Davao city steps up school-based civil registration program

The Davao City Civil Registrar’s Office (CRO) has intensified its School Civil Registration Program.

Under this program, teaching staff in far-flung schools are trained in the function of a school civil registration agent.

The chosen school personnel are given a two-day intensive training on rendering assistance to unregistered schoolchildren in rural areas. A school agent may assist parents in the registration, legitimation, corrections/updates in the registry, and other services which they will then relay to the nearest CRO satellite office for formal action.

“Nag-train ta og mga teachers sa nagkalaing-laing public schools, labi na sa lagyo na lugar. Ato silang gi-train sa civil registration functions, mga services (We have trained teachers from various public schools, especially in far-flung areas. We trained them in civil registration functions, services),” said CRO Birth Division Head Shirley Arendain during the Madayaw Davao program aired over the Davao City Disaster Radio on Tuesday.

The CRO, Arendain said, chose non-teaching staff in far-flung schools who are not responsible for day-to-day classes so as not to hamper the education of students. These agents are given honorarium from the local government for their additional service.

They also undergo annual enhancement training as well as a yearend evaluation.

“Gi-apil pud nato ang mga na sa bukid na ALS teachers kay nakita nato na mas epektibo gyud sila. Naga-ikot gyud sila sa mga lagyo na lugar, unya possible gyud kaayo na didto na lugar daghan ang mga wala na-rehistro, mga walay birth certificates (We also included teachers in the uplands within the Alternative Learning System because we saw how effective they really are. They go around the most far-flung places where it is possible many individuals remain unregistered, without birth certificates),” she said.

Arendain said the school-based registration program has shown good results as parents of unregistered children who are not inclined to visit CRO satellite offices and are not comfortable talking to CRO personnel are much open to discussion with teachers with whom they have established rapport and trust.

“Makita nato na epektibo gyud sila kay sa ilang lugar, didto na ang mga ginikanan direct mu-approach sa ilaha. Labi na tong layo diri sa atoang opisina (We saw that they are really effective because in their area, parents go directly to them. Especially those far from our office).”

Most of the unregistered school children in far-flung barangays are usually in their early years of primary education, Arendain added. This suggests that the median age of unregistered individuals in the city is getting younger.

The CRO has currently deployed around 39 school civil registration agents, and is planning to train more individuals in the immediate future. CIO