The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) PhilSys Identification System (PhilSys) in Guimaras Provincial Statistical Office (GPSO) enlisted more unregistered Indigenous Peoples (IPs) this year, which accumulated 373 registrants since the IPs registration started in 2022.
“This year, 61 IPs aged five (5) years old and over, were added to the 312 IP registrants in 2022,” Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare said.
“The PhilSys Operation for IP communities in Guimaras was made possible through the strong support of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) head in Guimaras, Lucia Z. Tahan,” Losare added.
Losare cited that PhilSys Guimaras conducted a mobile registration in Sitio Kati-Kati, San Miguel, Jordan, on October 10, 2023, and in Sitio Serum, Brgy. San Nicolas on October 28, 2023.
NCIP Regional OIC Aldren L. Dalisay also graced the event and expressed his appreciation to PSA for their overwhelming services provided to the IP communities in Guimaras.
Losare also expounded that the PSA, through the leadership of Undersecretary Dennis S. Mapa, National Statistician (NS) and Civil Registrar General, has partnered with NCIP to ensure the inclusion of indigenous communities in the PhilSys.
Usec. Mapa led the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the NCIP to make the PhilSys registration easily accessible to indigenous communities through mobile registration sites.
Losare also highlighted that since the inception of the MOA, NS Mapa is looking forward to PhilSys establishing a sustainable and inclusive identification system for all Filipinos, especially for the vulnerable sectors of society.
“As NS Mapa extended his utmost appreciation to NCIP for their support to PhilSys and their commitment to uplift indigenous communities nationwide, we in the province of Guimaras also guaranteed that through this partnership with NCIP, we will be able to list more members of IPs,” Losare said.
“Likewise, we can assure that through registering at PhilSys, we will be able to help them boost their access to social welfare, financial, security, education, health, and other government programs and services,” Losare added.
