Birth certificates are important for different reasons. Ownership of a birth certificate is a human right and affords holders with certain liberties and essential social protection such as healthcare, education, and legal protections. Losing it not only means losing a part of one’s personal identity; it also limits access to basic essential services.
Many who were affected by the recent severe tropical storm Nalgae (local name Paeng) in Upi, Maguindanao, lost not only their birth certificates but also their Identification Cards, School Credentials, and other important civil documents. The loss of these documents limit the affected individuals’ access to basic services, and in emergencies such a this, increase their vulnerability, making it difficult for them to stay in evacuation centers where much of daily survival depend on rations from the government and other humanitarian organizations.
On 8 November 2022, CFSI established a civil documentation support desk and served sixty-six (66) requests for re-issuance of birth certificates and nine (9) requests for re-issuance of marriage certificates. For the birth certificates, 32 men and 34 women were served, most children and Indigenous People. “Our birth certificate is our identity, our instrument to be involved in the society” said Mrs. Florence Timuay, 46 years old and a mother of 7 whose entire family’s birth certificates were damaged and lost after STS Paeng. Thanks to the civil documentation support desk, Mrs Timuay added, “I felt that our identity has been restored, as well as our dignity.”
The Chief Executive of North Upi, Mayor Maria Rona Cristina Piang-Flores expressed their gratitude for the support desk as they received many concerns on the lost and damaged civil documents. Mayor Flores immediately endorsed the CFSI Team to the Municipal Civil Registry Office to collaborate efforts and ensure that all individuals can be re-issued the lost documents.
