DSWD assess typhoon-hit areas in Iloilo

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development-Western Visayas (DSWD-6) through its National Household Targeting Office (NHTO) unit is currently conducting a special validation of areas in Iloilo affected by the ‘Hanging Habagat’ or the southwest monsoon last year.

The special validation will cover Iloilo City and the towns of Oton, Dumangas, Janiuay, San Joaquin, Igbaras, Pototan, Zarraga, Leganes, Barotac Nuevo and New Lucena.

A target of 9,827 households were affected by the weather disturbance and enumerators were deployed starting March 7, 2013 in 11 areas including the city and assessment will be completed before the March 29 election ban.

The department had approved the special validation in six regions with an estimated one million affected households by strong winds and rains. The affected areas are Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas and the National Capital Region (NCR).

The validation aims to determine the following: present condition of NHTO identified as poor and non-poor households; know the poverty status of households not yet assessed by NHTO, but were affected by Habagat; and to generate a pool of potential beneficiaries to be included in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).