Ambassador ENDO Kazuya attended the handover ceremony of “The Project for Promoting Digital Birth Registration of Populations at Risk of Statelessness in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao” in Davao City on January 28. The event was attended by Director Hasim Guiamil of the Programs and Operations Services, Ministry of Social Services and Development of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Philippines Head of National Office Ms. Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo.
The Government of Japan provided a JPY 858 million (approximately US$5.5 million) grant to enhance the facilitation of birth registration of Sama Bajaus, unregistered children in the context of forced displacement due to armed conflict, and former combatants and their families in the BARMM. The project will be implemented by the UNHCR for a duration of 30 months. It also aims to benefit 130,000 unregistered individuals, with 800,000 more indirectly benefiting in the next 10 years.
The turnover of computer servers will greatly contribute to increasing the efficiency of birth registration procedures in Municipal Civil Registrar offices. By providing birth documents to these populations who are at risk of statelessness, they will gain greater access to government services, education, and employment opportunities.
In his speech, Ambassador Endo expressed his hopes that “this project will be a success and prove to be instrumental in the attainment of an enduring peace and prosperity that will cascade over the generations to come.”
This project will target 50 communities in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi to continue supporting the population at risk of statelessness until December 2026.
