through community engagement and education.
In the neighboring municipality of Turtle Islands, the situation is much the same. Many children remain undocumented because their parents, too, have lived without birth certificates — a cycle the MSSD hopes to break.
“Now that we’ve earned the trust of the community, we can directly encourage parents to register their children and help them understand the importance of legal identity, especially when applying for government programs and services,” said Barbangsa M. Jalaide, MSWO for Turtle Islands.
This birth registration project is part of a regional effort to register at least 30,000 individuals in BARMM between July 2024 and June 2026. It also complements the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) larger goal of registering over 400,000 individuals in the region by the end of 2027 — a critical step in addressing the estimated two million unregistered births across BARMM.
A birth certificate is more than just a piece of paper. It is the first legal proof of identity a person receives and a fundamental requirement for accessing education, healthcare, legal employment, and social protection. It ensures that individuals are recognized as citizens of the country, with rights and responsibilities under the law.
This project also benefits from the collaboration of several organizations, including the PSA-BARMM, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), UNICEF Philippines, Community and Family Services International (CFSI), and Relief International.
Through efforts like this, government agencies and international partners hope to empower communities and pave the way for a future where every child and adult is fully recognized and able to access opportunities as rightful residents of the Philippines.
