Born without identity

Marlon traveled 18 hours from his hometown in Lope De Vega in Northern Samar to Manila to find a job. But he could not get one. The reason for this was not the lack of a college degree or work experience and competency, but rather that he did not have a birth certificate.

Marlon, now 26, is among the millions denied the first right of every person born into this world.

"Every child is born with an identity. Babies are named, welcoming rituals are performed–but it is not enough," writes the international humanitarian organization called Plan on its primer on Universal Birth Registration in Asia.

In the Philippines, more than five million people, including adults, face the risk of being deprived of their rights and privileges as citizens because they are, in the most basic sense, undocumented. In Asia, a third of all newborns, or 30 million children, are not registered.

Rodel Bontuyan, program unit manager of Plan Philippines, cites this estimate from the 2005 census as he shares just how huge the problem is in the country and what is being done by the non-government organization he represents to address this.

Apart from lack of awareness, there are social and cultural barriers, especially concerning the practices of indigenous peoples and Muslims with regards the requirements of the birth registration system. There are also legal and political issues that hinder this, such as the fees to be paid and the physical distance of the communities to the municipal halls where the registration is done. Further, not all municipalities have a permanent civil registry.

"Before, you can only register in municipal halls. Part of our advocacy is to ensure that it is free as mandated by the Civil Registry Law," Rodel tells Starweek. "But we also promote mobile registration."

Colleague Dong Waña adds they try to incorporate the activity of birth registration into Plan Philippines’ other programs to make people aware just how important this is.

"In immunization programs for example, while a parent is waiting, birth registration is discussed and they are made aware of the implications if their children are not registered," says Dong, the sponsorships and grants support manager of Plan Philippines.

"I did not realize that a birth certificate could be this important," Marlon’s mother Lolita Mejoras tells the North Samar Program Unit of Plan Philippines, as she recalls that her son’s inability to find work meant that two or three of her kids had to quit school because of the family’s meager income.

Of Lolita’s 11 children, only two previously had birth certificates. Her assumption that her children will live the same life they had–finish elementary school, work in the farm and have their own family–is shared by most parents in Lope de Vega.

What they didn’t realize was that without a birth certificate, children are often unable to prove their age, nationality or even who their parents are. Not only then are they at risk of being denied their rights and privileges–such as access to education and healthcare–but they are also vulnerable to exploitation.

"They are easy prey for traffickers, slave traders, unscrupulous employers, militias and criminal gangs," according to Plan.

Plan Philippines carries out its programs through child-centered community development (CCCD), an approach that emphasizes the promotion of children, family and community participation in all development processes.

"Birth registration is the first right of the child. Since children’s rights is our framework, this has naturally become an advocacy of ours in every community," Dong explains.

This campaign, began last year, targets to have every Filipino registered by 2010.

It’s a tall order but they are undaunted by the task. Dong says what has always worked for them is their field people working through the proper channels to follow Plan Philippines’ "roadmap" towards building child-friendly communities.

"We work very closely with barangay officials and we stay in the areas to facilitate the organizing work. And that is the key to gaining their trust and respect. We also do our programs based on their needs and they participate in all the processes," he adds.

Because involving children in the process of community development is part of Plan’s efforts, child leaders were also trained along with village officials and volunteers to become advocates of children’s rights and birth registration.

"Community development is a popular term but what is special about CCCD is the element of children and community participation. As a child-centered institution, our programs directly respond to the four broad rights of children as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child," Dong stresses.

How they make this happen, Rodel explains, is through simple, informal and fun ways to get a child’s attention. Just like good parenting when getting children involved in household chores is known to boost their self-esteem, Plan does a similar effort.

"We make sure that children take part in the process of program management, from assessing their situation as children and what are their plans. We use workshops to get information, and hold (informative) plays with a group dynamics approach," he explains.

From May 30 to June 1, a performing arts festival with events produced and organized by the kids themselves will be held at the Clamshell Pavilion 2 in Intramuros, Manila.

It will be a gathering of some 300 children from all over the country, and "Wow, Bata!" is the first of its kind, a unique celebration of arts and culture using child participation to advance children’s causes.

Nightly presentations will be staged by different theater groups depicting key social issues including child trafficking, environmental degradation, child labor, domestic violence, and others.

Plan believes in community participation in order for development to be sustained, thus avoiding dependence on those who have come to help uplift their lives. More importantly, community participation allows them to understand better what their rights are and how to protect these.

"Plan facilitates a process wherein communities determine their needs, come up with development plans to address these needs, and we support them," Dong says. Their aim is for their intended beneficiaries to become "child-friendly barangays."

While Plan Philippines has been around for more than 40 years, its programs have evolved from giving direct assistance to families and communities.

The CCCD approach that emphasizes "capability building" was started in 2001 with more than 400 barangays already assessed as of last year. Indicators include how institutions in municipalities function, particularly in the application of existing laws, and the situation of families concerning child health, maternal health, education, child protection and family practices.

Among Plan’s programs are strengthening household economic security, advancing child-friendly governance, nurturing child health and ensuring safe water and a hygienic environment for children, enhancing children’s learning competencies and skills and protecting children at risk.

In the late 1990s, Liloan in Southern Leyte was found to have a high rate of adolescent drug users. Plan immersed with parents and children in the village and began conducting awareness-raising activities about the rights and responsibilities of children and the importance of their participation.

Among them was Archie Irlandez, a happy-go-lucky youngster usually found hanging out with his friends in the village.

But village leaders saw Archie’s potential to become a leader, and he has become actively involved in children’s organizing and facilitation during family day activities. He was elected president of Teatro Kabataan in Southern Leyte.

After finding a new sense of self-worth despite not finishing his BS Computer Science course, Archie today is the president of the Provincial Children and Youth Council, a network of children and youth associations in the province.

The mindset on birth registration in Lope de Vega made a turnaround in 2004 when families saw the significance of this basic child right. School officials also did their part when the following year they announced that no one will be allowed to graduate from elementary and high school if he or she did not have a birth certificate.

And finally, the process of registering Lolita’s children began. She has made a personal commitment to work to prevent others from experiencing what her son faced, and has become an active community volunteer.

And as for her eldest son Marlon, next time he goes looking for a job he just might have better luck, since he at last holds not just a piece of paper, but a validation of his identity.