(05/27/13) As part of the monitoring and reporting process, the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction BaSulTa region has conducted its post validation assessment cum stakeholder forum for the province of Sulu on May 23, 2013 at Jolo Area Coordination Center.

The activity aimed to communicate the validation results and status of data to project stakeholders and provide them opportunity to share vital information that has significant contributions to project monitoring, reporting and planning.

The one-day forum was participated by NGAs of BaSulTa such as the DILG, DTI, DOLE, DOST, Sulu Area Coordinating Center, Sulu PPDO, MSWOs and MPDCs of different municipalities in Sulu.

Among the issues and concerns brought out by the participants were the manipulation of LGUs in the assessment and validation process of the project, misconception that NHTS data are similar of that DOH and DepEd and the promising notion of the project that when a certain household is included in the list, that household will automatically be beneficiaries of social protection programs of the government like Philhealth and Pantawid Pamilya.

During the forum, NHTS-PR Focal Person Mr. Hasan B. Alfad emphasized that complaints regarding LGU manipulation of the list should be addressed directly to the Region IX Targeting Unit for appropriate action. Also he stressed out that NHTS-PR does not promise direct provision of social protection programs to poor households but it helps organization and agencies with social protection program identify beneficiaries accurately so that government resources are given to the people who need it the most.

National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) is an information management system implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to identify who and where the poor are in the country. (#LMSM)

(05/24/13) The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region IX launched the Regional Profile of Poor Households on May 24, 2013 at Astoria Hotel, Zamboanga City.

DSWD-IX Assistant Regional Director Consejo Usman’s unveiling of the life-sized copy of the “Regional Profile of the Poor” highlighted the event. The regional profile features statistical data describing the condition of the 369,293 poor households in Zamboanga. These households were identified through DSWD’s National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), which conducted its nationwide household assessment in 2009. From the 10.9 million households assessed, 5.2 million have been distinguished as poor.

“The NHTS-PR uses 34 observable and verifiable variables in the process of household assessment. These will then undergo the Proxy Means Test (PMT) which estimates the household income using the indicators such as the housing conditions, occupation, education, family members and the likes.” said ARD Usman as she explained how the project ensures objectivity in identifying the poor who will be beneficiaries of the social protection programs.

The NHTS-PR database of poor households currently serves as basis for selecting beneficiaries of anti-poverty programs and services of the government such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Sustainable Livelihood, Social Pension, and the Philhealth Indigent Program. “Use of this database is not limited to government agencies”, stated ARD Usman, as she encouraged non-government organizations (NGOs) and local government units (LGUs) to secure a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the department and use the database for the benefit of the poor.

Following the press conference, DSWD-IX premiered “TATSULO: Stories of Hope”, a documentary film directed by Zamboanga-based indie filmmaker Zurich Chan. The documentary features the life stories of the poor households who have become beneficiaries of DSWD’s core anti-poverty programs: Pantawid Pamilya, KALAHI-CIDSS and Sustainable Livelihood.

NHTS-PR is an information management system that identifies who and where the poor are. This makes available to national government agencies and other social protection stakeholders a pioneer database consisting of a comprehensive organization of information about poor households nationwide. The project is expected to update its database in 2014. (#LMSM)

March 8, 2013/ZC– DSWD IX Asst. Regional Director Riduan Hadjimuddin confirmed that coordination with concerned agencies is underway to ensure efforts are organized and synchronized in anticipation of the massive deportation of Filipinos from Sabah.

As a result of a meeting with ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman last Tuesday , DSWD IX committed to provide manpower and fund support to the ARMM Region. Todate, DSWD has transferred the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Pesos as augmentation support to DSWD ARMM . A team of social workers well-versed with the local dialects of Sulu and Tawi-tawi was organized and ready to go in case reinforcements are requested by the ARMM Provincial Social Welfare Offices (PSWO).

Ms. Hania Aliakbar, Social Welfare Head of Tawi-tawi, revealed that schools were identified as evacuation centers considering the availability of facilities such as comfort rooms. Systems that will help facilitate smoothly the transfer and processing of the deportees such as the “Task Force Tabang’ are already in place through the initiative of Governor Hataman and his cabinet members.

Gov. Hataman said that with the crisis in Sabah, the pooling of resources and efforts by the public and private organizations is a priority. (nzb)