Zamboanga Home-Based Internally Displaced Persons Re-Profiling, 2016 [Philippines]

In April 2016, following a series of consultations between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the City Social Welfare and Development Office and other partners in Zamboanga, a profiling exercise for home-based internally displaced persons (IDPs) was conceptualized. The main purpose was to validate the relevance of existing lists and obtain up-to-date information from home-based IDPs who decided to take part in the exercise so that the government, as well as other humanitarian and development actors, can make informed and consultative decisions while designing and targeting their assistance programs, including protection interventions.

Following a piloting phase in June 2016, the full-blown profiling was conducted in July-August 2016 and reached 6,474 families from 66 barangays in Zamboanga. Of these, 1,135 families were assessed to be potential home-based IDPs based on the documents they presented. The profiling revealed that most home-based IDPs are living in barangays of Sta. Catalina, Sta. Barbara, Talon-Talon and Rio Hondo.

The survey conveys different information based on the household status.  All forms cover household demographics, available documentation, sources of income, access to education, access to safety and security, access to shelter, access to humanitarian services, access to durable solutions and access to information.

The profiling does not attempt to determine the exact figure of IDPs living among the host community or to identify how many are eligible for allocation in the government's permanent housing programme. The main purpose is to validate relevance of existing lists and obtain up-to-date information, including contact details, from home-based IDPs who decided to take part in the exercise, which would help inform the government and other humanitarian actors in designing and targeting their assistance programs, including protection interventions, and pave ways to establish channels for regular dialogue with home-based IDPs for more inclusive and consultative programming.