The Government of Japan on Tuesday granted the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) $5.5 million to fund birth registration activities for people in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya said the project will enable armed conflict-stricken people in BARMM to easily avail of social services like education, healthcare, employment, and freedom of movement.

“We are hopeful that this initiative will strengthen linkages between local government units and these marginalized sectors and bring the latter within reach of services and other forms of assistance,” he said.

The project will benefit 30,000 residents in 50 municipalities in Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi during its implementation from 2024 to 2027.

The UNHCR expects beneficiaries to increase to 80,000 families or 800,000 individuals in the next 10 years.

They include unregistered children due to displacement from armed conflicts in BARMM, children of former combatants and the Badjaos.

“They form one of the State-identified populations at risk of statelessness in the Philippines. Because of their itinerant way of living and generations of non-registration among families, they face documentation issues,” UNHCR said.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Social Services and Development of BARMM, Kazuya said the project will be carried out through digitalization of the birth registration process, skills development for Local Civil Registrars, and advocacy activities on the importance of birth registration.

“The efforts to be launched through this funding is vital to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals on providing legal identity for all and the Philippines’ National Action Plan to End Statelessness,” UNHCR Head of Manila Office Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo said.