Ex-MILF combatants issued birth certificates

From the Philippine Star (May 1, 2023): Ex-MILF combatants issued birth certificates (By Rainier Allan Ronda)

MANILA, Philippines — Former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are being issued certificates of live birth through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU)’s access to legal identity and social services for decommissioned combatants or ALIAS-DC program.

Under the program, former MILF fighters can now use their names and drop their aliases to avail themselves of the government programs.

The program aims to resolve legal identity issues faced by former MILF members as well as facilitate their applications for birth certificates, which is a basic requirement for government recognition and provision of services.

It is being implemented by the Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS) program, and funded by the Australian embassy, European Union, Japan and The Asia Foundation.

The ALIAS-DC will be rolled out in six MILF-acknowledged camps in Lanao, Maguindanao and Cotabato provinces.

It is among the commitments made by the government under the normalization track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

The OPAPRU and the MILF are providing oversight to the civil registration project through the Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants and their Communities (TFDCC) in coordination with the Joint Task Forces on Camp Transformation.

The government and the MILF, through the TFDCC, will provide directions to the interventions being carried out under the ALIAS-DC.

Ten months after the project’s launch, the IDEALS was able to accommodate 35,665 civil registration applications, which is 112 percent of its 31,715 target.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/05/01/2262947/ex-milf-combatants-issued-birth-certificates