LUNA, Apayao – For yApayaos, obtaining civil registration documents, such as birth certificates, often means an exhausting two-hour journey to Tuguegarao City in neighboring Cagayan. That could soon change.
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa visited Apayao on December 3 to inspect the proposed site of a new PSA office in San Gregorio, Luna. Once operational, this facility will serve yApayaos and will likewise ease the burden of neighboring municipalities in Cagayan.
“Magbubukas kami ng civil registration dito sa Apayao. Kailangan natin ng ganito dito sa probinsiya para ma-serve natin yung mga nangangailangan at para hindi na rin lumayo pa at pumuntang Cagayan,” Mapa said.
Set for construction in the second quarter of 2025, the building will house a Civil Registration Services Outlet capable of issuing birth certificates and other documents on-site.
This project is expected to benefit not just the yApayaos but also eight municipalities in Cagayan that are geographically closer to Luna than Tuguegarao. According to PSA Apayao Chief Statistical Specialist Geoffrey Calimuhayan, the shorter travel time will make a tangible difference for many.
“Actually eight municipalities of Cagayan will also benefit kapag nagkaroon tayo ng outlet dito sa Apayao. Yung pinakamalapit na outlet, sa Tuguegarao pa. Malayo pa ang byahe kapag pupunta doon so this can also attract even non-residents of Apayao kasi pwedeng-pwede naman iyon,” Calimuhayan said.
This development has been made possible through the support of the municipal government of Luna, which donated the lot for the facility.
Luna Mayor Josephine Bangsil said that the municipal government donated the land expecting that the PSA will bring its services closer to the people. “Kapag dinala na ng PSA ang iba’t ibang serbisyo nila dito sa Luna, hindi na mahihirapan ang ating mga kababayan,” said Bangsil.
Mapa, on the other hand, who pledged to return for the groundbreaking ceremony, expressed confidence in the project’s timeline. “I just came here to check and make sure na things will run smoothly. Ang target natin for the construction is around second quarter of 2025,” he said.
For yApayaos, the opening of this new PSA outlet will mean fewer hours on the road and more time for what matters most – spending their day productively instead of lining up in distant offices. By Jess Christley Marquez
