Jamel Sarip works as a field assistant of Community and Family Services International (CFSI) under the Marawi Recovery Project (MRP). He is part of the team providing protection services to MRP project participants, particularly on civil registration and production of Certificate of Live Birth (COLB).

Like the communities he is serving in, Jamel and his family also lost their home from the Marawi Siege in 2017. During that time, they were displaced to a nearby town, then transferred again to a nearby city.

When the firefights ended, they were moved back to Marawi in Sarimanok Tent City.

He first knew about CFSI when its field staff came to the tent city for the profiling and assessment of needs of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) housed in the shelter. From that moment, he knew that he wanted to help his fellow IDPs and so he applied to CFSI in July 2018.

Surviving another challenge: COVID-19 pandemic

When COVID-19 pandemic plagued the country on March 2020, Jamel shared that working under such conditions was difficult. But he pursued, keeping his fellow IDPs in mind.

Their team continued processing COLB of program participants through phone calls. While conducting intakes, they also checked on how their clients are doing and encouraged those who were scared and anxious due to the pandemic.

It was also a challenge to distribute available COLBs to program participants because of community lockdowns. But they still pursued no matter what, especially on providing COLBs to those who needed hospitalization.

For instance, one of the program participants received her birth certificate just in time for her to give birth.

Students were also prioritized so they will have birth certificates prior to enrollment. There were also senior citizens who were able to apply for pensions and claim other benefits when they received their COLBs. Lastly, more IDPs were able to apply for the government’s conditional cash transfer program as they were able to submit their newly-issued COLBs.

“Giving COLBs to those who do not have civil registration is giving them lifetime’s worth of help,” Jamel shared.

From siege to pandemic, Jamel is now stronger facing life challenges, even giving more of himself to help his fellow kababayan in Marawi City. #