LGU Sta. Teresita together with their beneficiaries during the distribution of facilities in their Bawat Bahay, May Kubeta program.

The municipal government of Sta. Teresita, Cagayan has been using the data-base of the National Household Targeting System (NHTS) to identify the beneficiaries of their social protection programs.

Ms. Marivic T. Viesta, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer said that the data-base which includes the list of poor households in the region and other types of related data was used in two of their programs – “Bawat Bahay, May Kubeta” and Bahay Mo, Patitibayin Ko”. The 1st involved the provision of materials such as toilet bowls, cement and mixed gravel for the construction of sanitary toilets which benefited 31 poor households in barangays Aridowen, Caniugan, Villa, Simbaluca and Simpatuyo. The 2nd entailed the furnishing of materials such as plywood, nails and galvanized iron sheets to improve the houses of 20 poor households.

“The two programs were implemented last year, but we will continue them as long as we could again find deserving beneficiaries thru the NHTS data-base.”, Ms. Viesta said.

Using the NHTS data base, LGU Sta. Teresita was able to identify 25 beneficiaries from the barangays Caniugan, Centro East and West, Buyun, Luga, Simbaluca and Simpatuyo for the DSWD Cash for work program wherein the beneficiaries cleaned the public market, national high way, canals, municipal park and a lot more.

“The NHTS data-base is really useful for us in choosing deserving beneficiaries of our programs. This way we can give assistance of the real poor.”, Viesta added.

NHTS is a special project of the DSWD that has identified who and where the poor are.(Ailyn P. Aglaua, Administrative Assistant V, NHTS-PR)