Koronadal City, South Cotabato — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) field office 12 through the National Household Targeting Unit (NHTU) warns the public against opportunists that allegedly operates as special validation is on-going.

According to Jackiya A. Lao, NHTU Head, DSWD 12 has received a few reports on the said modus operandi.
“Sources told me that these people use DSWD to operate their mission”, Lao noted.

According to Lao, the informants stated that the initiating groups, allegedly, introduce themselves as DSWD employees, specifically Pantawid Pamilya Program or 4P’s workers, so that they will be allowed to enter the premises of the respondent’s house. Once inside the house, the household are, apparently, made to pay certain amount of cash in exchange for the conduct of interview.

“Unfortunately, there are some households that fall for this trap because accordingly, the consequence of the paid interview will guarantee the household to become a Pantawid Pamilya Program or 4Ps beneficiary”, Lao explained.

She further described the operation as seem to be a reoccurring activity in the region.
“This group clearly has a pattern for whenever DSWD has an enumeration activity, the group seemed to also operate”, Lao supposed.

Nevertheless, Lao has already ordered Ashraf Dirampatan and Aminah Macodi, both Project Development Officer IV of NHTU, to instruct the field workers under their management to wear their Identification Cards at all times.

“Although the IDs can be faked by the group behind the modus operandi, our field workers are still under strict order to wear their IDs all the time”, Lao explained.

“One obvious way, however, to know the field workers who will enumerate the household are indeed DSWD workers, is when they do not ask for anything in exchange for the interview and they post proof of stickers on the house”, Lao pointed out.

The nationwide household assessment, both special and massive, is a non-profit activity spearheaded by DSWD. Through NHTU, Listahanan aims to target who and where the poor are. However, it does not guarantee that whoever gets enumerated and identified poor automatically becomes a beneficiary of any service or program.

DSWD strongly opposes the group behind the modus operation. Immediately after learning about the operation, the department have instructed the NHTU team to caution the general public.

“We will be sending out memo as well to the LGUs to help us warn their constituents against the possible attempts of these fake DSWD workers to trick them into paying in cash”, Lao noted.

DSWD 12 is also considering tapping the Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) before the situation escalates.

Meanwhile, Lao summoned the help of the general public in monitoring its field workers for the on-going special enumeration of Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) and Social Pension (SOCPEN) program that has started in June 3.

Things such as involvement of monetary payment during enumeration are not part of the enumeration process. Thus, DSWD 12 encourages the public to be vigilant and contact the office through NHTU right away upon learning about activities that are out of the ordinary being done by its field staff.

“As the head of NHTU, I cannot monitor all the field workers at once and all the time that is why we need the active participation of the public”, Lao explained.

NHTU can be contacted through land line numbers (064) 228-6009/ 228-2086 or email address fo12@dswd.gov.ph. It can also be reached through Face book, Nhts-pr DSWD XII. Updates on the on-going enumeration and other DSWD 12-related updates can be checked through website address, https://fo12.dswd.gov.ph/. Snail mail letters shall be sent to this address, the Department of Social Welfare and Development field office XII, Purok Bumanaag, Barangay Zone III, Koronadal City, South Cotabato. (End) ###