Oldest PBRAP beneficiary is 99 years old

Emiliano Radasa Abenir, 99 years old and a resident of barangay Sua, San Juan Town, is the oldest Southern Leyteño recipient of the Philsys Birth Registration Assistance Project (PBRAP), through which he was registered and awarded his Certificate of Live Birth (COLB) last February 28, 2023 at his residence.
As shown in his COLB, Abenir was born on February 15, 1924, with no children and a widower. A nonagenarian awardee, Abenir is living alone, and is beng taken care of by one of his siblings’ grandchildren who is living nearby. He finished Grade 1 and has worked as a farmer all his life.
It was his caretaker who ensured that Abenir will be listed in PBRAP, knowing that the latter has no birth certificate. When asked why register his grandfather’s birth only now, he and his relatives answered, “We need to register his birth so that he can avail himself of whatever help or social benefits and other services given by the DSWD and other government agencies to senior citizens.”
Currently, Lolo Abenir’s only identification documents are a voter’s ID and a barangay certification. With some tone of gratitude, he said “At my current age, I consider every day a gift from God and I hope I will reach my centenarian year.” He appreciated the government’s efforts, particularly PBRAP, in helping the senior citizens because many of them do not have birth certificates and they can now register their births for free.
Abenir’s registration was done by PSA Southern Leyte Provincial Statistical Office together with the Local Registry Office of San Juan.
PBRAP was implemented by PSA in February 2022 to ensure that all births of Filipinos are registered in the LCROs and that they will be enrolled in the Philippine Identification System. This project aims to strengthen the birth registration in the country and accomplish the enormous goal of ensuring that all births of Filipinos are registered especially the marginalized sectors belonging to the Indigenous People, Muslim Filipinos, other Filipinos belonging to marginalized communities and the poorest sectors of the country. By establishing their legal identity through registering births and having the Philsys ID, they can avail various social benefits from the private and government institutions.