ONE year after Supertyphoon Yolanda wrought havoc to Eastern Visayas and nearby regions, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) launched another long-term resilience effort for survivors through replacement of birth registration documents that have been lost or destroyed during the typhoon.
Done in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, this will benefit the most vulnerable children in Eastern and Western Samar and Leyte, where Yolanda made landfall.
The Access to Benefits and Claims after Disaster Expansion program implemented through non-governmental organization partner Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services will assist around 80,000 individuals from 20 towns to secure civil records and other legal documents to reestablish their civil identities.
In addition, 8,000 people from the most vulnerable groups will also be provided with legal documentation services allowing them to access public services, such as pension schemes, education, burial, social security, access to employment and other basic social services. Local governments will be equipped to provide registration services and target populations will also be sensitized on why it is important to obtain birth certificates.
“A name and nationality is every child’s right, as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Every Filipino child, including those impacted by disasters, have the right to be registered at birth and to be provided with birth registration documents that have been lost or destroyed. This is why Unicef is in partnership with the government to ensure that Yolanda-affected children claim their right to a name and a nationality as part of larger resilience efforts,” Lotta Sylwander, Unicef Philippines representative said. There are an estimated 5.3 million unregistered Filipinos, including 2.6 million children. Though the birth registration rate in the Philippines is high at 90 percent, huge disparities exist between regions, and calamities such as Yolanda lead to the destruction of these critical documents.
It is estimated that at least 50 percent of households in Western Samar and Leyte experienced loss or destruction of birth certificates and other basic documentation as a result of the typhoon. Around 100,000 people have already requested replacement documentation, but many more cannot afford the transportation and other costs associated.
Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco / Correspondent