THE Community and Family Services International (CFSI), in partnership with the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), commenced a research project to validate the status of Sama Bajaus in Zamboanga City.
Acting City Mayor Cesar Iturralde said the project, dubbed as Sama Bajau Protection Project (SBPP), is focused in two areas: Arena Blanco village and the Buggoc Transitory Site in the village of Sta. Catalina.
Iturralde said the research project started August 15 and is expected to complete on December 31 while the series of Focus Group Discussions will start on the second week of this month.
He said the project is in line with the 2015 National Action Plan to end statelessness developed by the Philippine Government and based on the UNHCR’s Global Action Plan to end statelessness.
He said the project’s action points include resolve existing situation of statelessness, no child is born stateless, remove gender discrimination, ensure birth registration for the prevention of statelessness, accede to UN stateliness convention and improve quantitative and qualitative data on stateless population.
Based on studies, the Sama Bajaus are among the groups of populations that are considered at risk of statelessness in the Philippine context.