MANILA – A children’s rights advocacy group has urged Senator Aquilino Martin Pimentel III to take immediate action on two key bills: one to reform the birth registration system and another to address the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The Child Rights Network (CRN) emphasized that the proposed birth registration reform would benefit 3.7 million Filipinos lacking birth certificates, including over 1 million unregistered children. Birth certificates are vital for accessing education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.
According to the Protection Cluster Philippines, nearly 150,000 individuals remain displaced in Mindanao as of 2023, a number that could grow if IDPs from other regions are included.
CRN spokesperson Nenita Dalde noted that the current Civil Registry Law is nearly a century old and no longer meets the needs of today’s Filipinos. “This is the right opportunity to modernize and make the civil registration process more accessible,” she said, urging Senator Pimentel to prioritize the issue.
Dalde, also the advocacy manager of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development, stressed the importance of the bill aimed at protecting IDPs, especially vulnerable groups like women and children. “This bill will provide a permanent and effective solution to the displacement crisis. Disasters and conflicts can affect anyone, anytime,” she explained.
The CRN called on Pimentel to prioritize these bills before the legislative session concludes, emphasizing the need for government preparedness to address the growing challenges of internal displacement.
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