DSWD-7 visits Listahan partners

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) through its National Household Targeting Unit (NHTU) started visiting its partners to promote utilization of the Listahan poverty database and to ensure protection of their social programs and services.

The Listahan or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) is an information management system that instantly and efficiently identify the marginalized nationwide.

DSWD visited various Local Government Units (LGUs), National Government Agencies (NGAs), NonGovernment Organizations (NGOs), Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) including schools and universities.

The visitation is aimed at encouraging the government agencies, private sectors, groups, the academe, students, citizens and stakeholders to use the Listahan database and discuss the important guidelines of data sharing for a much effective and better implementation of any social protection programs and services.

DSWD also conducted an orientation on Data Privacy Act of 2012 and explained the goals of data sharing. The orientation provides full education to partners and future stakeholders on the importance of Data Privacy Act of 2012 and reminded them to always abide by the guidelines of data sharing.

Ruben Boybanting, NHTSPR regional field coordinator, said that the law and the use of data sharing will protect the beneficiaries of their programs.

“This is to ensure that the personal information of the assessed households will be protected and will be used exclusively for social protection programs and activities,” he said.

To provide full security of information, a Data Protection Officer (DPO) will be assigned to safeguard the data. The DPO ensures compliance with applicable laws and regulations for the protection and security of the data.

They will also monitor and inform the management and the National Privacy Commission (NPC) on any security breach.

With the utilization of the database, those who are in the marginalized sectors identified in the Listahan will be given much better attention by the government.

The partners that were already visited include the municipalities of Alicia and Sagbayan in Bohol; Argao in Cebu; Saint Peter Academy of Alegria Foundation, Inc. in Cebu and the Department of Agriculture (DA-7).