Feature: Pantawid beneficiaries claims ‘Right to a Name’ for free
CENTRAL VISAYAS, May 22 (PIA) --- “The Right to a name and a nationality”. This is the most important right every being is entitled to regardless of age, religion, status or gender.
It is a primary right of a child as provided in Article 7 of the United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child (UN-CRC).
That is why the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with the National Statistics Office (NSO and the Department of Interior and Local Governemnt (DILG) launched the free birth registration nationwide specifically to all Pantawid beneficiaries all over the country for the month of May.
Through DILG’s Memorandum Circular 2011-64, address to Governors, Mayors and other concerned agencies, it was mandated that for the month of May all fees for birth registrations shall be waived.
In Central Visayas free birth registration was launched on May 11, 2001 at Barangay Mambaling, with 314 Badjaos as the first registrants saving themselves as much as P600/registration.
As one of the government’s champion in the pursuit of the Millenium Development Goals which the Philippine government is committed to attain through its various anti-poverty programs, one of which is Pantawid Pamilyang Philipino Program.
Pantawid Pamilya is a poverty reduction strategy of the government that aims to provide conditonal cash grants to extremely poor household with children 0-14 years old.
As much as P500/month is allocated per household for health and P300/month per child but a maximum of three children only shall be included in the program which will run for five years.
To continually receive their grants, households mush comply with certain conditions such as pre-natal and post-natal care for pregnant women, immunization, weight monitoring and de-worming twice a year for children and attending family development sessions for the parents.
As to education, children as young as 3 years old are required to attend classes at least 85% of the time.
In the course of the program implementation which started in the year 2009, particularly during the registration and validation process where the program requires the presentation of legal documents as verification of true identity, it was discovered that a number of children beneficiaries do not have birth certificates.
This concurs with the report of the National Statistics Office (NSO) that 10-15% of Filipino children born every year are unregistered.
The said event was graced by the city’s Mayor Michael L. Rama together with office of the Regional Directors of partner agencies such as NSO, DILG, DepEd, POPCOM and the National Commission for Indigenous People (NCIP).
Presently poor families under the Pantawid Pamilya program from the various cities / municipalities of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor are availing of this rare opportunity with each identified city/municipality aiming for 100% registration.
As much as P600-P1,500 can be saved by each beneficiary who does not have an NSO nearby.
With the convergence of services from DSWD, DILG, NSO, LCR, LCE, POPCOM, DepEd and DOH for the Free Birth Registration, we have finally taken a great step in articulating the importance of birth registration.
It has also increased the number of registered children especially in geographically and politically challenged areas.