The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has accepted the invitation to join the Steering Committee of the Expert Group on Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Statistics (EGRISS) Steering Committee. The EGRISS is a global initiative that aims to improve the quality and comparability of statistics on refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and stateless persons. It is also a multi-stakeholder group mandated by the United Nations Statistical Commission to develop international recommendations, standards, and guidance for improved forced displacement and statelessness statistics. Its mandate includes supporting countries to enhance their collection, production, and dissemination of official statistics on forcibly displaced populations and has recently been expanded to include statelessness.

The PSA's invitation to join the EGRISS Steering Committee is in recognition of its significant contributions to the group's work, particularly in the development of the International Recommendations on Statelessness Statistics (IROSS) and the presentation of Undersecretary Mapa at its side event , Making the Invisible Visible: Developing International Recommendations on Statelessness Statistics (IROSS), during the 54^th Session of the UN Statistical Commission.

The side event featured ongoing initiatives on statistical inclusion. The PSA presented the action plan of the Philippines in addressing the situation of stateless persons.  During the event, presentations from Africa and the Philippines, through PSA’s civil registration and vital statistics system (CRVS), stood out as the best models for statelessness statistics. The presentations showcased their countries'/organizations' best practices. Among the notable initiatives of the Philippines presented are:

• RA 11767 or the Foundling Recognition and Protection Act. The Republic Act provides that a child found in the country or in Philippine embassies, consulates, and territories abroad, is presumed a natural-born Filipino citizen regardless of the status or circumstances of the child’s birth.
• National Action Plan (NAP) to End Statelessness crafted by the Inter-Agency Steering Committee (IASC) as part of a whole-of-government approach to address the impact of statelessness.
• The revision of the Certificate of Foundling into the new Certificate of Live Birth of the Person with No known Parent and inclusion of additional items such as citizenship of the child/foundling and its approximate date of birth to remove that social stigma of the foundling.
 • PhilSys Birth Registration Assistance Project (PBRAP) especially on the five groups of people who are at risk of statelessness.

As an EGRISS Steering Committee member, the PSA will provide important strategic insight to guide the Expert Group moving forward, attend regular meetings, and help identify opportunities to deliver its mandate.  

- Office of the National Statistician – International Cooperation Unit