KITAOTAO, Bukidnon (PIA) — Beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) received free services as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-10 and its development partners recently delivered various assistance in a caravan at Barangay Sagundanon, Kitaotao, Bukidnon.
The outreach drive brought free health and registration services to Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities, ensuring better access to essential documentation and support to marginalized groups.
National government agencies, including the PAG-IBIG Fund, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), provided free registration services to both 4Ps and non-4Ps members.
Private organizations such as IDEALs, First Community Cooperative (FICCO), and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Kitaotao, through the Local Civil Registrar, also supported the caravan.
This marked the second free IP birth registration caravan, following last year’s successful rollout with the same development partners in Kitaotao. It seeks to resolve the longstanding issue of birth registration among IP communities in Bukidnon, particularly in Kitaotao, where many families reside.
The health workers from Barangay Sagundanon collaborated with the Local Health Unit of Kitaotao to distribute vitamins to pregnant beneficiaries, promoting better maternal health in the community.
More than 100 4Ps beneficiaries accessed the free services offered. Among them was Alma Rodriguez Kinita, a 4Ps beneficiary from the Matigsalog Tribe, who expressed gratitude for the services.
“Dako kaayong tabang kini kay kung magpa-eskwela ka, kinahanglan man ang registration sa among matag bata,” Kinita said, emphasizing the importance of birth registration for mothers enrolling their children in school.
The PSA also facilitated the registration of IP residents for the National Identification System, prioritizing 4Ps beneficiaries whose household members still lacked a national ID.
Meanwhile, 4Ps workers took the opportunity to update household data and enroll pregnant women and young children aged 0 to 2 in the First 1,000 Days (F1KD) campaign. (DSWD-10/PIA 10-Bukidnon)
