Birth registration opens doors for the Badjaos

CEBU CITY, May 11 (PIA) --- Alma Muhammad, a 40-year old Badjao mother in Barangay Mambaling has seven children and only one was registered upon birth.  She herself does not have a birth certificate. The launching of the birth registration at Alma's barangay has opened doors for her and the other Badjao mothers for their children to go school. 

This is a common situation in most Indigenous People’s (IP) communities such as the Badjaos. In their norms, they do not believe in the baptism of their new born babies, hence most of them are not registered upon birth.

Alma is just one of the Badjao residents in Mambaling who shared the same norms. Children are not in school; some adult Badjaos cannot get decent jobs and all others are discriminated because they look differently with their sea-bleached hair.  

Alma said it is hard for her to send her children to school since all the schools refused to accept them because they do not have birth certificates.

“Lisod jud kaayo ang pagpaeskwela sa akong mga anak kay walay eskwelahan nga modawat kanila”, Muhammad said. (It is very difficult for my children to go to school because no school accepts them.)

As they are all beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), one of their obligations is to send their children to school. But because most of their children are not registered, schools refused to accept them.

Since they can not afford to pay the birth registration, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the lead agency of the Pantawid program joined hands with DILG and NSO through a Memorandum of Agreement to conduct a Free Birth Registration campaign specifically to indigent families.

This free birth registration was launched today in Barangay Mambaling where most of the Badjao families are beneficiaries of the Pantawid… program.

The program is not only limited to the Badjao community but also to all ordinary beneficiaries of 4Ps.

Anyone who does not have birth certificate regardless of age is encouraged to register until the end of May.

The birth registration program is not limited only to Barangay Mambaling but it covers the entire Cebu City through the all-out support of Mayor Rama and the other concerned agencies such as the NSO, PPDO, NEDA, Civil Registrar.

The program aims to articulate the importance of birth registration. This helps them to recognize the rights of their children and their rights as well.

All those who came to the launching were eager and happy despite the long hours of waiting just to register their children.

Aina Abdul who is also a beneficiary of 4Ps said it was a big help for them most especially because it was free.

“Nalipay jud mi kaayo kay gitabangan mi sa gobiyerno sa among kalisud,” Aina said. (We are very happy that the government has helped them with their situation)

Mayor Rama in his statement said whether it is an obligation of the government or not, the beneficiaries should remember to say ‘thank you.’

He also made mention of the no segregation, no collection policy and encourage the Badjao community and other 4Ps beneficiaries to take part of the waste segregation advocacy. (PIA-7/ Angie P. Amodia, Intern-CTU)