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| The inter-agency task force of Dong Nai province, in coordination with the People's Committee of Bao Vinh ward, organized the handover of a birth certificate to Mr. Nguyen Minh Ton. Photo: Contributor. |
In Dong Nai city, a meaningful program has been implemented to support this group of residents in completing their civil registration documents, helping them obtain true citizenship rights. Among these late-issued birth certificates are stories of joy, tears, and deeply moving life experiences...
He only received his birth certificate at the age of 77.
One day in early May 2026, we, along with local officials, visited the family of Mr. Nguyen Minh Ton in Ruong Hoi neighborhood, Bao Vinh ward. The small house, nestled deep in an alley, was the most valuable asset that the couple had painstakingly saved up for many years.
At 77, with his hair and beard turning white and his voice slowing, Mr. Ton's eyes still shone with emotion as he held his birth certificate, issued more than a month ago. Though small in size, the document was incredibly precious to him, as it proved his presence in legal life after nearly eight decades.
Born in a poor rural area of Thanh Hoa province, Mr. Ton's childhood was marked by hardship. At the age of 18, he volunteered for military service, serving in Battalion 4, Regiment 2, Division 9, and fighting in the battlefields of Southern Vietnam until the country's reunification. Afterward, he continued his military service until his discharge in 1989.
Returning to his hometown after years in the military, he found his parents had passed away, and he lived with his younger brother's family. Seeing how difficult his brother's life was, in 1997, Mr. Ton decided to leave his hometown and move south, beginning his journey to make a living in a foreign land. From the forests of Ma Da and Tri An to the Cay Gao and Trang Bom areas, he experienced and worked various jobs to earn a living.
In 2000, due to old age and declining health, Mr. Ton switched to selling lottery tickets. That was also when he chose Bao Vinh to settle down for the rest of his life. There, he met Ms. Vo Thi Loc; two people sharing similar lonely circumstances, they relied on each other and have lived together as husband and wife ever since, even though they have never officially registered their marriage.
What made Mr. Ton's life even more difficult was that all his personal documents were lost during his years of wandering. Without documents, he couldn't exercise his basic rights as a citizen, such as completing administrative procedures or purchasing health insurance in his old age and infirmity. "I want a health insurance card so that if I get sick, the treatment costs will be reduced, but without the documents, I can't get one..." Mr. Ton said sadly.
Over the past period, Mr. Ton has repeatedly contacted local authorities for assistance in obtaining documents. However, due to the lack of any relevant records, verifying his identity has become almost impossible. According to Ms. Pham Thi Oanh, a civil servant in the Bao Vinh ward's judicial and civil registration office, the locality has received cases like Mr. Nguyen Minh Ton's in the past. The biggest difficulty is that the people do not have any documents to prove their identity, leading to significant challenges in establishing a legal basis. "We have to record each statement, verify the relevant information, and then compile reports at many meetings to propose solutions to higher authorities. This is very difficult because the information must have sufficient legal basis to issue a birth certificate according to regulations," Ms. Oanh said.
It seemed as though all hope had "closed" for Mr. Ton. However, a turning point came when the inter-agency task force of Dong Nai (led by the Department of Justice) directly visited the locality to review the records. After many steps of cross-referencing and verifying information from personal details, place of residence, and related data, Mr. Ton was officially issued a birth certificate.
Having his birth certificate, Mr. Ton is contacting relevant authorities for guidance on obtaining related documents such as a citizen identification card, permanent residence registration, and completing the health insurance application... These things may seem ordinary to many, but for Mr. Ton, they are very important, representing a "new beginning" in his twilight years.
In the first quarter of 2026, the inter-agency task force of Dong Nai reviewed 31 dossiers transferred from local authorities. Upon review, 3 cases of elderly individuals were deemed eligible for immediate issuance of birth certificates. The program will continue to receive attention in the future, aiming to provide more support to vulnerable population groups, helping them complete their civil registration documents and ensuring their legitimate rights as citizens.
Precious from birth certificate to late certificate
According to Deputy Director of the Department of Justice Nguyen Trong Tri, resolving civil registration issues for vulnerable groups is a particularly humane task, but by no means simple. The target groups being reviewed mainly include homeless people, abandoned children living in social assistance facilities, and elderly people without identification documents. Based on this, the People's Committee of Dong Nai City has issued a plan to review, verify, and issue civil registration documents to eligible cases.
Accordingly, an inter-agency task force (comprising representatives from the Department of Justice, the Police, and the health sector) was established to work directly with local authorities at the grassroots level. During this process, the biggest difficulty was that many people did not remember their exact hometown and year of birth; some cases involved intentionally providing false information. Many former localities responded slowly or no longer retained records when sent verification documents. Furthermore, at the commune level, the workload was heavy, and initial information gathering largely depended on village or neighborhood leaders, who lacked in-depth expertise in civil registration, resulting in often incomplete data in submitted records.
"Following the principle of 'wherever the problem lies, we address it directly,' we go directly to the grassroots level to gather information and resolve difficulties for each individual case. This requires perseverance and responsibility," Mr. Tri shared.
According to Mr. Tri, the issuance of civil registration documents is of great importance to each individual and to society as a whole. Having civil registration documents (specifically birth certificates) makes it much easier for people to attend school, receive medical treatment, obtain citizen identification cards, register their residence, and inherit property.
“Identifying issued civil registration documents as the primary source of information is crucial, and every citizen must understand the importance of these documents. Therefore, people need to cooperate with local authorities to provide accurate information, declare truthfully, and safeguard issued civil registration documents. Civil registration events such as births and deaths must be registered promptly. On the part of state agencies, it is necessary to strengthen propaganda efforts to help people understand the importance of civil registration documents, especially those in ethnic minority areas,” Mr. Tri emphasized.
An Nhon - Huong Lan
Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/202605/trao-danh-tinh-cho-nguoi-yeu-the-b43355e/
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