Mindanao – One of the variables added in the Household Assessment Form (HAF) which was used during the conduct of the second round assessment of Listahanan, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s information management system in the identification of poor households in the country, was the variable asking for any member of the household with a certain type of disability.

Results showed that out of the 485,539 identified poor households in the region,  25,949 individuals or 1.04% have certain types of disability which includes hearing and visual impairments, mental disabilities, speech impairments, physical disabilities, and some even having  one or more  disabilities.  This also includes children with special needs such as those with cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, among others.

Regional Director Nestor Ramos said that with this data on hand, it would be easier for Civil Society Organizations ,Non-Government organizations, People’s Organizations and Partner Agencies who have social protection programs and services focused for Persons and children  With Disabilities to identify and target who needs their services the most, provided that they enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department .

Listahanan’s comprehensive database will serve as basis for selecting beneficiaries for social protection programs and services in the country. Results from the second round assessment conducted in 2015 identified 485,539 poor households among the 870,198 that were assessed.

The first round assessment was conducted in 2009 where over three hundred thousand households were identified as poor.

Based on the 2009 assessment results, partner agencies like Philhealth, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Education, National Nutrition Council have utilized the data for their major programs and services.

Other Civil Society Organizations including Safer River Life Saver Foundation have also significantly made use of the Listahanan data in identifying their beneficiaries.

Local government units alike which includes the City Government of El Salvador utilized the data for their various locally-initiated  social protection programs.

 

Written by Mitzie Sarballon-Santiago,DSWD