The Philippine government, United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are crafting a coordinated relief distribution plan for Maguindanao to address issues such as duplication of relief assistance, service to non-legitimate beneficiaries, and relief diversion to traders.

A meeting was held Thursday between the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), UNWFP and ICRC to craft a three-month relief distribution plan for clustered municipalities of affected local government units in Maguindanao.

Official DSWD data showed that the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to armed conflict in Mindanao, particularly in Maguindanao, reached 200,913 individuals or 42,227 families.

The data identified IDPs from the municipalities of Guindulungan, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Shariff Aguak, Ampatuan, Pandag, Buluan, South Upi, Datu Unsay, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Sultan sa Mastura, Datu Piang, Paglat, Talayan, Kabuntalan Northern, Kabuntalan Mother, Sultan Sumagka, Datu Blah Sinsuat, and Datu Saudi Ampatuan, all in Maguindanao.

Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza Cabral said a re-validation of the number of displaced families was done to allay the fear of different organizations providing relief assistance in the area that they may be serving even those who are not legitimate IDPs; to avoid duplication in the provision of relief assistance; and to address the issue of diversion of relief commodities to traders or to lawless members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Last month, the DSWD received reports that rice donation from the UNWFP is unscrupulously purchased by illegitimate beneficiaries, and did not reach the “legitimate” beneficiaries.

According to Cabral, the data is now the official count of IDPs in Maguindanao to be recorded at the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) and will be the basis for all relief operations in the area.

Cabral is also the chairperson of the NDCC Task Force on Humanitarian Assistance for the Internally Displaced Persons in Mindanao.

The number of IDPs includes those staying in evacuation centers with 143,159 persons and those outside evacuation centers who are staying with host families but ncontinue to receive relief assistance with 57,754 individuals.

The validation was conducted from June 29 to July 20 by the DSWD Central Office, DSWD-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the UN-WFP, non-government organization Community and Family Services International (CSFI), and concerned local government units through the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officers, and barangay captains of the 18 municipalities.

The DSWD chief said validated IDPs have been issued with the DSWD Disaster Assistance Family Access Card (DAFAC), indicating the names of the family head and dependents with corresponding age, gender, occupation, and relief assistance received.