Playa del Carmen Program Provides Free Birth Certificates to Los Pájaros Residents

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Around 100 residents of the Los Pajaros community received free birth certificates and access to medical services as part of the municipal government’s “Tu identidad sin tanto choro” program, aimed at reducing registration backlogs and ensuring the right to identity.

Mayor Estefanía Mercado led the event, which also offered medical, dental, psychological, and nutrition consultations, eye exams, physical therapy sessions, and haircuts. Service modules from the National Electoral Institute (INE), Religious Affairs, the Comprehensive Protection System for Children and Adolescents (Sipinna), and the Migrant Attention Unit were set up to streamline procedures. The civil association Salud y Bienestar por Quintana Roo also participated.

“Identity is a right, not a privilege. The goal of this program is that no one has to travel long distances or face complicated procedures to obtain a document as important as their birth certificate. In this government, we are eliminating barriers and bringing solutions directly to the people,” Mercado said.

The mayor emphasized that the program is part of a public policy aimed at building a close, humane, and efficient government that simplifies procedures and strengthens legal certainty for families.

During the event, Mercado and Municipal Secretary General Luis Herrera Quiam served as witnesses for the civil weddings of William Bacab and Erika Cocom, as well as Jesús Martínez and Carmela Velasco, who formalized their unions before the Civil Registry.

Civil Registry Director Luz Marinelly Carrillo noted that these events help reduce the backlog in legal identity services and bring registry services to historically underserved communities.