Now on its month-long run of family assessment, the Listahanan, or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), of the Department of Social Welfare and Development reports completion of 52% of assessed households in the region.
This equates to a total of 127,495 households out of the target 244, 181 households regionwide.
Listahanan field staff reports family assessment completion per province as: 47.35% in Abra, 61.02% in Apayao, 54.15% in Benguet, 40.75% in Ifugao, 46.86% in Kalinga, and 70.77% in Mt. Province.
However, emergence of boundary conflicts in the region has been reported to slow down the assessment. These conflicts range from inter-barangay to inter-regional as reported by the Listahanan field staff.
“What we encountered is that some people were claiming to be part of the neighboring barangay/municipality because they felt they are neglected by their own local government unit and that they receive more services from the neighboring barangay/municipality,” one of the Listahanan Area Supervisor said.
This incident is also being supported in a study entitled “Towards a Community-based Gender-Responsive, Rights-based and Integrated Reproductive Health Program in Mt. Province” of the Philippine Health and Social Science Association CAR Chapter in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund.
Same sentiments were echoed in some areas in Paracelis, Mt. Province, Conner, Apayao, and Lagawe, Ifugao.
Project Development Officer Euberto B. Gregorio of the National Household Targeting System clarified that because the aim of the Listahanan is to identify who and where the poor are in the country, the Listahanan adheres to the Philippine Standard Geographical Code of the Philippine Statistical Authority, hence, the location of the housing unit will be followed.
“We follow the given political boundaries and not the “emotional boundaries” as seen when people still identify themselves with other barangays aside from where they are located,” Gregorio said.
Meanwhile, DSWD-CAR Regional Director Janet P. Armas asked the public to answer truthfully and completely the questions during the assessment and that the interview should be done with an adult within the household to ensure integrity of the gathered data.
“This assessment is only held every four years as stated in the Executive Order 867 series of 2010; hence, we ask the participation of the general public by answering accurately the questions in family assessment form to guarantee the integrity of the Listahanan database,” Armas said.# DSWD-CAR, Social Marketing Unit, Kaye Ann O. Mapalo
