Malate, Manila – The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is conducting the Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) administration to its partner-beneficiaries to assess their level of well-being. SWDI is a tool used by the Municipal Links (MLs), program’s frontline staff, in identifying the partner-beneficiaries’ needs and capabilities to provide intervention in the improvement of their lives.

To be able to achieve improvement, it is essential that the Department work together with other government agencies and local government units in providing the appropriate interventions to the partner-beneficiaries.

“Sinisigurado natin na makakapagbigay tayo ng mga serbisyo sa ating mga benepisyaryo upang matulungan silang mapaangat ang kanilang antas ng pamumuhay at ang ginagawa nating SWDI administration ay makakapagbigay sa atin ng basehan kung ano ang angkop na tulong ang maari nating maibigay,” said Mr. Vincent Dominic Obcena, Regional Program Coordinator.

Administration of SWDI also allows the program implementers to monitor its own goal of achieving its target of improving the capacities of 2.3 million Pantawid Pamilya partner-beneficiaries in accessing their opportunities to move their level of well-being. This goal is one of the three strategic goals of the Department targeted to be accomplished by next year. In region MiMaRoPa, there are more than 75,000 families targeted by the end of this year.

SWDI has three levels of well-being: survival, subsistence and self-sufficiency. There are two major indicators namely, the economic efficiency and social adequacy. Economic efficiency has three variables: employment, income, and social security membership; while social adequacy has eight: health, nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, housing and other living conditions, educational status of household members, social-cultural, and role performance. A score matrix is used by the MLs in determining the average of the interviewed household.

Since the program expanded and now covers Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA), the Department is hiring enumerators to be able to assess the partner-beneficiaries living in these areas.

At present, the administration is on-going in the five provinces of the region. It is targeted to be done October of this year. ###