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A Philippine Statistics Authority X personnel captures the fingerprints of a 4Ps child for national ID registration during the free birth registration caravan in Kitaotao, Bukidnon on March 13, 2025.

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office X and its development partners recently delivered free services to the Indigenous Peoples (IP) community in Barangay Sagundanon, Kitaotao, Bukidnon as part of their ongoing efforts to address the needs of marginalized communities.

National government agencies, including the PAG-IBIG Fund, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), provided free registration services to 4Ps and non-4Ps members.

4Ps workers update the profiles of pregnant beneficiaries and mothers with children aged 0 to 2 years as part of the First 1,000 Days (F1KD) campaign.

The initiative aimed to improve IP communities’ access to essential services and documentation.

Private organizations such as IDEALs and the First Community Cooperative (FICCO), along with the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Kitaotao through the Local Civil Registrar, supported the caravan.

The Rural Health Unit of Kitaotao, Bukidnon distributes vitamins to pregnant women to support maternal health.

This marked the second free IP birth registration caravan, following last year’s successful rollout with the same development partners in Kitaotao.

The initiative seeks to address the long-standing issue of birth registration among IP communities in Bukidnon, particularly in Kitaotao, which has a high concentration of IP households.

Health services were also part of the caravan. Barangay Health Workers of Barangay Sagundanon worked with the Local Health Unit of Kitaotao to distribute vitamins to pregnant beneficiaries, ensuring better maternal health in the community.

More than 100 4Ps beneficiaries accessed the free services during the event.

Among them was Alma Rodriguez Kinita, a 4Ps beneficiary from the Matigsalog Tribe, who expressed gratitude for the initiative.

“Dako kaayong tabang kini kay kung magpa-eskuyla ka, kinahanglan man ang registration sa among matag bata,” Kinita said, explaining that the birth registration service is a big help for mothers who need proper documentation to enroll their children in school.

The PSA also facilitated the registration of IP residents to the National Identification System, focusing on 4Ps beneficiaries whose household members still lack a national ID.

Meanwhile, 4Ps workers took the opportunity to update household data and register pregnant women and children aged 0 to 2 years under the First 1,000 Days (F1KD) campaign.

The caravan highlights the strong collaboration between government agencies, private organizations, and local authorities to improve the well-being of IP communities in Bukidnon.

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