18 to 21 March 2024 - Bangkok, Thailand. Officer-in-Charge, Deputy National Statistician (OIC-DNS) of the Censuses and Technical Coordination Office, Minerva Eloisa P. Esquivias; Assistant National Statistician of the Civil Registration Service, Engr. Marizza B. Grande; and OIC- Regional Director of BARMM, Engr. Akan G. Tula of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) attended the three-day workshop organized by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific for implementing guidance on inclusive civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems. The Philippine delegates include the three PSA Officials and Atty. Melvin C. Suarez, State Counsel of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The workshop brought together experts and practitioners from the different Member States to share best practices and innovative approaches in establishing inclusive CRVS systems. Through interactive sessions and case studies, participants learned from each other's experiences and were able to build collective understanding on the challenges and opportunities in producing and utilizing data on statelessness, forced displacement, and children on the move.

OIC-DNS Esquivias presented the progress of Birth Registration Assistance Project (BRAP), a flagship project of the PSA that ensures universal and inclusive CRVS. The BRAP targeted the free delayed birth registration of more than 2 million indigenous peoples, Muslim Filipinos, and the poorest sector covering cities/municipalities nationwide. This project was launched in February 2022 and aimed at fast tracking the achievement of the commitment to 99.5 percent birth registration by 2024.

The Philippines is dedicated to reaching its objectives and targets for the National Action Plan (NAP) to end statelessness. The Inter-Agency Steering Committee chaired by the DOJ and PSA under its NAP Nos. 5 and 7 used a comprehensive government approach to mitigate the effects of statelessness in the country. The NAP to end statelessness involves the ongoing efforts of the PSA, DOJ, and other partner I agencies to create and execute policies that make it easier for stateless individuals, as well as those at risk of being stateless, such as the foundlings, children in need of special protection, and undocumented Filipinos in migratory settings such as Sabah and the Middle East to obtain documentation through birth records and the National ID.

Through the World Health Organization's support, the Inter-agency Committee on CRVS (IAC CRVS) developed the CRVS Strategic Plan for 2023-2028 to address issues and further achieve the enhanced CRVS system envisioned by the Philippines. Additionally, an assessment study of CRVS inequality will be completed in April 2024 to identify strategies for integrating marginalized individuals in the CRVS system. Further, the development of the Philippine CRVS Digitalization Roadmap sponsored by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Bloomberg Data for Health Initiative has provided a blueprint of the country's plan for a full CRVS digitalization by 2030.

-Civil Registration Service, Civil Registration and Central Support Office

Quick Links:

1. CRS Appointment: https://crs-appointment.psahelpline.ph/
2. E-Verification Mobile App (Google Play):
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unisys.psaeverificati
onapp.v3&hl=en_US
3. E-Verification Mobile App (Apple):
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/psa-e-verification/id1480845502