File photo of the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) conducting social intervention in Brgy. Batulawan, Pikit, Municipality of Malidegao, Special Greographic Area (SGA) on July 17-23, 2022. (Hamdan Badrudin/BIO)
COTABATO CITY—Ministry of Social Services and Development’s (MSSD) profiling and data storage of its programs and interventions will go smoothly as they transition to a technology-based data system this year.
The Ministry is expected to launch a community-based monitoring system (CBMS) in March which makes data gathering efficient and easily accessible, aiding its identification of priority beneficiaries, including the communities in need of support.
In an interview with MSSD Minister Atty. Raissa Jajurie on February 5, she explained that the system will help different government entities with policymaking and program-design mandates to work on poverty reduction across the Bangsamoro region.
“We cannot do (it) with paper-and-pen (process) anymore. We have moved to technology-based collection, storage, and retrieval that would allow us to make use of the data more efficiently,” said the Minister.
Jajurie also stated that CBMS is an advanced target-based solution that will mainly cater gaps and challenges previously encountered through traditional means of data gathering, particularly those faced in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in the BARMM.
On January 24, MSSD and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-BARMM) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), together with the ceremonial turnover of checks, amounting to P72.5 million, for the implementation of the CBMS.
According to Jajurie, care packages will subsequently be provided, after gathering necessary data, to the identified, vulnerable, and marginalized beneficiaries, usually composed of senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), indigenous peoples (IPs), and orphaned children, among others.
Responding to the needs of the Bangsamoro people aligns with the 4th development goal under the 2nd Bangsamoro Development Plan, which is centered on inclusive, responsive, and quality services. (Johamin Inok/BIO)