PSA-Guimaras implements PBRAP to register IPs, poorest sector

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-Guimaras Provincial Statistical Office implemented the PhilSys Birth Registration Assistance Project (PBRAP), which aims to register the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and the Poorest sector of the five municipalities in the province.

“PSA-Guimaras officially started the implementation of the PBRAP on Mach 10, 2022, and expected to reach the provincial target of 1,505 IPs and poorest registrants before the year ends,” Provincial Statistical Officer Nelida B. Losare said.

Losare said the program is a national initiative that aims to increase the level of civil registrants, remove, and minimize requirements for registration of births, especially in the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) or those persons living in marginalized communities.

“Aside from IPs and Poorest sector in the province, the other main beneficiaries of the PBRAP were Muslim Filipinos and persons currently living outside their place of birth,” Losare said.

Losare also emphasized that in order to achieve the allotted target for the province, the PSA-Guimaras is collaborating with the Local Government Units (LGUs) thru the Local Civil Registry Office (LCRO) in conducting mobile registration activities and data gathering in identified barangays.

“As of April 29, 2022, the PSA-Guimaras listed 134 Indigenous People (IPs) and 532 indigents among the poorest sector, translating to 666 beneficiaries or 30.68% of the provincial target,” Losare said.

“The lists of beneficiaries were forwarded to PSA national for verification through the Civil Registration System Database (CRSD), all fees waived,” Losare added.

Losare confirmed that after verification and finding no record of the registrant, the PSA will issue a negative result.

“In excess of the provincial target, the LGU will assist the registrants, waive all the necessary fees for processing the delayed registration of births, facilitate the out-of-town registration of births and other civil registry needs, including the encoding in the Philippine Civil Registry Information System (PhilCRIS),” Losare said.

Losare said the initiative will intensify PSA’s campaign of improving civil registration, aligned with the goal of the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) decade that by 2024 at least 99.5% of all Filipinos have birth certificates registered.