THE DAVAO City Civil Registrar’s Office (CRO) has intensified its School Civil Registration Program, which trains non-teaching staff in far-flung schools on the function of a school civil registration agent.
The chosen school personnel are given a two-day intensive training on assisting unregistered schoolchildren in rural areas.
A school agent may assist parents in the registration, legitimation, corrections/updates in the registry, and other services, which they will then relay to the nearest CRO satellite office for formal action.
“Nag-train ta og mga teachers sa nagkalaing-laing public schools, labi na sa lagyo na lugar. Ato silang gi-train sa civil registration functions, mga services (We have trained teachers from various public schools, especially in far-flung areas. We trained them in civil registration functions, services),” said CRO Birth Division Head Shirley Arendain during the Madayaw Davao program aired over the Davao City Disaster Radio on Tuesday.
The CRO chose non-teaching staff in far-flung schools who are not responsible for day-to-day classes to avoid disrupting the student’s education. They will receive an allowance from the local government for the additional duties.
They also undergo annual enhancement training as well as a yearend evaluation.
“Gi-apil pud nato ang mga na sa bukid na ALS teachers kay nakita nato na mas epektibo gyud sila. Naga-ikot gyud sila sa mga lagyo na lugar, unya possible gyud kaayo na didto na lugar daghan ang mga wala na-rehistro, mga walay birth certificates (We also included teachers in the uplands within the Alternative Learning System because we saw how effective they really are. They go around the most far-flung places where it is possible many individuals remain unregistered, without birth certificates),” she said.
Arendain said the school-based registration program had shown good results as parents of unregistered children who are not inclined to visit CRO satellite offices and are uncomfortable talking to CRO personnel are much more open to discussion with teachers with whom they have established rapport and trust.
“Makita nato na epektibo gyud sila kay sa ilang lugar, didto na ang mga ginikanan direct mu-approach sa ilaha. Labi na tong layo diri sa atoang opisina (We saw that they are really effective because in their area, parents go directly to them. Especially those far from our office).”
Most unregistered school children in far-flung barangays are usually in their early years of primary education, Arendain added.
This suggests the city’s median age of unregistered individuals is getting younger. The CRO has deployed around 39 school civil registration agents and plans to train more individuals in the immediate future.
