June 17, 2026 – Mayor Bernard S. Waclin explained that the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) data results, a project of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the municipality’s official local poverty database, served as the basis in generating the list of beneficiaries for the Food Assistance to Indigent Individuals, who received 40 kilograms of rice during the distribution held from June 16 to 17.
Personnel of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Itogon, led by Mayor Waclin, conducted the per-barangay rice distribution to qualified residents over the two-day activity.
Mayor Waclin said the P10 million Rice Distribution Project, which benefited 3,125 individuals, was funded through the Local Government Support Fund–Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (LGSF-FA to LGUs), under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
During the distribution, the Mayor clarified that the list of beneficiaries was not solely determined by municipal or barangay personnel. Instead, the LGU utilized CBMS data in generating and validating the final list of qualified recipients.
The CBMS is the government’s official local poverty database. It contains household-level socio-economic information that helps local government units identify families who are poor, vulnerable, and in need of assistance.
In relation to the current fuel crisis, the CBMS-generated list prioritized members of the transport sector, households with high school and college students who rely on public transportation, and indigent households.
It can be recalled that from July to September 2024, data collectors were deployed across the municipality to conduct door-to-door data gathering as part of the CBMS implementation.
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Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer (MSWDO) Grace O. Pocsol lauded residents for their cooperation during the CBMS data collection. She also emphasized the importance of CBMS, noting that it will serve as a key basis for the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in identifying program beneficiaries. She added that the agency’s previous Listahanan database will no longer be the primary reference for programs such as the social pension and other social welfare initiatives.
Pocsol further urged residents to actively participate in the upcoming CBMS updating scheduled in 2027.
Meanwhile, Municipal Local Government Operations Officer (MLGOO) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Julie C. Malig, encouraged beneficiaries, emphasizing that government services exist for the people. She reminded residents of their civic responsibility to actively participate and cooperate in government programs, noting that governance is a shared responsibility.
Malig also commended the efforts of Mayor Waclin, saying that the rice distribution was made possible through the efforts of local officials.
The municipality is among the early LGUs in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) to implement the Rice Distribution Project under the LGSF-FA to LGUs.
On the other hand, the Provincial Government of Benguet will provide food assistance to persons with disabilities (PWDs) and solo parents. Each beneficiary will receive a total of 60 kilograms of rice, to be distributed in six tranches.
