DSWD-7 profiles more than 600k poor families in Central Visayas

DSWD-7’s Listahanan head Hilton John Edrial. CDN Digital photo | Futch Anthony Inso

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) has already assessed 1,012,513 families in Central Visayas of which 650,591 are considered poor based on their ongoing Listahanan 3 or the National Targeted Household System (NTHS).

DSWD-7’s Listahanan head Hilton John Edrial said that these families are now being validated.

Listahanan or NTHS is a program of the agency, which identifies poor families that are in need of government aid.

Under the validation phase of the program, Edrial said that names that were included in the list were posted at the barangay, wherein the agency will scrutinize complaints and grievances that they will receive.

“Sagad sa mga reklamo mao nga nganong wala maapil ilang pangan diha sa lista. Nganong wala sila maapil sa survey, unya ang uban moreklamo nga nganong naapil ang pangan sa ilang silingan diha nga dili mana sila pobre,” Edrial said.

Edrial revealed that currently, their office has already received 194,895 grievances.

The agency is targeting to finish the validation phase of the program by June. They are also targeting to issue the final list of poor families within the second semester of this year.

Edrial, however, clarified that the Listahanan 3 will not be made available to the public.

He said that local government units (LGUs) and other national agencies who wish to have a copy of the Listahanan 3, will need to undergo a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the agency.   /rcg