DSWD: ‘Listahanan’ poverty database program to end this year

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced on Tuesday that its “Listahanan” poverty database program will end this year to give way for the full implementation of the Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS) starting in 2024.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian made the announcement during the Committee on Appointments (CA) panel meeting, a few hours before he was confirmed by the CA plenary.

“The beauty about next year is the CBMS law that Congress passed.  Listahanan will end its life this year.  We will no longer be creating another Listahanan. So with CBMS being the main driver for a database, LGUs [local government units] will be empowered to make it more responsive,” Gatchalian said.

According to the DSWD, “Listahanan” is a poverty database that identifies poor families and their locations.

The department said it was created as a primary reference for the identification of possible beneficiaries of social protection programs and services.

Under the Republic Act No. 11315 or the CBMS Act, the creation of a database will be the responsibility of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). 

In compliance with this provision, the DSWD will no longer be creating another “Listahanan” database in support of the full implementation of the CBMS law by 2024.

“Listahanan is not responsive as naging kongkreto na yung bahay, nasa Listahanan pa din. Humirap na yung tao pero wala pa din sa listahan [Listahanan is not responsive as some people are already able to build concrete houses but they're still on the list, while other people who have become poor are still not included in the list],” Gatchalian said.

Meanwhile, Camarines Sur District Representative Luis Raymund Villafuerte called on the DSWD to carefully study the list of beneficiaries, such as the list of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Villafuerte recommended that the department should entrust to LGUs the pay-outs of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) since the department lacks the manpower.

In response, Gatchalian agreed to the recommendation, saying that the DSWD looks at the LGUs as partners in development. 

The DSWD secretary said the MOA for partnership has already been forwarded by the department for the information of the LGUs.

He added that the department will continue to work with the LGUs to “more efficiently respond to the social welfare and developmental needs of the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized sectors.” — BM, GMA Integrated News