Community and Family Services International (CFSI) conducted a series of capacity building trainings on Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence (CPGBV) Case Management for Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Members, with integrated Birth Registration Interoperability training for partner Local Government Units (LGUs) in the Provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and Sulu.
“This is a first for us, but this has been needed for a long time now. The formal organization of the MDT will indeed ensure that we deliver the highest quality of case management in our AoRs.” said Ms. Jaslin Masbud, Provincial Social Welfare Officer of Lanao del Sur.
The first training session was conducted in August 2025, covering key topics including the Initiative on Digital Birth Registration, Statelessness and Birth Registration Interoperability, Child Protection Case Management, and orientation on the Revised CANE+D Protocol and BARMM CPGBV Referral Pathway. This training series will continue through 2026, with the goal of establishing functional MDTs in 62 LGUs in BARMM and Sulu to the strengthen child protection systems in the region.
To effectively carry out child protection case management, CFSI organized MDTs in each participating municipality composed of the Municipal/City Social Welfare Officer from the Ministry of Social Services and Development (M/CSWO-MSSD), the Gender and Development (GAD) Focal of the Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC), the Municipal/Local Civil Registrar (MCR), the Rural Health Unit (RHU) Women and Children Protection Unit (WCPU) Focal, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) Officer.
The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action and Inter-agency Guidelines for Child Protection & Case Management defines case management as a way of organizing and carrying out work to address an individual child’s (and their family’s) needs in an appropriate, systematic and timely manner, through direct support and/or referrals, and in accordance with a project or program’s objectives.
“This is a first for us, but this has been needed for a long time now. The formal organization of the MDT will indeed ensure that we deliver the highest quality of case management in our AoRs.” said Ms. Jaslin Masbud, Provincial Social Welfare Officer of Lanao del Sur.
A call to action to include Child Protection activities, particularly Birth Registration initiatives and the MDT Approach to Case Management, was carried out through a planning session that highlights avenues for the LGUs to facilitate activities that promote the strengthening of child protection systems in their respective communities. Also, part of said session is the mapping of respective local stakeholders that may be involved in the Case Management Process. A directory of these stakeholders will be shared with the LGUs to facilitate easier coordination whenever needed during the implementation of case management process.
The training was conducted through the Birth Registration Advocacy for Vulnerable Population to End Childhood Statelessness (BRAVE) Project, implemented by CFSI with support from UNICEF, UNHCR, and Embassy of Japan in the Philippines. The project is under the initiative on Promoting Digital Birth Registrations in BARMM which aims to achieve sustainable solutions for targeted populations through improved access to documentation that will ensure the fulfillment of their rights and allow them to live an empowered and dignified life.