The Department of Health (DOH) is a national government agency responsible for ensuring access to basic health services of all Filipinos, especially those among the marginalized sectors.

With the help non-government organizations (NGOs) and local government units (LGUs), DOH instituted a national health program that provides an integrated health service to poor senior citizens identified in the Listahanan database.

Listahanan or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) is project implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. It is an information management system that aims to establish a database of poor families that will become beneficiaries of anti-poverty programs.

DOH executed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DSWD on Listahanan data utilization last Nov. 16, 2011. This agreement paved the way for the former to come up with programs and services addressing the specific health and medical needs of senior citizens, persons with disabilities and other indigents in Northern Mindanao.

With the list of poor, the DOH was able to identify and provide free vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal diseases to indigent senior citizens in Region 10. This DOH initiative is consistent with the health provisions under RA 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act.

Through Listahanan, DOH was also able to obtain data on persons with disabilities (PWDs) which will be utilized as its basis for formulating plans, programs, and services for them. ### (written by Mitzie S. Santiago, DSWD Field Office X)