The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) formally launched in the CALABARZON Region the new brand name for its targeting system during the Department’s 63^rd Anniversary celebration of the Field Office IV-A last February 12, 2014 in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

From the original name of the targeting system – National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction or NHTS-PR, the said system will now be referred to as LISTAHANAN, Talaan ng Pamilyang Nangangailangan.

“Minabuti ng kagawaran na baguhin ang pangalan para mas madaling maalala ang sistemang ito at ang iba’t ibang proseso na ginagawa dito.  LISTAHANAN kasi mas madaling maalala, mas malapit sa karanasan ng mga mahihirap na mamamayan, mas malinaw ang nais mahantungan,” explained Mylah S. Gatchalian, deputy project manager of Listahanan for DSWD Field Office IV-A.

House Representative for the 3^rd District of Laguna, Mirasol C. Aragones who is the guest of honor for the anniversary celebration, acknowledged the purpose and objective of Listahanan.

“Maganda ang layunin ng Listahanan dahil dito mas matutukoy ang mga nangangailangan at mas masisiguro na magagamit ang pondo sa tama,” Congw Aragones said.

Congw Aragones also signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Field Office formalizing her request for a copy of the database of poor families which she intend to use in her different programs and services in her district.  The Provincial Government of Batangas, represented by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Ms Jocelyn R. Montalbo also signed a MOA for their own request for a database of poor families during the anniversary celebration.

Also, the Department awarded during the activity the Listahanan database of poor families to 10 other local government units (LGUs) who made their respective requests earlier.  The said LGUs are the municipalities of Jala-Jala and Angono, (Rizal Province); Famy, Siniloan, Pagsanjan and Mabitac (Laguna); Balete (Batangas); Sariaya, Sampaloc and Unisan (Quezon).

Incidentally, the Department has targeted within 2014 the conduct of the second round of household assessment nationwide in order to update the masterlist of poor families.  Thus, the Field Office will once again be hiring enumerators, area supervisors, area coordinators and encoders for the household assessment to be conducted in the Region.

An official announcement on this will be made by the Department.***