BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi – In ensuring inclusivity and equal opportunities to all Bangsamoro constituents, the Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission (BHRC) provided free birth certificates and national IDs to 50 Badjao children in this municipality.
The initiative, which took place on August 30, 2024, was a collaborative effort involving the BHRC Tawi-Tawi Provincial Office, the Bongao Municipal Civil Registry, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), and Tawi-Tawi provincial government.
The activity featured a one-stop shop process: Badjao beneficiaries underwent interviews and verification with the Municipal Civil Registry before their details were encoded. Following this, they proceeded with national ID registration. After completing the initial registration, they were treated to snacks and meals and given food packs. Once verification through PSA system confirmed no duplicate registrations, the beneficiaries received authenticated PSA birth certificates.
Ahmad Deedatt Kalbit, OIC provincial director of BHRC-Tawi-Tawi, said in an interview that they are planning to expand the legal assistance program to other island municipalities with Badjao communities.
“We took the initiative to expand the legal service assistance to the Badjao, as they are people who lack expression of their rights, they are also vulnerable of being deprived of government services and assistance due to no legal identity,” Kalbit said.
Earlier on August 23, the BHRC conducted a similar program at Badjao Village in Bongao wherein 250 individuals received free birth and national ID registration along with food packs.
With this initiative, the Bangsamoro government remains dedicated to preserving the rich cultural heritage of the sea nomads in the region while ensuring that all constituents have equal access to public services and social security. (Laila Aripin/BIO)
