QUEZON CITY -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) spearheaded the kick-off of the Inter-Agency National Indigenous Peoples (IPs) Birth Registration Special Project through the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the project implementation on Thursday, December 15, at the DSWD Central Office in Batasan, Quezon City.
DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo inked the partnership with representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to signal the rollout of the project that will ensure the birth registration of Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines.
Following the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to bring the government closer to the public, the special project will be implemented nationwide to increase civil registration in marginalized communities, particularly those who belong to Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs), Muslim Filipinos, and the poor sector.
“This project will not only include Indigenous Peoples in the national registry of birth but will likewise pave the way for inclusion towards building and fostering relationships between their community and the government,” Secretary Tulfo emphasized.
Moreover, this convergence effort of DSWD and its partner agencies is geared towards bringing birth registration closer to IPs and ICCs in the different parts of the country.
“This undertaking will benefit our IP brothers and sisters on an equal footing from the opportunities and privileges granted by national laws and regulations to other segments of the population,” the Secretary added.
Through the comprehensive birth registration project, the members of various ICCs in the country will be provided with birth certificates that will help them in accessing government programs and services.
The DSWD, along with its partner agencies, vows to continue to promote the well-being of the Indigenous Peoples through inclusive, culture-sensitive, and relevant policies, programs, and services for them. (DSWD)
