ODIONGAN, Romblon (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development's Listahanan Third Round Assessment, also known as Listahanan 3, revealed that exactly 29,744 households, accounting for 45.4% of the total 65,484 assessed in Romblon, are classified as poor.

The new profile of the poor in Romblon was officially presented during the Listahanan 3 Provincial Launch held on May 18 at the Simple Living Hotel in Odiongan, Romblon. The comprehensive data gathered will guide the formulation of targeted interventions and social programs aimed at improving the lives and welfare of the impoverished population in the province.

Listahanan serves as the government's mechanism for identifying the impoverished population and their locations. The assessment shows that 4.3% of the poor households reside in urban barangays, while the majority can be found in rural barangays.

In Romblon, the municipalities with the highest concentration of poor households were Romblon, Odiongan, San Fernando, Cajidiocan, and San Agustin. At the barangay level, Taclobo in San Fernando, Capaclan in Romblon, Lanas and Poblacion in San Jose, and Danao in Cajidiocan had recorded the highest number of poor households.

The Listahanan 3 assessment covered all 17 municipalities and 197 barangays in the province. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the assessment was successfully completed in 2021 through the efforts of 51 dedicated field workers according to DSWD.

Further analysis of the Listahanan database reveals that the average household size among the poor in the province is four. Additionally, a significant portion of them owned cellphones (79%), televisions (51%), and motorcycles (29%).

On the other hand, 16.2% of poor households lacked access to electricity, primarily residing in barangays Taclobo in San Fernando, Lumbang Weste and Cambajao in Cajidiocan, and Doña Juana in San Agustin.

The data from Listahanan also exposed the sanitation challenges faced by the poor in Romblon. Approximately one in every 10 poor households lacks proper toilet facilities, relying on open pit and pail systems, which are commonly observed in the towns of Romblon and Odiongan.

Moreover, 15% of poor households in the province belonged to indigenous groups, particularly the Bantoanon and Ati communities. The municipality of San Andres has the highest concentration of indigenous poor households, comprising 21% of the total. (PJF/PIA Mimaropa-Romblon)