NHTS-PR solves problem on “political indigents” -- Philhealth official

Wednesday 5th of October 2011

KORONADAL CITY, Oct 5 (PIA) -- An official of the Philhealth believes the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) database is an effective tool to prevent social protection benefits from going to the beneficiaries who are not poor.

“Gone are the political indigents,” Philhealth 12 Regional Vice President Ramon Aristoza said during the launching of NHTS-PR database in Soccsksagen region at the Protech Center here. The activity was a highlight of the opening ceremonies of the 22nd Statistics Month celebration.

By political indigents, Aristoza was referring to alleged beneficiaries of pro-poor programs of the government that were only included because they are either related or close to officials identifying list of recipients.

He said, Philhealth, being one of being one of the database’s stakeholders commends the project and encourages the strengthening of its review process in coordination with other partner agencies to avoid duplication and validate true recipients like the Pantawid Pamilya Program and Sponsored Program of PHilhealth

NHTS-PR, a nationwide project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is an information management system that identifies who and where the poor are aimed for the government and civil society to establish objective targeting system and helps reduce inclusion of non poor in social protection.

It is a system that uses a statistical model that estimates income of households using the proxy variables that includes family composition, education of household members, housing conditions and access to basic services.

In March last year, President Benigno Aquino III signed Executive Order 867 directed all national government agencies to use the NHTS-PR as basis in identifying beneficiaries of social protection programs and services.

Jackiya Lao, NHTS-PR focal person ng NHTS-PR DSWD 12, in an earlier interview said with the NHTS-PR database social protection programs and projects are downloaded to the implementing agencies with a list of specific recipients.

Aristoza said NHTS-PR is the best statistical tool the national government should pursue in attaining the theme of the 22nd National Statistics Month celebration, “Quality Social Protection Statistics for Focused Targeting: Improving Outcomes, Changing Lives. ”

“As professionals in the social protection sector, we have long been in the business of helping the poor and the disadvantaged. As to what extent we have served, we can give you numbers of people served and how much was spent. But as to how much, have made into their lives, we cannot give you quantifiable figures,” DSWD XII Regional Director Bai Zorahayda T. Taha said.

She added the public is assured that the database can be corrected over time to ensure that those listed as poor households are in reality indigents.

Possible errors in data gathering may happen but the project has instituted a validation mechanism to address the problem, she said.

“Since our core social protection programs utilize this database the DSWD in collaboration with other agencies, we can work together to create synergetic efforts towards social protection for the poor,” Taha said.

According to the NHTS database Region 12 has 129,043 indigent households.

Region 12 or Soccsksargen Region covers the provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato. (PIA 12/Philhealth 12)