The Muntinlupa City government is aiming to achieve 100 percent birth registration among Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) learners. 

This sets the city on course to become one of the first in the country to close the gap on unregistered children through its Free Birth Registration Program.

“Kapag walang birth certificate, parang hindi ka umiiral sa mata ng lipunan. Hindi ka makapag-enroll, hindi makakuha ng scholarship, hindi makagamit ng serbisyo. Kaya sinisiguro natin: lahat ng batang Muntinlupeño, rehistrado — dahil ang batang rehistrado, kinabukasan sigurado (Without a birth certificate, it’s like you don’t exist in the eyes of society. You can’t enroll, you can’t get a scholarship, you can’t use services. That’s why we ensure: all Muntinlupeño children, registered — because a registered child has secured future),” said Mayor Ruffy Biazon. 

The program, launched under the “Batang Rehistrado, Kinabukasan Sigurado” campaign, guarantees that all ECCD learners without birth certificates will receive one for free, with the city government shouldering all costs. 

In partnership with the Civil Registry Office and ECCD centers, the initiative aims to eliminate all late registration backlogs by year’s end.

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon with officials at the Free Birth Registration Program (Photo from Muntinlupa PIO)

This year, there are more than 100 unregistered ECCD learners in Muntinlupa. 

Muntinlupa passed an ordinance granting free late birth registration for children aged five and below from indigent families. 

For those aged six to 17, the city is providing a two-year window to avail of the same service for free, a move designed to encourage families to complete the process promptly while support from the city government is available.

Complementing these efforts is a proposed measure requiring all birthing institutions in Muntinlupa to facilitate the registration of newborns delivered in their facilities. 

If parents fail to register their child within a prescribed period, the birthing institution will be mandated to do so in the mother’s name, ensuring that no newborn leaves the facility without a legal identity.

“When a child is registered, that’s a declaration that the government sees them — that they matter. And as long as I am mayor, no child in Muntinlupa will grow up unseen,” said the mayor.