DAVAO CITY –The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), conducts an intensive counter-checking of lists of Pablo-affected families, which will serve as baseline of social protection programs intended for ‘Pablo’ survivors.

It is evident that there is an increase in the number of families receiving assistance because of the list. Despite some problems encountered, DSWD continues to diligently work for a unified, functional and transparent list through the administration of the Disaster Assistance Family Access Card (DAFAC).

National Household Targeting Unit (NHTU) Regional Focal Person Dahlia S. Padillo stated that the clean list will serve as reference in selecting beneficiaries for social protection programs such as the Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA), which will provide repair kits to those with partially-damaged houses and a permanent shelter for those with totally-damaged houses.

“We would like to emphasize that the program will prioritize those typhoon Pablo survivors who have not received any assistance yet. The Local Government Units will set the criteria for the selection of beneficiaries. But, just to clarify, those households who are already benefiting from other social protection programs will not be delisted from the original  masterlist,” she added.

DSWD also cross-matches the names specified in the list provided by the LGU with those enrolled in DAFAC to ensure that the assistance that DSWD provides really goes to the right families.

“We have consistent coordination with the municipal and provincial units regarding families affected by the typhoon. But for the ESA, we will prioritize areas that were badly devastated. We will also prepare the final list of affected areas to facilitate provision of assistance,” stressed NHTU Regional Field Coordinator Elvie G. Bahinting.

The DSWD, through the NHTS-PR, will continue to provide transparent, complete and accurate data, not only of families internally-displaced due to Typhoon Pablo, but of the poor households who deserve Government assistance.