Philippine population is counted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) and it is said to be 97 million as of 2013. In the meantime, according to CIA website of The World Factbook indicates it 107.7 million as July 2014 estimate. We always wonder from where this discrepancy comes.
Many of the new residents of Gulud, barangay Mangas squatter village in Alfonso, Cavite, consisting presently of about 47 families, migrated from Western Samar to Manila and also Bacoor, Cavite about 10 years ago. Children born during these wanderings, along with some of the adults, largely have no birth certificates, which are usually required to apply for Philhealth (national health insurance).
AWH had meetings with the indigents and a young leader stepped forward to put together a written survey (name, date of birth, where born, mother, father, etc. of everyone not having a birth certificate).
Later day AWH staff visited Gulud together with Gina of Alfonso DSWD, Dr. Manzo of Alfonso Municipal Health Center, and Tess of NSO, Barangay Mangas captain and a pastor of Born Again Christian and discussed about the procedure to apply for birth certificates of about 60 indigents.
The NSO official stated that the requirements of delayed registration for birth certificates are as follows:
– NSO Negative Certification (certification of no birth certificate) P140/persons
– Baptismal
– Medical (immunization) Records
– School Records (Form 137)
– Barangay Certification
– Certificate of Indigence
(name of child, date and place of birth, name of parents)
– Voters Registration Certification
– Marriage Contract of Applicant
– Marriage Contract of Parents
– SSS Records
– Cenomar of Parents
AWH delivered an additional van load of bundled firewood and pledged to assist NSO with payment for the NSO negative certification.
Local pastors volunteered to provide birth certificates for the Brgy. Mangas II indigents for free.
As part of NSO requirements, nine children ages 0-59 months that had not yet resided at the squatter village during the September 2014 mass immunization were immunized.
