Northern Mindanao- As of October this year, a total of seventy-eight Local Government Units covering the 5 provinces and nine cities in the region have engaged with the Department of Social Welfare and Development through a Memorandum of Agreement relative to the utilization of the Listahanan/NHTS-PR data (National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction(NHTS-PR) .

Listahanan or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) is an information management system that the government uses in identifying who and where the poor are and is being spearheaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. It aims to address poverty reduction through a scientific and target- focused strategy.

With the increasing number of data users, more programs and services are assured to benefit those who need them the most.

Aside from the Local Government Units, nine Civil Society organizations (CSOs) have been added to the growing list of groups who wanted to advocate and help reduce the problem of poverty.

As Regional Director stressed during the recently conducted Listahanan Advocacy Summit, the Department cannot do it all alone without the support , participation and involvement of these organizations who are willing to impart their programs and services to the identified poor households in the region.

These Civil Society Organizations have specific programs and services for the disadvantaged and vulnerable sectors in society.

For most of these partner organizations , the Listahanan data paved the way for them to have a focused group of individuals and families who are worthy to be recipients of their programs and services.

It is hoped that with the target-focused Listahanan data, more lives,more families will be motivated to help uplift their lives and state from that of being able to survive to that of becoming sufficient on their own.

Written by Mitzie S. Santiago, DSWD