On May 09, 2019, the Sama Bajau Capacity Strengthening Project (SBCSP) of Community and Family Services International (CFSI) with funding support from the European Union (EU) completed the facilitation of authenticating 185 children’s birth certificates in Security Paper (SecPa). This effort was made possible through CFSI’s strong partnership with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) of Region IX, the Local Civil Registrar (LCO) of Zamboanga City, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
All seven kids of Minda Juldati Amil received their birth certificates in SecPa. One of them is Jon-Jon, a graduating Senior High School student who needed to submit an authenticated copy of his birth certificate else he would not be qualified to graduate. After receiving his authenticated birth certificate, he hurriedly went to his school and filed for graduation. On May 10, 2019, he successfully marched during their commencement ceremony. His mother was tearful as she shared how important it was for them to have been assisted by the SBCSP. Money is extremely tight for their family and they did not have enough resources to process civil documentation.
When asked what course he would like to take in college, Jonjon’s response was, “I want to become a teacher so there will be more Sama Bajau children who can be enrolled and educated, and their families have brighter future.”
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