The Muntinlupa City government has launched a free birth registration program to ensure that the city’s youth have proper legal identity and access to basic services.

The program offers free late registration of birth certificates for those under the Early Childhood Education and Development Program (ECED). Parents are advised to coordinate with their children’s teachers for details and requirements.

It is also available for indigent residents aged 0 to 17, who may coordinate directly with the Local Civil Registry Office at the South Park Center.

Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon said the initiative’s goal is to protect the rights of children by ensuring they are legally recognized by the government.

“If you don’t have a birth certificate, it is as if you don’t exist. That’s the proof that you are here in the world—that you are a Filipino,” Biazon said. “If a child does not have a birth certificate, his future will be put at risk. That’s why we launched this project, to give every child a secure future.”

The city government emphasized that birth registration is vital for children to access education, health care, and other social services. It also said on Thursday that the program is being carried out continuously.

The program will soon expand to include students from Grades 1 to 4 and Grades 5 to 6.

The initiative carries the tagline “Batang Rehistrado, Kinabukasan Sigurado.”