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 ==[[Lanao del Norte News]]==
-'''DSWD uses statistical tools for social protection'''
+'''Aliah: Mindanao's Child of Peace'''
-*Source:http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=58134
+*Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/337121/aliah-mindanao-s-child-peace
-*Friday, October 07, 2011
+*October 9, 2011, 11:01am
-:by  Lorry V. Gabule
+:by   MAAN D’ASIS PAMARAN
-ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte, Oct. 7 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development is currently using a system that would ensure that its social protection programs are implemented efficiently.
+MANILA, Philippines -- Congressional Representative Aliah Dimaporo of the 2nd District of Lanao del Norte – The last name was enough to give this writer a little trepidation at being late for an exclusive interview at their family home. So, it was with a solid resolve to arrive only a few minutes after the agreed time, and a great relief to find that at the time of arrival, the beautiful Congresswoman, touted to be the crush ng bayan at the Congress floor, was still finishing up with her preparations for the ensuing photo shoot.  As it turned out, all the anxiety was unfounded, as Aliah emerged from the makeup room with an engaging smile and outstretched hand, much like a refreshing breeze that swept into the room.
-“Our Department is mandated to protect poor households, but given limited resources, we need to have a clear system for identifying the poor and determining where they are,” Virginia Cardona, Chief, Social Pension for Senior Citizen Indigency Program Division, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), region 10, said.
-This is why the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) was developed, disclosed Cardona.
+Unlike other personalities in politics who guard their thoughts and words too carefully, Aliah candidly answered the questions posed to her for this article, the angle of which is to uncover what makes her tick. “Growing up, I wanted to be an architect, because my mom (Cong. Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo, 1st district of Lanao) always said that she wanted a house overlooking the ocean. I wanted to build that for her,” she recalls.
-This internationally accepted targeting system enables the government to objectively identify the poor by minimizing political interference in the identification process. It ensures that social protection programs benefit those who really need the assistance, and by concentrating government resources on the poor, government will have better impact at lower cost.
-The NHTS-PR uses observable and verifiable characteristics of households as criteria for classifying households as poor, which reduces opportunities for favoring one group of beneficiaries over another.
+“I also wanted to be an artist – but not the traditional kind. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a graphic artist for MTV!” she reveals. “But then, my dad says there’s no money in that, and he looked at my report card, and saw that I had really good grades in math. When I was younger, I loved math! Whenever I had free time, I would get my books and do advance work. So, he agreed that Architecture was right for me. I was looking forward to going abroad to study that,” she adds.
-This can improve governance, transparency, and credibility of programs, thus, DSWD uses NHTS-PR for providing social protection programs targeting to those individuals and families who need government resources the most. This system will not only be for the consumption of DSWD, but can now be availed of by other agencies which have social protection programs.
-Since the government will be using a unified set of criteria for identifying the poor, it becomes much easier for government to bring together all of its programs to a particular group of poor households.
+So, how did she end up as a magna cum laude of Sociology at the Mindanao State University? “Ah, here comes my long story,” she grins. “When I was about twelve, according to custom, everyone was pairing me up for marriage, and I resisted. So, the condition was, I could study abroad only if I agree to an arranged marriage. That is why I ended up taking Sociology at UP Los Baños. I believe that Sociology was close to Architecture and the Arts, because the study of people also meant the study of culture. Then, my father thought that I was acting un-Muslim, so he had me transferred to Mindanao to learn more about my roots, and that was where I graduated.”  She has since obtained an MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development from the University of London’s Distance Learning Program.
-Lastly, the database of the NHTS-PR will guide them to where and who the poor are in the region and thus enable them to flow their resources to the right targets, Cardona added.
-Cardona revealed this during the flag raising/kick-off ceremony of the National Statistics Month (NSM) of October at the City Hall Amphitheatre, here, last Oct. 4.
+Back to Her Roots
-Now, on its 22nd year of observance, the NSM anchors on the theme, “Quality Social Protection Statistics for Focused Targeting: Improving Outcomes, Changing Lives,” with DSWD taking the lead in this year’s activities. (PIA 10)
+Moving to Mindanao opened up her eyes to many things, she says. “First, I saw how my parents worked so hard for Lanao, and that taught me to respect what they are doing. When I was younger I would fault them for not being there, but then I saw their daily routine. Nakita ko na hindi pala sila natutulog! They would sleep at around 1 a.m., and as early as 6:30 in the morning, there would already be people outside the gates. Being in Lanao also meant that I met the mayors and the people, and I think that prepared me for the role I am playing now.”
+It was also an incident in her hometown that made her delve deeper into the Muslim religion. “I grew up with my mom, who was Catholic until she converted because of her marriage, and I learned the Catholic prayers before the Muslim prayers. I was in the choir, I went to church. My school was Catholic. I really grew up that way, I feel like I only converted in 2007. My mom ran for the first time that year. During that hotly contested election, there were people who were harassing Muslims. It came to the point when the non-Muslims were burning pigs outside the election area. I was angry, and also really afraid of what the Muslim brothers would do in retaliation. But then I saw one woman, a wife, who simply put her hand on her husband’s arm, and the man calmed down. That is when I realized that being a Muslim woman was also empowering,” she says. “I started reading the Koran right after that, and even went to New York, to find someone to guide me through the religion. At first, I was even wearing a veil or chadar, dressing it up with clips and flowers. Then, I learned that the Koran doesn’t strictly say that we have to wear veils, only to dress modestly. So, today, you see me like this,” she smiles and gestures at her made-up face.
+These days, pretty Aliah, who wore a Patis Tesoro gown to the recent State of the Nation Address, avers that her usual attire is casual – but modest. “In high school, I had a really short skirt for my uniform. One day, I had to visit my grandparents before going to school, and I wore a longer skirt over my short skirt. I had one in case of emergencies like those!” she smiles impishly.
+Maturity came during her college years, when she even started a movement called Product of Peace, where she was able to send scholars to schools in Manila through athletic scholarships.  “I am a product of peace! My parents have a Romeo and Juliet story, because their families were at war with each other.  My mom would tell stories about trap door under the office of my lolo where they had to crawl under rice fields to escape the barracudas, or the soldiers of the other side. My parents fought for their love and were able to bring peace to Lanao.”
+The Shamcey Question
+Aliah, who is single at 30, says that wooing her would not necessitate crawling in rice paddies. “I am looking for a simple guy who is humble.”  Then, she laughs and reveals her latest Hollywood crush to be Chris Evans (Captain America). “Before, it was Brendan Fraser.” She also names a certain single Zamboangeno Congressman as her workplace crush.
+When asked the Miss Universe question “Would you change your religion for a man?”  Aliah grows thoughtful. “When I was younger, one of the criteria I had was that he had to have my parents’ approval. But at the end of the day, it is my call. It is a big consideration for me that my parents like him, but I would be the one living with him. Now it is just about me. My parents would have to understand that I can take care of myself, and that the man would be able to take care of me. With regards to religion, as long as we have common values, that is fine. I believe that religions may be different, but they teach the same basic thing, that there is one Supreme Being up there.”  She was executive director of the World Youth Alliance in New York, a global community of young movers and shakers, and one of the programs that she was active in was about teaching religious tolerance to children.
+Work and Play
+At Congress, she is three doors down from her mom’s office. “My mother’s friends would tease her, telling her to let me go. But I am actually the one who wanted to be close to her, to consult with her, even to make lambing when we see each other.” Her work is substantial, for a newbie who was elected only in June of last year. She is on several committees, including Agrarian Reform, Basic Education and Culture, Ecology, Energy, Muslim Affairs, and Rural Development, and co-authored several bills such as the Act Creating the Philippine Millennium Development Fund, and an Environmental Protection Act Prohibiting Dumping of Sewage Sludge and Industrial Waste into the Sea.
+But she also takes time to kick back and dribble a basketball with the other members of Congress, including Cong. Manny Pacquiao. “That was before he had to stop playing basketball. I am the only girl on the team!” she proudly states. She also likes to hang out with her non-political friends, who, she says, keep her grounded.  “We like to eat out, and thank goodness too for BBM or Blackberry Messaging. That is how we keep in touch. She is also a proud owner of a bike, which she takes for a spin around the neighborhood with her brother. “Oh, here’s another out-of-the-mold thing about me. I listen to hip hop and alternative music!” she beams.
+Aliah may have a long way to go, but she is definitely off to a good start, with a good head on her shoulders, and a healthy balance between work and play. Her father’s daughter, she may be, but she is also truly her own remarkable person.
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