On June 16, 2025, Japan Ambassador Endo Kazuya, alongside Tawi-Tawi Governor Yshmael Sali, Bangsamoro Minister for Social Services and Development Raissa Jajurie, and UNHCR Philippines Officer-in-Charge Atty. Lindsey Atienza, participated in a handover ceremony for “The Project for Promoting Digital Birth Registration of Populations at Risk of Statelessness in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)” in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.
This initiative, backed by a JPY 858 million (approximately USD 5.5 million) grant from the Japanese government, aims to enhance birth registration services for marginalized populations in BARMM.
The project targets 50 communities across Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, benefiting approximately 130,000 unregistered individuals, with an additional 800,000 indirectly benefiting over the next decade.
As part of the project, the Japanese government provided vehicles, including a motorboat, and advocacy kits to facilitate mobile birth registration activities and raise awareness about the importance of birth registration.
Additionally, computer servers were supplied to improve the efficiency of registration processes.
