DAVAO CITY – About 300 Persons of Indonesian Descents (PIDs) were finally issued their Indonesian travel documents after several years of staying in Mindanao.
Thanks to the 68-year stronger diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Indonesia that finally recognize the need to give persons of Indonesian descents a nationality.
On Wednesday, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi led the distribution of passports to 300 PIDs at the House of Indonesia in Davao City.
This also came following the successful registration facilitated by the United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees (UNHCR).
One of those issued with an Indonesian passport was 53-year-old Mardi Sarageti, who said he felt more secure having issued his passport.
Mardi Sarageti was born in Balut Island in Davao Occidental and married also a PID in that community. The couple has five children.
The Sarageti family is a resident of Purok Pakiluaso, Barangay Tagin on Balut Island. Mardi is a farmer and a fisherman. He is also a pastor of the Indonesian Congregation of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in the community.
He recalled traveling to Tahoma in Indonesia from Balut Island by a motorboat to study. He finished elementary and high school education. He travelled there using a pass issued by the Immigration Office for entry.
With his passport, Sarageti said he and his family are now documented and would have the chance to visit their relatives in Indonesia.
Marsudi lauded this achievement although it took longer for both countries to do this in 68 years of diplomatic relations.
“Every time we meet with the Philippine government, we always discuss how to solve this issue so I appreciate very much the good cooperation between the Philippines and Indonesia and the United Nations Human Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in making the registration done,” she said.
Marsudi said that out of the 8,745 processed during the registration 2,425 were confirmed Indonesians.
She said it is the basic right of every person to get their status of nationality and today is the first phase of granting PIDs their passports living in Southern Philippines.
The Minister pointed out the importance of having a nationality, saying, stateless people face risks because they do not know who will protect them.
She said that one of the priorities of Indonesia’s foreign policies is the protection of Indonesians living in foreign land just like the Philippine government whose priority is to protect Filipinos living abroad.
Marsudi, however, stressed that the processing of documents for the PIDs was challenging because they have been living in the Philippines for decades. We are happy that there is good cooperation between us and the Philippine government, she said.
She said everybody who lives in the country has to respect the law of the country where they live.
Meriam Faith Palma focal person of the Registration and Confirmation of PIDs in Southern Philippines of the UNHCR said the registration is part of the “I Belong Campaign”.
She said the registration is part of the joint committee of bilateral cooperation of ending issues on statelessness on the part of Indonesia.
The documentation and distribution of passports is a continuing activity and series of education and awareness campaign will be conducted in the different communities populated by PIDs in Mindanao.
After the passport distribution activity, the Foreign Minister paid a courtesy call to President Rodrigo Duterte at the Presidential Guest House in Panacan.
She thanked the President that the process is done. (Digna D. Banzon/PNA)
