Birth Registration Advocacy for Vulnerable Populations to End Childhood Statelessness is a project being implemented by the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society, Inc. (CBCS) in partnership with UNICEF and UNHCR, with the support of the Government of Japan.
It aims to improve the child protection system, including civil and birth registration services, and develop and implement social behavioral change strategies to strengthen birth and civil registration systems in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
UNICEF-UNHCR, CBCS, and other implementing partners equipped different youth leaders from Cotabato City and the municipalities of the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, and required them to submit project proposals on how to advocate for and increase the rate of birth registrations in the Bangsamoro region.
By empowering these youth leaders to become BRAVE Advocates to champion birth registration, Friday, June 27, 2025, awarded seed grants to a cohort of dynamic youth organizations committed to ensuring every child has a legal identity. The ceremonial handover, held at Pavilion Hall, Pagana Native Kutawato Restaurant, Cotabato City, marked a significant step in accelerating birth registration efforts across the region.
Seven (7) youth-led organizations composed of 35 BRAVE Advocates from Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura, Parang, Matanog, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, and Datu Paglas municipalities, received a total of Php 350,000.00 (50,000/city/municipality) in seed funding to implement innovative and youth-centric strategies to promote birth registration within their communities. These organizations represent a diverse range of interests and approaches, reflecting the vibrant energy and creativity of the region’s youth.
“We recognize the importance of this project in protecting our children from the risk of childhood statelessness through the youth organizations who were trained and given a SEED GRANT, the awareness of Birth Registration is widely known in the far-flung and conflict-affected areas. We, at the Bangsamoro Youth Commission, take pride in this advocacy, proving that Kabataang Bangsamoro, Ikaw o Tayo ang Pagbabago”, stated Hon. Nasserudin D. Dunding, Chairperson, Bangsamoro Youth Commission-BARMM
Recognizing the unique challenges faced in achieving universal birth registration, particularly in reaching marginalized communities, the granting organization specifically targeted youth-led initiatives. The seed grants will enable these organizations to implement creative and impactful strategies, including
- Crafting of Policy Recommendations
- Mobile Barangay-based Awareness Drives
- Youth-Gov Forum, Producing Video and IEC Materials
- Collaboration with Local Leaders
- Community Events and Activities, and
- Social Media Campaigns.
The Ceremonial Handover was supported by the government implementing partner through their representatives in attendance: the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD)-BARMM, the Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC)-BARMM, the Bangsamoro Darul-Ifta (BDI), the Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA-RSSO)-BARMM, the Municipal Civil Registrars of Sultan Kudarat, Parang, and Matanog, the Local Youth Development Officers of Cotabato City and Datu Saudi Ampatuan, and the Muslim Religious Leaders (MRLs) representing the Hay-atul Ulama of the Philippines and Committee on Da’wah and Masajid Affairs.
“We, the BRAVE Advocates from Datu Paglas, expressed our enthusiasm and commitment to making a tangible difference in our communities. We look forward to encouraging and capacitating teenage mothers to navigate and assist others through the birth registration process to increase the rate of birth registration in our municipality,” an acceptance message from Marleah Lindungan, SK Kagawad.
The event served as a powerful demonstration of the potential of youth-led initiatives to drive positive social change. By investing in the next generation of leaders, the granting organization is not only accelerating progress towards universal birth registration but also fostering a culture of civic engagement and social responsibility among young people. The success of this initiative underscores the importance of empowering young people to be agents of change in their communities and the Bangsamoro region as a whole.
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