DSWD warns vs fake survey enumerators

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines—The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Soccksargen has warned the public against bogus “validators” who extort money even from poor residents by posing as the agency’s field workers.

The regional DSWD office, which covers the provinces of North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and the cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan, Koronadal, Tacurong and General Santos, has fielded enumerators in the region to gather more data on the implementation of the government’s poverty alleviation program.

The surveys are called Special Validation on Social Pension (Socpen) program and Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) and seek to identify poor beneficiaries through the National Household Targeting Unit (NHTU).

The survey, being done by DSWD field enumerators, started early this week and would last for 15 days.

NHTU head Jackiya Lao, however, said in a statement e-mailed to Inquirer that the regional DSWD office received reports about bogus enumerators.

Citing the reports, Lao said the fake enumerators would introduce themselves as DSWD employees, specifically Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps workers, to gain entry to houses. Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao