The Safer River Life Saver Foundation Incorporated entered into an agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the use of the government’s data that shows who and where the poor are in the Region.
The data is generated through Listahanan, a targeting system currently used by DSWD and several social protection and social welfare providers to help them course their resources to the right beneficiaries.
Listahanan aims to address poverty reduction through a scientific and target-focused strategy and further ensures implementers that the benefits of their programs and services go to those who are qualified.
Utilization of the Listahanan or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) data is not only limited to National Government Agencies and Local Government Units. In fact, Civil Society Organizations , Private Organizations and Academe are encouraged to make use of this information management system .
The Safer River Life Saver Foundation Incorporated focuses on educating the people living along the riverbanks about the importance of the river to the growth of the city and the role it plays to sustain the development of the community. One noteworthy accomplishment of this organization is that, it has transformed the mentality and outlook of the very people who once contributed to polluting the riverbanks to that of becoming the river’s most -valued stewards and guardians.
Apart from this vision, the Safer River Life Saver Foundation has not limited its concern and advocacy to environmental protection but has even extended their social responsibility to the communities in the riverbanks. When the opportunity was laid to them to engage with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the utilization of the Listahanan database,they took the opportunity along with their commitment, to utilize the Listahanan data in identifying their beneficiaries in their target communities for their various programs and services which includes, provision of toilet facilities, feeding programs, conduct of skills trainings, provision of seed capital, literacy programs among others.
With the approved and signed Memorandum of Agreement from the Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the NGO was able to utilize the Listahanan data in 2013.
To date,the organization has been mobilizing 6,211 volunteers who have been actively involved in their various income-generating and environment-friendly programs and services.
The Safer River Life Saver Foundation is only one of the many Civil Society Organizations in Northern Mindanao who have heed the call of the government to work hand in hand for the best interest of the majority.
Written by Mitzie S. Santiago,DSWD