MDGs Provincial Status Report 2010 Philippines Eastern Samar

1Philippines Fourth Progress Report on the Millennium Development Goals using CBMS Data - Province of Province of Marinduque

Province of EASTERN SAMAR

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs)Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

2Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data Province of Eastern Samar

We must admit that tracking the progress of the province vis-a-vis the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is no mean feat. This Provincial Report initially attempted to utilize several sources of data so as to assess its progress on the eight Millennium Development Goals but the authors later discovered that different data sources used definitions of indicators that were mostly not congruent with the definitions used for the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) indicators.

Hence, a decision was made to turn this into a baseline report using the results of the first CBMS survey done in 2005-2006 on 22 municipalities and one city in Eastern Samar. After all, changes in progress (or regress, for that matter) would be next to impossible to track without baseline data. Therefore, the value of this report lies in its utility as a basis for comparison with results of later surveys done using the CBMS tool. The province has, in fact, launched its second round of province-wide CBMS surveys in 2009 and is in process of encoding the data gathered.

The importance of other sources of data cannot be discounted. While the CBMS is the main source of data in this report, we also turned to other sources to get a richer and deeper understanding of the circumstances of the people covered by this study. The worthiness of CBMS lies in the fact that it can identify who the poor are, where they are and what kinds of interventions are most appropriate given their situations on the 13+1 indicators. Comparisons across municipalities, barangays and urban/rural populations and between genders are possible with CBMS but may not be possible with other data sources.

As a management tool, the CBMS survey has already proven itself very helpful, especially when used hand-in-hand with other data sources in planning developmental strategies for the most disadvantaged and marginalized sectors. Overseas development agencies and other funding donors have learned to appreciate the value of CBMS and therefore used its results as bases for the level of assistance they would extend .

Since the province of Eastern Samar first conducted its CBMS survey in 2006---16 years after the MDG reference year of 1990---it has to contend with the urgency of having to reach the MDG goals in five years (2015). Keeping track of the progress using the CBMS survey will entail commitment on the part of local chief executives to support and utilize purposively the results of the CBMS data.

Foreword


The preparation of provincial MDGs reports is a critical step that Local Government Units (LGUs) have taken in the overall effort to localize the MDGs. As it is often said, the MDGs will be ‘won or lost’ at the local level given the conditions of uneven progress and disparities across regions and provinces in the country.

Beyond the national averages, one can see wide disparities on the gains in poverty reduction, universal education, child mortality and maternal health. This situa-tion reinforces the notion that the progress of each province is just as important as the achievements of the country as a whole. After all, the Philippines’ progress towards the MDGs, is the sum of the efforts and gains of all LGUs.

By preparing provincial reports, LGUs are provided vital information on the status of the MDGs in their areas of infl uence. These reports are important sources of information for planning, resource allocation and priority setting that LGUs are tasked under their mandate of effective local governance. Likewise, in the course of the preparation of the reports, the capacity of LGUs to collect, monitor and use data for decision making has been greatly enhanced. The reports also show how far the Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS) that UNDP has supported can go in terms of its use.

Against the backdrop of renewed optimism emanating from the new political leadership, this fi rst set of nine Provincial Reports on the MDGs is a timely and important milestone. The reports provide crucial insights on how to overcome the constraints in achieving the MDGs locally as the country gears towards the last stretch to attain the eight goals by 2015. They also emphasize the important role of active collaboration of political leaders, stakeholders, and donors in achieving the MDGs.

I wish to commend the nineProvincial Governments that prepared their reports – the Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Biliran, Camarines Norte, Eastern Samar, Marinduque, Romblon, Sa-rangani, and Siquijor Province – the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) Network and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for working together in bringing about this important accomplishment.

With this initiative, it is hoped that other provinces will follow suit to attain nationwide support for the need to accelerate the pace of the achievement of the MDGs by 2015.

Dr. Jacqueline Badcock

UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative

y

Dr. Jacqueline Badcock

Message


As the newly elected Local Chief Executive of the Province of Eastern Samar, the publication of this report is timely and is very much appreciated. It is a rich source of information that provides a realistic picture of the situation of the province and its constituents. Having been a local chief executive for 24 years, I have learned to appreciate the importance of

monitoring tools, among others, in public administration. The value of the Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS) is its unique characteristic of being able to locate specifically who the poor are, where they are and what their specific needs are. This is very important in planning and deciding pro-poor development interventions that are demand driven and relevant to the circumstances of our constituents.

I am fortunate that the completion of the second round of the CBMS survey happens during my administration. The results will help us track changes and assess how much we have accomplished and what more we need to do so that MDG goals and targets will be reached, if not approximated, by 2015.

My administration will see to it that CBMS will play a major role in the attainment of the vision and mission of uplifting the quality of life in this province. And hopefully this will contribute, no matter how minimal, to the global design of a poverty free world.

Mabuhay tayong lahat!

HON. CONRADO B. NICART, JR.Governor

HON. CONRADDDDDDDOOOOOOO B. NICART, JR.Governor

Message

Republic of the PhilippinesPROVINCE OF EASTERN SAMAR

BoronganOFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR


Message

The formulation of the Provincial MDG Report is very helpful in tracking our progress in relation to our commitment to attain the global goals and targets. It drives us to be more conscious of the status of various MDG indicators so that appropriate strategies and interventions will be implemented to respond to areas with low probability of attainment and to sustain those that have already been attained.

It is incumbent upon local chief executives and development planners to utilize wisely the results of the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) survey, together with other sources of information. Development issues are complex in nature that need collaboration in terms of data collection, analysis, and utilization. Best decisions and choices are made by those who are well-informed.

The preparation of this Provincial Report on the MDGs based on the 2005-2006 CBMS results was made possible through a technical collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme through NEDA-SDS and the PEP-CBMS Network Coordinat-ing Team. Now on its second round, we will be able to better assess the developments in the lives of our constituents and thereby identify the means by which our vision for an improved quality of life can be fully attained.

We are grateful to the PEP-CBMS Network Team for their technical support in the making of this report and to United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for the funding assistance through the Social Development Staff (SDS) of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for their technical assistance and support. We also thank the other provinces who went through the process of crafting the same report and provided the inspiration and motivation so that the seemingly enormous task became more manageable.

HON. BEN P. EVARDONERepresentative, Eastern Samar

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As one of the 189 countries that committed themselves to the United Nations’ Millen-nium Declaration to combat poverty, hunger, diseases, illiteracy, and environmental degradation worldwide, the Philippines must keep its promise of reaching the goals and targets set forth in this declaration by year 2015. Thus, it is essential that the performance vis-à-vis these goals and targets be monitored periodically and declared. We keep track of where we are and how much more we have to do, what resources are needed, and how much are needed so that the desired quality of life will be achieved.

The implementation of the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) in Eastern Samar in 2006 has facilitated the monitoring of its progress on the Millennium Develop-ment Goals (MDGs) and targets. In 2009, the CBMS was updated province-wide, and results are now in the process of being encoded. With this, a progress report can be formulated. Until then, the results of the first round of CBMS (2005-2006) will serve as baseline data upon which all other results can be compared.

The preparation of this Provincial Report on the MDGs based on the 2005- 2006 CBMS results was made possible with financial assistance from the United Nations Develop-ment Program through NEDA-SDS and technical assistance from the CBMS Network Coordinating Team. Nine other provinces who took the same challenge of coming up with their provincial reports on the MDGs based on the CBMS stood as source of inspiration and wisdom.

We also thank the stakeholders and partners from the provincial government, national government, the nongovernment organizations, faith communities, the academe, the media and the local and overseas development agencies such as United Nations Fund for Population Activities, the European Commission (EC), United Nations Children’s Fund, PLAN Philippines, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit or German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), World Bank, World Heath Organization, International Labor Organi-zation (ILO), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) who are contributing to the attainment of the Province’s MDGs and targets.

Preface


Foreword .......................................................................................................Messages UN Resident Coordinator Dr. Jacqueline Badcock ........................ Governor Conrado B. Nicart ........................................................... Representative Ben P. Evardone ....................................................... Preface ..........................................................................................................Table of Contents .............................................................................................List of Acronyms ..............................................................................................List of Tables ...................................................................................................List of Figures ..................................................................................................List of Maps ....................................................................................................

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................

Part 1. Provincial Profile A. History .......................................................................................

B. Geo-physical Environment ............................................................ C. Population and Social Environment ............................................... D. Local Economy ............................................................................. E. Infrastructure/Utilities/Facilities ....................................................... F. Local Institutional Capability ..........................................................

Part 2. Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Goal 1 - Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger ...................................................

Goal 2 - Achieve Universal Primary Education ......................................................

Goal 3 - Promote Gender Equality ...................................................................... Goal 4 - Reduce Child Mortality .........................................................................

Table of Contents

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Goal 5 - Improve Maternal Health .................................................................. Goal 6 - Combat HIV / AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases .................................

Goal 7 - Ensure Environmental Sustainability ...................................................

Goal 8 - Develop a Global Partnership for Development ..................................

Part 3. Meeting the 2015 Challenge

Priority Programs and Policy Responses ................................................ Financing the MDGs .......................................................................... Monitoring Progress Toward the Attainment of the MDGs ........................

Part 4. Conclusion and Recommendations ..........................................

Explanatory Text .....................................................................................

Table of Contents

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List of Acronyms

ADB Asian Development BankARCP Agrarian Reform Community ProjectsBEONC Basic Essential Obstetrics and Neonatal CareBEmONC Basic Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn CareBHERT Barangay Health Emergency Response TeamBHS Barangay Health StationBJMP Bureau of Jail Management and PenologyCBMIS Community Based Management Information SystemCBMS Community Based Monitoring SystemCEmONC Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care DA Department of Agriculture DepEd Department of EducationDOH Department of HealthDOTS Directly Observed Treatment for Short Course ChemotherapyDSWD Department of Social Welfare and Development ECCD Early Childhood Care and DevelopmentESPH Eastern Samar Provincial HospitalFAMH Felipe Abrigo Memorial HospitalFHSIS Field Health Service Information SystemGAD Gender and DevelopmentGIDA Geographically Isolated and Depressed AreasGOs Government OrganizationsGTZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische ZusammenarbeitILHZ Inter-Local Health ZoneIMCI Integrated Management of Childhood IllnessesInFRES Infrastructure for Rural Productivity Enhancement Sector JPMNH Joint Program for Maternal and Neonatal HealthKALAHI–CIDSS Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social ServicesMDG Millennium Development GoalsMOVE Men Opposed to Violence Everywhere


List of Acronyms

MSWDO Municipal Social Welfare and Development OfficeNAPC National Anti-Poverty CommissionNDCC National Disaster Coordinating Council NDHS National Demographic and Health SurveyNSCB National Statistical Coordination BoardNSO National Statistics OfficeOPT Operation TimbangPNP Philippine National PolicePNRC Philippine National Red CrossRHU Rural Health UnitTESDA Technical Education and Skills Development AuthorityUNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNICEF United Nations ChildrenÊs Emergency FundUSAID United States Agency for International DevelopmentVAWC Violence Against Women and Children VAW Violence Against WomenVSO Voluntary Service Overseas WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene ProgramWCPU Women and Child Protection UnitWHO World Health OrganizationWHT WomenÊs Health Team


List of Tables

Table 1 Summary Table of MDG and CBMS Indicators (Eastern Samar) Table 2 Distribution of Barangays by Municipality: 2003 Table 3 Population by Municipality: CBMS 2005 - 2006 Table 4 Number and Size of Households by Municipality: CBMS 2005 -2006 Table 5 Proportion of Households / Population Below the Poverty Threshold by Sex, by Urban/RuralTable 6 Magnitude and Proportion of Households / Population Living Below Food Threshold Table 7 Population Poverty Gap Ratio by Urban /Rural Table 8 Employment Rate of Population by Sex, by Urban/Rrural (CBMS) Table 9 Proportion of Households / Population Who Experienced Food Shortage Table 10 Prevalence of Underweight Children Under 5 Years of Age Table 11 Proportion of Children Aged 6 -12 Years Old Enrolled in Elementary Education Table 12 Proportion of Children Aged 13 – 16 Years Old Enrolled in High School Table 13 Proportion of Children Aged 6 – 16 years Old Enrolled in School Table 14 Literacy Rate of 15-24-Year-Olds by Sex and by Rural / Urban Table 15 Ratio of Girls to Boys in Education by Urban / Rural Table 16 Proportion of Children Aged 0 to Less Than 5 Years Old Who Died Table 17 Proportion of Infants Who Died by Urban / Rural Table 18 Proportion of Children Aged 1 to Less than 5 Years Old Who Died Table 19 Proportion of Women Deaths Due to Pregnancy-Related Causes Table 20 Contraceptive Prevalence Rate Table 21 Death Rates Associated with Tuberculosis Table 22 Proportion of Population with Access to Safe Drinking Water Table 23 Proportion of Households/Population With Access to Sanitary Ttoilet Facility Table 24 Proportion of Households/Population Who Are Informal Settlers Table 25 Proportion of Population who are Living in Makeshift Housing Table 26 Proportion of Households/Population Living in Inadequate Living Conditions Table 27 Proportion of Households with Cellphones by Urban/Rural Table 28 Proportion of Population with Computers, by Urban/RuralTable 29 The CBMS-MDG Indicators and Their DefinitionTable 30 Poverty and Food Thresholds


List of Figures

Figure 1 Location Map of the Province of Eastern SamarFigure 2 Urban-Rural Population : CBMS 2006 Figure 3. Sex Distribution : CBMS 2006Figure 4. CBMS Coverage in the Philippines (as of May 12, 2010)


List of Maps

Map 1 Proportion of Population Below Poverty Threshold by Municipality Map 2 Proportion of Population Living Below Food Threshold by Municipality Map 3 Poverty Gap Ratio by Municipality Map 4 Employment Rate by Municipality Map 5 Food Shortage by Municipality Map 6 Prevalence of Underweight Children Under 5 Years of Age Map 7 Children Aged 6 -12 Years Old Enrolled in Elementary Education Map 8 Children Aged 13 - 16 Years Old Enrolled in High School by Municipality Map 9 Proportion of Children Aged 6 – 16 Years Old Enrolled in School Map 10 Literacy Rate of 15- 24 year-Olds Map 11 Ratio of Girls to Boys in Primary Education Map 12 Ratio of Girls to Boys in Secondary Education Map 13 Ratio of Girls to Boys in Tertiary Education Map 14 Ratio of Literate Females to Males Map 15 Proportion of Seats Held by Women in Elected Positions Map 16 Children Aged 0 to Less Than 5 Years Old Who Died Map 17 Proportion of Infants Who Died Map 18 Proportion of Children Aged 1 to Less Than Five Years Old Who Died Map 19 Proportion of Women Deaths Due to Pregnancy Related Causes Map 20 Prevalence and Death Rates Associated with Tuberculosis Map 21 Proportion of Land Area Covered by Forest Map 22 Proportion of Population With Access to Safe Drinking Water Map 23 Proportion of Population with Access to Sanitary Toilet Facility Map 24 Proportion of Population Who Are Informal Settlers Map 25 Proportion of Population Who are Living in Makeshift Housing Map 26 Proportion of Population Living in Inadequate Living Conditions


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) survey, which was conducted province-wide in Eastern Samar during the period 2005-2006, indicated a total population of 385,875 consisting of 79,976 households, with an average household size of five. The results of the survey, as indicated in Table 1, show the status of the province in relation to the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Good News

These results suggest some good news among the different indicators. Some targets show promise of being met by 2015 owing to the fact that programs and services of the local government units (LGUs) are focused on the needed areas.

• Prevalence of underweight children under 5 years of age was only 6.7 percent.

• The literacy rate among population aged 15-24 was 96.6 percent.

• The ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education are more or less equal to 1; either 0.9 or 1.1.

• Proportion of seats held by women in elective positions in municipalities and the province was 46.5 percent. Majority of the elected officials in the six (6) municipalities were females.

• Death associated with malaria was zero (0) since the province is malaria-free.

• Proportion of women deaths due to pregnancy-related causes in the last 12

months prior to the survey was only 0.4 percent.

• Proportion of children aged 0 to less than 5 who died in the last 12 months prior to the survey was only 0.9 percent.

• Proportion of deaths among children aged 1 to less than 5 was only 0.6 percent.

• Proportion of the population who are informal settlers was only 2.9 percent.

• Proportion of the population who are living in makeshift housing was only 2.3 percent.

• Around 78.7 percent of the population had access to safe drinking water.

• Proportion of the population with access to sanitary toilet facilities was 69.5 percent.

• Employment rate in the province was 77.7 percent.

Not-so-Good-News

There are also not-so-good news as shown by the relatively poor performance in some of the indicators. These indicators also reveal that there is less likelihood of meeting some of the targets by 2015.

• Proportion of the population living below the poverty threshold was 69.5 percent.

• Proportion of the population living below the food threshold was 59.4 percent.

• Poverty gap ratio was 0.4 for the entire province.

• Proportion of the population who experi-enced food shortage in the last 3 months


Table 1. Summary Table of MDG and CBMS Indicators (Eastern Samar)


prior to the survey was 13.8 percent.• Proportion of children aged 6-12 who

are not enrolled in elementary education was 23.4 percent.

• Proportion of children aged 13-16 who are not enrolled in high school was 43.2 percent.

• Proportion of children aged 6-16 who were not enrolled in school was 16.5 percent.

• Proportion of infants who died in the last 12 months prior to the survey was 2.5 percent.

• Death rate associated with tubercu-losis was about 33 per 100,000 popula-tion.

• About 45.0 percent of the popula-t ion were l iv ing in inadequate l iv ing condit ions.

Table 1. (Continued)


Posing a Great Challenge

• Poverty is the biggest cause for concern. The provincial poverty incidence is at 69.5. The challenge therefore is how to provide opportunities for and support family income.

• While only 13.8 percent of the province experiences food shortage, the proportion of those living below food threshold is high at 58.7 percent, indicat-ing that majority are unable to meet the required food needs. Hunger mitigation and malnutrition need to be addressed.

• In the area of health, diseases such as tuberculosis and other endemic diseases such as filariasis, schistosomiasis and dengue must be contained/controlled.

• Reduction of maternal and child deaths must be sustained.

• Provision of basic services such as water, sanitation, and adequate living conditions need to be addressed vis-à-vis the need to ensure the protection and sustainabil i ty of the environment and natural resources.

• More and better quality educational facilities for pre-school, elementary and high school students must be accessible, especially for those living in geographically isolated areas.

• Information technology and commu-nication facilities need to be expanded to include far-flung municipalities.

The attainment of the MDG goals and targets depends largely on the political wil l to carry out the policy directions and on the provision of the necessary resources needed in operationalizing the policies. For 2010, the province of Eastern Samar has allocated 40.5 percent of its 20-percent Development Fund to social services that include programs, projects and activities primarily on health and nutrition, education, water and sanitation, and sports development. For economic and support infrastructure, 7.1 percent and 17.1 percent, respectively, have been allocated. Financial, material and techni-cal resources are expected from local and foreign donors .


Part 1. Provincial Profile

A. History

Brief History of the Province

Eastern Samar became an independent province by virtue of Republic Act No. 4221, which Congress approved on June 19, 1965 dividing the then old province of Samar into three separate provinces, namely: North-ern Samar, Western Samar (subsequently renamed Samar), and Eastern Samar. A plebiscite held simultaneously with the November 1965 general elections upheld the conversion of Eastern Samar into a separate province.

Political Subdivision

Eastern Samar, a lone congressional district, is part of Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) together with other five provinces, namely: Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Northern Samar, and Biliran. Local admin-istrative jurisdiction set in the Sangguni-ang Panlalawigan divides the province’s 23 municipalities into two districts, District I and District II.

District I is composed of 11 northern municipalities that include the capital town Borongan, San Julian, Sulat Taft, Can-avid, Dolores, Maslog, Oras, Jipapad, San Policarpo, and Arteche. District II is composed of 12 southern municipali-ties, namely: Maydolong, Balangkayan,

Llorente, Hernani, Gen. MacArthur, Salce-do, Quinapondan, Giporlos, Balangiga, Lawaan, Mercedes, and Guiuan.

The province has 597 barangays.

Borongan has the most number of baran-gays with 61, followed by Guiuan with 60 barangays. The municipality with the least number of barangays (12 in all) is Maslog, followed by Balangiga, Hernani, and Jipapad with 13 each.

Table 2. Distribution of Barangays By Municipality: 2003


Figure 1. Location Map of the Province of Eastern SamarB. Geo-Physical Environment

Location and Boundaries

Eastern Samar is the third largest province of Region VIII, next only to Leyte and Samar. It is in the eastern part of the island of Samar. The entire east coast of the province faces the Philippine Sea that forms part of the Pacific Ocean. Eastern Samar's other boundaries are: Northern Samar on the north; Samar on the west; and Leyte Gulf that merges farther south with Surigao Strait on the south.

Borongan, the provincial capital, is approximately 550 air-kilometers southeast of Manila and around 65 air-kilometers northeast of Tacloban City, the regional capital.

Land AreaEastern Samar has a total land area of

4,640.7 square kilometers based on the land area as certified by the Land Manage-ment Bureau to the Department of Budget and Management. The province's land area represents 19.98 percent of Eastern Visayas’ total land area of 23,230 square kilometers.

Topography The interior part of the province is rough,

hilly, and covered with dense tropical vegetation. At the northwestern part are mountain ranges and peaks as high as 783 meters above sea level. Narrow ribbons of plains hug most of the coastal areas and in some instances, the banks of major rivers and their tributaries. The southern bank of Dolores River holds the province's widest contiguous plain. Quinapondan has a smaller area of contiguous plains.

The province is within the Philippine fault zone that averages 16 perceptible seismic shocks per year. The two major faults in the province are located 4 kilometers east of Giporlos in the N40 degree W direction, and Jipapad in the direction of N60 degree W to San Roque in Northern Samar.

Slope

The predominance of land with more than 18 percent slope indicates the mountainous and hilly terrain of the province. These types of lands make up three-fifths, or a combined 61.3 percent of the entire area of the


individuals were Maslog (3,707), Jipapad (5,245) and Mercedes (5,805), which accounted for proportions of 0.96 percent, 1.3 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively.

Number and Size of Household

According to the CBMS survey in 2005-2006, the number of households in Eastern Samar reached 79,976, with each household consisting of an average of five persons. Borongan City recorded the highest number of households in 2006 with 12,362, followed by Guiuan with 8,268 and Dolores with 7,319. Maslog and Jipapad each showed a number of households that was less than 1,000. The rest of the 18 municipalities had household counts ranging from 1,104 to 6,446.

province. Approximately 23.3 percent of the total land area or 1,042 square kilometers have slopes of less than 8 percent. Some 697 square kilometers considered as rolling to moderately rolling make up 16.0 percent.

Climate

Eastern Samar falls under the Type II climate as classified by Coronas, that is, it has no dry season but features a very pronounced maximum rainfall from Novem-ber to January. The northeast monsoon prevails during the rainy months while the westernly winds prevail during the months of less rainfall.

C. Population and Social Environment

Total PopulationThe total population of Eastern Samar

based on the 2007 Census of Popula-tion conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) was 405,114 persons, an increase of 29,292 or about 7.8 percent over the 2000 census count of 362,324. This accounted for 10.4 percent of the region’s total population of 3,912,936. Borongan registered the largest population at 59,354 persons, which accounted for 14.7 percent of the province’s total population. This was followed by Guiuan with 43,469 persons or 10.7 percent; and Dolores with 34,522 persons (8.5%). Maslog (4,788) and Mercedes (5,041) were the municipalities with the smallest population size.

Based on the Community-Based Monitor-ing System (CBMS) Survey, the total population of Eastern Samar in 2006 was 385,875. Borongan led with 58,389 individ-uals (15.1%), followed by Guiuan with 39,988 (10.3%) and Dolores with 35,047 (9.0%). Those with the smallest number of

Table 3. Population by Municipality: CBMS 2005-2006

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006


Table 4. Number and Size of Households by Municipality: CBMS 2005-2006


Urban-Rural DistributionIn 1995, about 30.9 (NS0) percent of the

province’s household population lived in urban areas. More than two-thirds, or 69.1 percent, of the total household popula-tion constituted the rural population. This distribution was comparable to that of the region, where some 69 percent of the total household population lived in rural areas.

In the last two decades, urban and rural population grew at an even pace. For the three census periods 1980, 1990, and 1995, the proportion of population residing in the urban areas has been constant at 30 percent. Likewise, the proportion of rural population remained unchanged at 69 percent.

In 2006, the CBMS survey revealed that the rural (70.6%) household population still outnumbered the household population in the urban areas (29.4%).

Sex DistributionIn 2000 report of NSO, there was a slight

predominance of men over the women population. Male household population numbered 192,274 or 9,424 more than the female household population of 182,850. The sex ratio remained the same at 105 males for every 100 females from 1995 to 2000.

The province has a relatively young population and gradually diminishing proportion at successive older ages. In 2000, 65 percent of the total population was below 30 years old. Of these, 51.6 percent were men and 48.4 percent were women. There were more older (60 years old and above) women than men. Of those 60 years old and above in 2000, 52.3 percent were women and 47.7 percent were men.

There were more men than women in 2006, according to the CBMS survey. The

Figure 2. . Urban-Rural Population : CBMS 2006


proportion of male population was slightly higher (51.7%) than that of the females (48.3%).

D. Local Economy

Family Income and ExpendituresThe province’s average family income

was estimated at 71,527 pesos in 2000, up by 28.42 percent from the 1997 level of 55,694 pesos, the lowest in Region Vlll. The average family expenditure in 1997 was 47,625 pesos, which increased to 61,742 pesos in 2000 (FIES; NSO 1997 and 2000).

Main Source of Income

More than two-fi fth---or 42.6 percent, to be exact---of the families in Eastern Samar derived their income from entrepreneurial or family-operated activities; 24.2 percent from salaries and wages; and more than one-third (or 33.2 %) from other sources other than work such as cash receipts, gifts, pension and retirement, rental of buildings, spaces and other properties (FIES; NSO 2000).

Labor Force and EmploymentThe CBMS survey 2005-2006 indicated a

total labor force of 143,530 or 37.1 percent

Figure 3. Sex Distribution : CBMS 2006 of the total population. Males had a h igher proport ion (48.1%) than the females (25.5%). Urban areas had a higher proportion (38.4%) than that of the rural areas (36.6%). The CBMS survey further indicated an employ-ment rate of 77.7 percent. Males had a signif icantly higher (83.7%) employment rate than females (65.5%). Employment rate was higher

in the rural (79.0%) than in the urban areas (74.6%).

Poverty Threshold and IncidenceAmong the six provinces in Eastern

Visayas, Eastern Samar ranked next to the highest in poverty incidence (42.7%) of families in 2006, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) report. From the 36th poorest province in the whole country in 2003 it dropped to the 23rd ranking in 2006, indicating an increase in poverty incidence.

The CBMS survey showed that the province had 50,772 households (63.7%) living below the poverty threshold in 2006. This translates to 268,104 persons or 69.5 percent who are classified as poor. A higher proportion of the males (70.2%) than of the females (68.7%) was below the poverty threshold. Those in the rural areas had a higher poverty incidence (69.3%) than those in the urban areas (50.0%).

Annual per-capita poverty threshold increased from P11,025 in 2003 to P13,873 in 2006. With this threshold, a family of five members in the province should have a monthly income of P5,773 to meet its food and nonfood requirements.


E. Infrastructure / Utilities / Facilities

Road NetworkThe main road network of the province

runs through the major settlements and along the coastal areas from Arteche to barangay Buenavista in Quinapondan, where it branches west to Lawaan and south to Guiuan. The total road network had a length of 1,402.09 kilometers in 2005. A total of 876.645 kilometers (62.52%) were barangay roads. Provincial roads totaled to 214.571 kilometers that accounted for 15.2 percent while national roads extended to 311.08765 kilometers.

BridgesA total of 125 bridges with a combined

length of 5,064.1 linear meters comple-mented the province’s road network. In 2007, there were 99 bridges along national roads and 26 along provincial roads. Of the national bridges, 80 were concrete/steel modular bridge, 18 bailey, and one timber while provincial bridges had four concrete, three bailey and only 19 timber bridges.

Concrete bridges had a combined length of 4,528.7 linear meters or 55.32 percent of the total bridge length. Bailey-type bridges totaled 249 linear meters (31.6%) while the timber bridges had a combined length of 286.4 linear meters (13.2%).

Land TransportationPassenger buses regularly ply the Taclo-

ban to Eastern Samar routes with final destinations in Borongan, Guiuan, Dolores, and Oras. Regular travel time from Taclo-ban City to Borongan via the Taft-Buray Road is approximately four hours, and a little over three hours via the South Samar coastal route.

The province is linked to Metro Manila through the Philippine-Japan Highway that traverses Western Samar to the ferry termi-nals in Allen and Alegria, both in Northern Samar. Buses of Silver Star Transport Line, Eagle Star Transit, and CUL Transport Line travel this route from Balangiga, Guiuan, Oras, and Borongan. The average travel time from Borongan to Metro Manila is 24 hours.

Motorized tricycles are the means of transportation from the poblacion to the nearby barangays. Public utility jeepneys are the means of transportation between municipalities within the province. The interior municipalities of Jipapad and Maslog are presently not reached by land transportation because of the absence of roads linking them to the existing road network.

Air TransportationThere are two existing airports in the

province but as of December 2005, there were no scheduled commercial flights to the province. The Guiuan Airport, built by the American Navy during the World War ll period, and the Borongan Airport still cater to light private planes, chartered cargo planes, and military planes. The most convenient airport is at Tacloban City, which is about 200 kilometers by road from Borongan.

Water TransportationInter-island shipping lines do not serve

any Eastern Samar seaport. Commuter launches loading both passengers and cargoes ply the Tacloban-Guiuan route daily. Small vessels load cargoes between Borongan and Oras ports and other ports like Tacloban City, Cebu City, and Legaspi City.


The province has 10 ports and causeways. Borongan Port is classified as a sub-port while the ports in Oras, Guiuan, Dolores, and Giporlos are considered municipal ports. Other ports or causeways are located in Arteche, San Policarpo, Sulat, Lawaan, Mercedes, Balangiga, and Taft.

Domestic Water SupplyIn 2006 there were a total of 5,345 water

systems facilities. Level 1 facilities, consist-ing of shallow and deep wells, provided the domestic water requirements of majority of households in the province. This type of water source numbered 5,055---or 94.6 percent---of the total number of water facili-ties. Other households depended on Level ll and Level lll water systems. In 2006, there were 285 Level ll and five level III water facilities. Municipalities with level III water systems were Sulat, Hernani, Salcedo, and Maydolong and the city of Borongan, which extended water connections to about 3,428 households.

IrrigationIn 2006, there were 136 irrigation systems

in the province with a combined service area of 2,619 hectares. Most of the irrigation systems were fully and partially operational. The other systems were non-functional and in need of immediate rehabilitation. The National Irrigation Administration has identified 18,723 hectares as potential irrigable area.

Telephone and Telegraph FacilitiesThree telephone companies operated in

Eastern Samar as of December 2005. These telephone companies were Innove Commu-nications (Globelines), BayanTel, and the government-operated Telecommunications Office (TELOF).

Cellular phone services operated by Smart Communications and Globe Commu-nications were available province wide since 2003.

Postal and Cargo Forwarding ServicesThere were 19 post offices in the province

in 2005. These postal offices employed 28 mail carriers. Borongan had three post offices and four mail carriers while all the other municipalities had only one mail carrier. Four private cargo forwarders, namely: LBC, JRS Express, Aboitiz Cargo, and Western Union had been operating in Borongan and handling mails, parcels, and packages.

Radio Stations and Cable TVTwo AM radio stations are based in

Borongan and operate from 5:00 am to 9:30 pm. Both the government-owned DYES Radyo ng Bayan and the Catholic Church-controlled DYVW operate on a power of 10,000 watts. There are four FM stations based in Borongan, Guiuan, Salcedo, and Oras and have a power of 500 watts. There is no television station, but cable television services are available in 21 municipalities.

PowerElectricity is directly provided by the Eastern

Samar Electric Cooperative (ESAMELCO), which derives most of its power supply from the National Power Corporation (NPC)-operated Tongonan Geothermal Power Plant in Leyte. The interior towns of Maslog and Jipapad are served by solar-powered generating sets.

As of August 2006, 398 (66.6%) of all barangays in the province had been energized to serve a total of 35,797 (49%) of all households in the province. As of


December 2009, there was an increase in the number of energized barangays to 463 (77.5%). In terms of households from all municipalities, 45,096 (61.8%) of all potential households now have electricity.

Health FacilitiesIn 2006, the province had 12 government

hospitals, 10 private hospitals and clinics, 26 municipal health centers, and 104 barangay health stations. The government hospitals include one provincial hospital, five district hospitals, and six municipal hospitals. The combined bed capacity in government hospitals was 310, while private hospitals and clinics had 127 beds. The bed-to-population ratio was computed at 1:884.

Number and Location of SchoolsIn SY 2005-2006, Eastern Samar had a

total 469 elementary schools, 458 of which were government and seven were private schools, 66 secondary schools, and eight tertiary schools.

Among the government elementary schools, 304 were complete elementary and 154 were incomplete elementary and primary schools. Incomplete elementary schools were usually located in the small and hard-to-reach barangays with few enrollees.

Courses Offered The seven vocational schools has courses

in agriculture, crafts and home industries, arts and trades, and fisheries. Cours-es in tertiary schools, apart from post-secondary, were baccalaureate degrees in management, education, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, engineering, nursing and commerce. The lone state college in the province, the Eastern Samar State

University, has master’s programs in agriculture, education, and management and doctorate program in educational management.

E. Local Institutional Capability

IncomeThe provincial government earned a total

income of P386,216,737.02 in 2005, which was up by 7.6 percent from its income level of P359,103,607.82 in 2004. The total amount of income from local sources amounted to P22,458,807.99, which was 4.9 percent of the province’s total income. Tax revenues accounted for 42.1 percent while non-tax operating income stood at 57.8 percent. Meanwhile, income from external sources accounted for 95 percent of the total provincial income. Internal Revenue Allotment estimated at P432,389,658.25 constituted almost all (99.9%) of the exter-nally source-out income.

Administrative Structure The provincial government employed

a total of 1,101 regular personnel as of August 2006. Out of this, 47.72 percent (526) were women and while men comprise the remaining 52.23 percent. The Provincial Health Office, which has the mandate to deliver hospital and primary healthcare services, accounted for 47.8 percent of the total number of provincial govern-ment employees. The Provincial Engineer-ing Office, the infrastructure arm of the province, was the second biggest office with 167 staff, accounting for 15.17 percent of the provincial government employees.

Other big provincial government depart-ments were the Office of the Provincial Agricultural Services, General Services Office, and Sangguniang Panlalawigan.


Elected Officials During the period 2004 – 2010 the

governor of Eastern Samar was Hon. Ben P. Evardone. Hon Leander R. Geli was the vice-governor and acted as presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. During the May 2010 elections, Hon. Evardone was elected as Representative for the Lone Congressional District of Eastern Samar.

The Honorable Conrado B. Nicart, Jr. won as Governor during the May 2010 elections. The newly elected Vice-Governor is Hon. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales. Other officials who compose the Sanggu-niang Panlalawigan (SP) are as follows:

SP 1st District:MONTALLANA, Joji N.BALATO, Floro Sr. B.AKLAO, Aldwin U.CABATO, Celestino A.SUYOT, Byron M.

SP 2nd District:CABACABA, Gorgonio B.SABULAO, Enerio M.ABUDA, Jonas B.BALDONO, Jenny G.REYES, Beatriz L.

Civil SocietyNongovernment and people’s organi-

z a t i o n s c o m p l e m e n t t h e e f f o r t s o f government and business in the devel-opment of Eastern Samar. In 2006, 10 nongovernment organizations (NGOs) operated province wide by extending varied development services in educa-tion, potable water supply and sanita-t ion, and heal thcare. A few NGOs served as partners of government in environmental protection, agricultural development, and pol icy advocacy. In addition, there were 490 registered cooperatives. Of these, only 96 (19%) were operating in 2006. Services provid-ed were credit f inancing, market ing, transport services, processing and other developmental activities.


2277Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data PPrroovviinnccee ooff EEaasstteerrnn SSaammaarr

A. STATUS

Target 1: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day.

Poverty Incidence

Poverty Incidence is estimated using the proportion of the population who are living below the poverty threshold.

Part 2. Status Report

on the Millennium Development Goals

Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger


The off ic ial poverty threshold used depends on the period the CBMS survey was conducted in a particular municipality. Hence, the poverty threshold used in five municipalities---namely, Maslog, Jipapad, San Julian, San Policarpo, and Sulat---was P10,443 for urban areas and P11,638 for rural areas, both of which were based on the survey conducted in 2004. Fourteen municipalities, namely Arteche, Borongan, Can-avid, Dolores, Giporlos, Guiuan, Hernani, Lawaan, Llorente, Maydolong, Mercedes, Oras, Quinapondan, and Salcedo, had a poverty threshold of P11,566 for urban areas and P12,659 for rural areas

for the reference period 2005. For the refer-ence period of 2006, four municipalities of Balangiga, Balangkayan, General MacAr-thur, and Taft had a poverty threshold of P13,704 for urban areas and P13,257 for rural areas.

The CBMS survey in 2005-2006 indicates that there were 50,772 households, repre-senting 63.7 percent, in the province that were living below the poverty threshold. Poverty incidence was higher in the rural areas (69.3%) than in the urban areas (50.0%). Of the total population in Eastern Samar, 69.5 percent (or 268,104) were below the poverty threshold. Of the male population, 70.2 percent were below the poverty threshold while 68.7 percent of the female population fell below the poverty threshold.

Among the 22 municipalities and one (1) city, poverty incidence was highest in the interior municipalities of Jipapad (86.4%) and Maslog (85.4%), followed by General MacArthur (82.0%), Dolores (81.6%), and Hernani (81.3%). The lowest poverty incidence was in the city of Borongan with 53.1 percent and in the municipalities of Taft (61.2%) and Oras (63.0%). The poverty incidence of the rest of the municipalities ranged from 66.0 percent to 81.6 percent. This indicates that majority of the members are living below the poverty threshold, as evidenced by the provincial estimate of 69.5 percent.


Map 1. Proportion of Population Below Poverty Threshold by Municipality


Table 5. Magnitude and Proportion of Households/Population Living Below the Poverty Threshold, by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006


Subsistence Incidence

Subsistence incidence is estimated using the proportion of households and the population who are living below the food threshold.

The food thresholds in f ive munici-palities: Maslog, Jipapad, San Julian, San Policarpo, and Sulat for reference year 2004 were set at P8,196 for urban areas and P8,352 for rural areas. With 2006 as reference year for Balangiga, Balangkayan, General MacArthur, and Taft, the food threshold was at P9,795 for urban areas and P9,813 for rural areas. Finally, for majority (14) of the munici-palities (Arteche, Borongan, Can-avid, Dolores, Giporlos, Guiuan, Hernani, Lawaan, Llorente, Maydolong, Mercedes, Oras, Quinapondan, and Salcedo), food threshold for reference year 2005 was set at P9,078 for urban and P 9,085 for rural areas.

The CBMS survey shows that in 2005-2006,

majority (52.9%) of households were living below the food threshold. This translates to a poverty rate of 59.4 percent among the population. A higher proportion of the households in the rural areas (57.7%) were living below subsistence level as compared to those in the urban areas (41.4%). Of the total males, 60 percent were below the food threshold while 58.7 percent of the females were considered poor.

Municipalities with the highest proportion of their population living below the subsis-tence level were Jipapad (80.2%), Dolores (75.7%), Maslog (75.3%), and Arteche (75.1%). Borongan, as the capital town and commercial center, had the lowest propor-tion of residents living below subsistence level: 42.3 percent. The other two lowest were Taft at 50.6 percent; and Oras at 51.1 percent. Other municipalities ranged over the 50 percent mark, suggesting that majority of the population were below the subsistence level.

Table 6. Magnitude and Proportion of Households/Population Living Below the Food Threshold, by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006


Map 2. Proportion of Population Living Below Food Threshold by Municipality



Poverty Gap Ratio

Poverty gap ratio (based on poverty threshold) is defined as the “mean distance separating the population from the poverty line (with the nonpoor given the distance of zero), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line.” The poverty gap ratio of the province is 0.4 with the urban areas having a lower poverty gap ratio of 0.3 compared to the rural area’s 0.4.

Map 3. Poverty Gap Ratio by Municipality


Eight municipalit ies had the highest poverty gap ratio of 0.5; namely, Jipapad, Dolores, Hernani, Arteche, General MacAr-thur, Maslog, Giporlos, and Mercedes. The municipalities of Llorente, Balangiga, Sulat, Maydolong, Can-avid, and Balangkayan had poverty gap ratios of 0.4. This was followed by San Julian, Lawaan, Salcedo, Guiuan, Taft, Quinapondan and Oras with 0.3 poverty gap ratios. Those places with the lowest at 0.2 were San Policarpo and Borongan.

Target 1B. Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people

Employment RateConsidered employed in this study are

those who are 15 years old and over as of their last birthday during the reference period and reported as either at work, or with a job but not at work. Employment rate is estimated using the total number of employed persons against the total number of persons in the labor force. In 2005-2006, according to the CBMS survey, the total members of the labor force is 143,530, which is about 37.2 percent of the total population in the province.

In 2005-2006, the employment rate in the province was at 77.7 percent, according to the CBMS survey. Males had a higher proport ion (83.7%) than the females (65.5%). Surprisingly, the employment rate in the rural areas (79.0%) was higher than in the urban areas (74.6%).

Employment rates in 2005-2006 were highest in Quinapondan (87.4%), Can-avid (85.1%), Oras (84.6%), Maydolong

Table 7. Poverty Gap Ratio by Urban/Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006



(83.4%), Jipapad (81.2%), San Julian (81.2%), and Guiuan (80.7%). Lowest rates were in Hernani at 61.6 percent, Giporlos at 68.5 percent, and Taft at 68.8 percent. Twelve of the municipalities were above the provincial rate while 11, including the lone city of Borongan, were below the provincial estimate.

Target 1C. Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

Proportion of Households who Experienced Food Shortage

Food shortage is the experience of hunger and not having anything to eat in. The CBMS survey reports that only 12.76 percent of the households experienced food shortage in 2005-2006. There were more in the rural areas (13.5%) than those in the urban areas who experienced hunger. Of the total population, 13.8 percent experi-enced food shortage. A higher proportion of the males (14.1%) than of the females (13.6%) experienced the same.

Food shortage was experienced by majority of its population only in the munici-pality of Maslog (68.9%). This is followed by Balangiga (45.6%) and Sulat (38.0%). Seven municipalities had below 10 percent of its population experiencing food short-age in the last three months prior to the

Table 8. Employment Rate by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Eastern Samar 2005-2006


Map 4. Employment Rate by Municipality


Table 9. Proportion of Households Who Experienced Food Shortage and by Urban/Rural, Eastern Samar 2006



Map 5. Food Shortage by Municipality


survey, with Dolores having the lowest at 5.6 percent. Thirteen of the municipalities had rates above the provincial percentage of 13.8 percent while the rest (around 10) municipalities fell below.

Prevalence of underweight children under 5 years old

The nutritional status of children below five years of age was determined through the Operation Timbang (OPT) results using the International Reference Standard where children having moderately and severely

below normal weights were classified as either underweight or malnourished, respectively.

In 2005-2006, the CBMS survey shows that 6.7 percent (or 3,055 of 45,347 children) in the province who are under five years of age were underweight. Females had a slightly higher prevalence (6.9%) than the males (6.6%). Those in the rural areas had a much higher prevalence (7.5%) than those in the urban (4.8%).

Based on this indicator, malnutrition was highest in Jipapad (64.2%), followed

Table 10. Prevalence of Underweight Children Under 5 Years of Age, by Sex and by Urban/Rural Eastern, Samar 2006


Map 6. Prevalence of Underweight Children Under 5 Years of Age



by Maslog (20.7%), both of which are interior municipalities. Ten municipalities had prevalence ranging from 4.4 percent to 14.7 percent. The rest had proportions of malnourished children ranging from 0.2 percent to under 4 percent, with Can-avid garnering the lowest rate at 0.2 percent. While eight municipalities were above the provincial average of 6.7 percent, Balan-giga was at par and the rest of the fourteen municipalities were below the average.

B. CURRENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS

Poverty Alleviation ProgramTo respond to the poverty and hunger

issues, the provincial government conduct-ed the Provincial Anti-poverty Summit in 2007 and the Food Summit in 2008, which resulted in a multi-sectoral comprehen-sive collaboration in facing the issues on poverty.

The Poverty Alleviation Program of the

province provides for livelihood assistance to cooperatives, Non-government Organi-zations (NGOs), People’s Organizations (POs) and other community organizations in the form of loans and equipment. Through the Agriculture Product Diversification and Intensification Program of the Office of the Provincial Agricultural Services (OPAS), the provincial government distributed 340 hand tractors and 100 shallow tube wells to individual farmers and associations or cooperatives at low interest rates and affordable counterparts.

Additional income is provided to farmers through the Barangay Livestock Breed-ing Loan Program and Goat Dispersal Program. Since 2006, a total of 343 heads

of cattle, 90 heads of carabao, and 254 goats were distributed to farmers in different municipalities.

The Fishery Conservation Project involved campaigns on fishery conservation on both marine and inland resources. The project also included artificial reef development, fish shelter sanctuaries, and campaign on anti-illegal fishing. To help the fisher folk, the provincial government distributed 200 units of marine engines to fisher folks at low interest rate and affordable down payment requirement.

Employment ProgramThe Employment Assistance Program

of the Provincial Government provides assistance in finding job opportunities, both locally and overseas. Since 2004, seven job fairs were organized by the province to provide opportunities for local and overseas employment. From a total of 2,797 applicants who registered, 1,627 or 58.16 percent qualified for employment.

Since 2007, P2 million was allocated for the Overseas Support Program, a loan facility with minimal interest for the place-ment fee of qualified overseas job seekers. Fifteen recipients availed of such loan at P50,000 each and one recipient has already paid in full.

In line with this, from 2005-2009, the Technical Education and Skills Develop-ment Authority (TESDA) has been able to train 42,801 individuals and out of which 91.17 percent (or 29,022) had graduated. It was able to assess 22,821 applicants from various centers and provided certification to 78 percent (17,759) of those assessed. Of those given an assessment, a total of 6,714


were reported as employed. There remains more of those who were employed but not reported at all.

From 2006-2009, TESDA provided schol-arship under the Pangulo Gloria Scholarship (PGS) along areas with high employment potentials; example, welders, butchers, plumbers, housekeepers,and domestic helpers. The most outstanding course is the one for butchers as it produced 29 graduates who were sent to Canada. This is followed by welders, which is in demand abroad and locally in shipbuilding companies such as Hanjin and Aboitiz. The Provincial Government gave scholarships to 808 TESDA trainees while the Pangulong Gloria Scholarship Program supported 1,412 scholars.

On the second semester of 2009, TESDA focused on helping its graduates land gainful employment through its jobs bridg-ing program. So far, there are three opera-tional blue desks, or employment desks, strategically placed in the three TESDA institutions: ANAS, BNAS and SNSAT.

Every summer since 2004, the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) of the Provincial Government provides summer jobs for qualified students aged 15 to 25 years. A total of 1,148 students have already availed of this program for the past 6 years. For this summer, 250 slots will be made available to qualified students. This is jointly funded by the LGU (60%) and DOLE (40%).

KALAHI - CIDSSThe most impoverished barangays in

the province became recipients of the World Bank -assisted Kapit-Bisig Laban sa

Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) project, which was jointly implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Ant i-Poverty Commission (NAPC) to counteract poverty in the country. From 2004-2006, the 101 poorest barangays in the municipalities of Sulat, Maslog, Jipapad, Can-avid, Balangiga, and San Policarpo received economic support, physical infra-structure, basic service infrastructure, and capability-building activities amounting to P72 million. The local counterpart amounted to P29.8 million.

Cooperatives DevelopmentAs of June 2007, there were 513 coopera-

tives that were registered in Eastern Samar. Twenty percent were categorized as operating after the conduct of a series of delisting of non-operating businesses which resulted in their dissolution or cancellation. By revitalizing the Provincial Cooperative Development Council, which was chaired by Governor Ben P. Evardone, capability building activities and technical assistance were made possible through coordination with member agencies.

Through the Cooperat ives Savings Mobilization and Capital Build-up Program (SMCBUP), innovative savings mobiliza-tion and capital build-up schemes were developed by the cooperatives themselves. In 2006, 89 cooperatives in Eastern Samar generated P8,08 million in savings and almost P3.2 million increase in capital.

Tindahan Natin ProgramThis is a poverty alleviation project initiat-

ed by the national government for employ-ment generation, livelihood, and food


security. The project provides government-subsidized quality rice and noodles through a store jointly identified and endorsed by DSWD, City and Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices of the LGUs and the Barangay Council. This has accred-ited 125 Tindahan Natin Operators and benefited 28,866 low-income families in 298 barangays in the province..

This program has resulted in meeting the demand for quality rice at less cost among poor families in far-flung areas. Qualified operators were given the opportunity to avail of the program and to manage a simple business.

Infrastructure SupportInfrastructure support in the form of roads and

bridges are necessary to facilitate development in the countryside. A total of 107 infrastructure projects were undertaken from 2004 - 2009, 56 of which were farm-to-market roads worth P102 million while 17 farm-to-market roads worth P50 million are still for bidding. From 2008-2010, a total of 610.62 kilometers of barangay, municipal, and provincial roads were repaired, rehabilitated and opened. Meanwhile, during the period 2005-2010, a total of P316.3 million was utilized for infrastruc-ture projects, with 72 percent of the funding from the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the amount of P100 million, from National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) worth P100 million and from the European Commission (EC) grant of P27.6 million.

Agrarian Reform Community Projects (ARCPs) funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) constructed 17 farm-to-market roads that are 61.231 kilometers in length and costing P137 million. Locally funded ARCPs (provincial counterpart) completed

10 farm-to-market roads 60.437 kilometers long and costing P12.931 million. Three President’s bridges worth P13.8 million in Borongan, Guiuan and Sulat were also completed.

The Infrastructure for Rural Productiv-ity Enhancement Sector (InFRES) Project, which has a long-term goal of increasing rural income in areas with high agricultural potential provided assistance worth more than P400 mill ion for the construction of 139.19 kilometers of farm-to-market roads in Can-avid, Arteche, Maslog, Balangkayan, Maydolong, Hernani, Sulat, and Dolores.

Food Fortification ProgramThe provincial government, through

the Provinc ia l Heal th Off ice, began implementing in 2000 the Philippine Food Fortification Act of 2000 or RA 8976. This law mandates that staple food such as rice, sugar, flour, and oil be fortified with iron and Vitamin A. In line with this, the Food Fortification Program of the province aims to fight and eliminate micronutrient malnutrition by increasing dietary intake of Vitamin A, iron, and iodine equivalent to 50 percent of RDA contributed by forti-fied foods.

In relation to this, the micronutrient supplementation through the Garantisa-dong Pambata service provides a bi-annual week-long delivery of a package of health services to children between ages 0 – 71 months old with the purpose of reducing morbidity and mortality among them. This is achieved through the promotion of positive Filipino values for proper child growth and development. This period of implementation started in 1995 and is still ongoing.


F o r i t s e f f o r t s , t h e p r o v i n c e w a s g i v e n n a t i o n a l r e c o g n i t i o n a s t h e Garant i sadong Pambata Champion of Region VI I I for a consis tent ly h igh accompl ishment in Vi tamin A supple-mentat ion and deworming of chi ldren f rom 2007-2009.

Pabasa Sa NutrisyonThis is an information-sharing type of activ-

ity where mothers of malnourished children are taught how to properly select and prepare family meals that are affordable yet nutritious for the prevention and control of malnutrition. This was implemented in the municipalities of Arteche, Jipapad, Maslog, Lawaan, Balangi-ga, Giporlos, General Macarthur, Borongan, Sulat, Can-avid, Dolores, San Policarpo,

Llorente, Salcedo, Oras, and Balangkayan in 2006 and 2007 and in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program sites of Maydolong and Guiuan. This resulted in decreased malnutrition and increased in the knowledge, attitudes and skills of mothers in the prevention and control of malnutrition. Sources of funds include United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), PLAN International and local government units.

Home, School and Community Food ProductionThis includes setting up of kitchen gardens

in homes, schools, and communities; putting up of demo centers and nurseries, distribu-tion of plant materials, small animals/finger-lings and provision of technical assistance in food production.

3366

This is a locally ini-tiated project at Brgy. Punta Maria, Borongan, E. Samar, conceptual-ized and implemented by the Barangay Nutri-tion Committee (BNC) through the Barangay

Nutrition Scholar (BNS) with assistance from PNC as a strategic approach to address the mal-nutrition problem in the area. Th e three major program components are: Pabasa sa Nutrisyon, Supplemental Feeding and the “G” Strategy (Gardening Component).

Th e benefi ciaries were pre-school and school children, pregnant and lactating women, mothers and/or caregivers, nutritionally-at-risk families and the entire community.

As a result of this best practice, the malnutri-

tion prevalence for both pre-school and school children was reduced in 2008 from 20.41% to 10.2% and from 22.41% to 5.17%, respectively.

For this best practice, the barangay was the recipient of a Provincial award as Most Outstand-ing Barangay Nutrition Committee and the BNS as the Most Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar in 2008.

Pabasa sa Nutrisyon Cum Supplemental Feeding Program Plus ÂGÊ (PSN CUM SF Plus G)


Food For School ProgramImplemented by the Department of

Education (DepEd), the Food for School Program is an immediate intervention to address hunger among families through their children in Department of Education-supervised Pre-elementary and Grade 1. It is a form of food subsidy for young learners who belong to poor families, providing a daily ration of one kilo of iron-fortified rice for a limited period of time. As long as the child goes to school everyday, the family is assured of rice on its table. The implemen-tation period was 90 days in September to December 2006, 15 days in March 2007, 40 days in April-June 1, 2007 and 19 days in September 2007.

Those who were benefited were 7,833 Grade 1 pupils and pre-elementary children in the municipalities of Arteche, Balangiga, Balangkayan, Borongan, General MacAr-thur, Giporlos, Hernani, Jipapad, Lawaan, Maslog, Mercedes, Quinapondan, Salce-do, San Julian, San Policarpo, and Sulat.

As a result of this intervention, there was improved school attendance as well as nutritional status of school children. Moreover, complimentary activities were undertaken to ensure the sustainability to mitigate hunger. Such activities included School/Home/Community Food Production, Productivity, Life and Values Development Training, and Nutrition, Information and Education.

ASIN Law Implementation As part of the effort to address the micro-

nutrient deficiency problem, President Fidel V. Ramos in 1993 launched Salt Iodization through the “Ending Hidden Hunger” Conference. The ASIN Law or RA 8172 “An

Act Promoting Salt Iodization Nationwide” was passed in December 1995, requiring that all food grade salt for human and animal consumption be iodized.

To comply with this law, all municipali-ties and the province itself have enacted their respective ordinances in support of the national program. Regular monitoring of salt iodization program implementation is conducted, through the leadership of the Provincial Health Office and the Rural Health Units. Salt utilization at the house-hold level is monitored by the “Sangkap Pinoy” Task Force. In the province, there is a 97-percent iodized salt utilization.

C. CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES FOR ACTION

Income and EmploymentAlthough the province has graduated

from the “Club 20”, or the Top 20 Poorest Provinces, its poverty incidence of 69.5 percent, according to the CBMS survey, is still high and remains as one of the most important challenges. The obvious causes of poverty in Eastern Samar is its relatively undeveloped and stagnant economy, which, to a large degree, accounts for the lack of/or insufficiency of income of the poor families and the high unemployment rate. The province’s economy is dominated by primary (agriculture, fishing) or extrac-tive industries, which by themselves are low-income generating activities.

Priority should be focused on raising the level of income and providing more oppor-tunities for employment. At the barangay and municipal levels, more funds should be provided for the Self-Employment Assistance Program of the Municipal Social Welfare


Offices to encourage more individuals and groups toward self-sufficiency. Small and medium enterprises should be supported and given greater focus, especially in the marketing of products. At the provincial level, the Employment Assistance Program should be intensified.

Subsistence IncidenceThe proportion of the population living

below the subsistence level is also high at 59.4 percent which means that majority do not have enough income to buy basic food needs. Agricultural productivity needs to be stepped up to increase the rice sufficiency level from its present 57 percent. Other products such as coconut, abaca, corn, root crops and their by-products need a boost to increase their production and marketing.

Malnutrition and Food Shortage

The 2008 Comprehensive Report for the project "Towards an Integrated Anemia Prevention and Control Programme in the Philippines” by the Institute of Human Nutri-tion and Food of the College of Human

Ecology of University of the Philippines-Los Baños, has identified anemia as a “public health problem that requires immediate attention in the province of Eastern Samar”. The anemia situation revealed a high (40%) and moderate (13%) magnitude of anemia among children 6-36 months old and among non-pregnant, non-lactating Women of Reproductive Age (WRA), respectively. There is a need for an integrated approach to address iron deficiency, which is the most significant determinant of anemia.

The fol lowing are the other related challenges: (1) Sustainability of the volun-teer program through the Barangay Nutri-tion Scholar Program; (2) Limited supply of deworming tablets and micronutrients; (3) Support of local officials and beneficiaries; (4) Intensification of nutrition programs and services in municipalities with high incidence of malnutrition, such as Jipapad (64.2%) and Maslog (20.7%); (5) Focus on the municipalities with high incidence of food shortage such as Maslog (68.9%), Balangiga (45.6%), and Sulat (38%).



Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary EducationA. STATUS

Target 2A. Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling

Proportion of Children Aged 6-12 Years Old Enrolled in Elementary Education

The CBMS survey covered a total of 75,448 children who were 6-12 years old

at the time of the survey. Of this, 57,763 (76.6%) were enrolled in elementary. The females had a slightly higher proportion (78.1%) of enrollees than did the males (75.1%). Those in the urban areas also had a slightly higher (77.6%) proportion than those in the rural areas (76.1%).

Municipalities with the lowest proportion of children ages 6-12 years old and enrolled were Hernani (59.2%), Maslog (63.9%), and Jipapad (68.9%). Those with the highest enrollment were in the municipalities

Table 11. Magnitude and Proportion of Children Age 6-12 Years Old Enrolled in Elementary Education, by Sex and by Urban/ Rural, 2005-2006



of Mercedes (84.4%), Guiuan (80.8%), Balangkayan (79.5%), Lawaan (79.3%), Salcedo (79.1%) and Borongan (79.0%). Other municipalities ranged between 72.5 percent and 78.5 percent.

Based on the provincial average of 76.6 percent, there are 11 municipalities that fall below and 12 that are above such average. To attain a 100 percent or universal enroll-ment for these primary school children by 2015, the 23.4 percent have to be enrolled.

Proportion of Children Aged 13-16 YearsOld Enrolled in High School

There was a total of 38,762 children aged 13 – 16 years old as indicated in the CBMS survey. Of this, only 22,001 (56.8%) were enrolled in high school. Of the 18,871 females, only 64.6 percent were enrolled while of the 19,891 males, only 49.3 were enrolled. There was a significantly higher proportion of females than males enrolled. The proportion of enrollment in the urban areas was higher (66.0%) than in the rural areas (52.8%). At 43.2 percent (16,761), one sees that there is still a large portion of the popula-tion of 13-16 year olds who are yet to be enrolled in high school by 2015 if the universal target for secondary education is to be achieved.

The lowest proportion of enrollees was in the municipalities of Maslog (21.8%), J ipapad (29.8%), Ar teche (42.6%), Hernani (46.2%), and General MacArthur (47.6%). Majority of their children ages 13-16 were not enrolled in high school. Meanwhile the highest proport ion of enrollees was in Sulat at 66.1 percent. Other municipalities ranged from 50.3 percent to 63.9 percent. Eleven out of the 23 municipalit ies were above the provincial average of 56.8 percent while 12 were below such average.

Map 7. Children Aged 6 -12 Years Old Enrolled in Elementary Education


Table 12. Magnitude and Proportion of Children Aged-13-16 Years Old Enrolled in High School by Sex and by Urban/Rural,Eastern Samar 2005-2006



Map 8. Children Aged 13 - 16 Years Old Enrolled in High School by Municipality


Map 9. Proportion of Children Aged 6 – 16 Years Old Enrolled in School


The h ighest propor t ion of children ages 6-16 years and enrolled in school regardless of level, were in the municipalities of Salcedo (88.7%), Sulat (87.2%) and the city of Borongan (87.1%). The lowest proportions that were enrolled in school were in the municipalities of Hernani (66.0%), M a s l o g ( 7 2 . 2 % ) , J i p a p a d (73.2%), Arteche (78.5%) and General MacArthur (79%). The other municipalities had propor-tions ranging from 80.6 percent to 89.9 percent. Compared to the provincial average of 83.5 percent, 13 out of the 23 munici-palities fell above while 10 of the municipalities were below this.

Proportion of Children aged 6-16 Years Old Enrolled in School

There were 114,210 children who were 6-16 years old at the time of the CBMS survey in 2005-2006. Of these, 95,418 or 83.5 percent were enrolled regardless of the grade level. Of the 58,822 males, 80.4 percent or 47,303 were enrolled while of the 55,387 females, a total of 48,303 or 86.9 percent were enrolled. A higher propor-tion in the urban areas (86.4%) than in the rural areas (82.4%) were in school. To attain a 100 percent enrollment by 2015, 16.5 percent (or a total of 18,792) of these children need to be enrolled in school.


Literacy Rate of 15-24 Year-olds

S imp le l i t e racy ra te i s measured in terms of the percentage of the popula-tion who can read, write and understand simple messages in any language or dialect. Based on the CBMS survey, the literacy rate of 15- 24 year-olds was at 96.6 percent in 2006. Females (97.7%) had a higher literacy rate than males (95.6%). Those in the urban areas (97.9%) had a higher literacy rate than those in the rural areas (96.0%).

Literacy rates were high in Mercedes (99.0%), San Policarpo (98.6%), Guiuan (98.1%) and Hernani (98.1%). Maslog had the lowest literacy rate at 80.8 percent while the rest of the municipalities had literacy rates ranging from 94.1 to 97.4 percent. Only seven of the municipalities fell below the provincial average of 96.6 while the rest of the sixteen (16) were above it.

Map 10. Literacy Rate of 15- 24 Year-Olds

Table 13. Magnitude and Proportion of Children Aged 6-16 Years Old Enrolled in School by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Eastern Samar 2005-2006


Table 14. Literacy Rate of 15-24 Years Olds, by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Eastern Samar 2005-2006





Access to Basic EducationRepublic Act 9155 provides, among

others, free education for primary and secondary Filipino children. Aside from the basic education courses offered in primary and secondary schools, education is also provided for target groups through the Alternative Learning System. This program provides out-of-school youth and adult learners greater opportunity to continue learning outside the formal school system at their own pace and style of learning and at their most favorable time and place.

Pre-School Program / Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD)

This DepEd program links children’s home experiences to every part of school learning proceedings. This further intends to enhance pupil’s readiness on the first ladder of basic education to prevent massive dropouts. Such program is offered by both public and private institutions to children aging 3-5 years old.

The ECCD Program through the Day Care Service provided early childhood training and psychosocial stimulation activities to a total of 63,026 children within the 3-5 age group, an impressive improvement from 11,000 children in 2004. At present, the province ranks second region-wide in the percentage of Grade 1 pupils with ECCD (68.83%) and garnered a batting average that is higher than the regional percent-age (61.22%). The program currently has 550 day care centers in the province, an increase from 373 in 2004. All 549 day care workers are subsidized by the Provincial Government. There were 555 children without access to day care centers but were

also able to experience education through 47 organized Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP) groups or Home-based ECCD.

Basic Education Information SystemThis Basic Education Information System

(BEIS) serves as the primary Management and Information System of the DepEd. It processes and generates data needed for planning, budget preparation, resource allocation and performance indicators. Updated data in the BEIS rainbow spectrum indicated specific needs that resulted in the construction of additional classrooms, delivery of additional school furniture to both elementary and secondary schools and deployment of teacher items to “Hot Colored Schools” both in the elementary and secondary levels.

Child Friendly School System

The implementation of this Child Friendly School System program started in 1999, along the Country Program for Children V of the UNICEF. The major goals included wider access to quality education, encour-agement of integrated childhood care and development, and helping parents meet the basic learning needs of children.

Completion of Incomplete Elementary SchoolsTo widen access to basic education

particularly in remote barangays, primary schools are turned into complete elemen-tary schools. This saves the pupils from going to nearby communities just so they can continue their elementary education.

Multi-Grade ProgramMulti-grade classes are established in

barangays, especially in thinly populated, remote areas where the enrolment does not


warrant the organization of single or mono grade classes. This program makes basic education accessible to the less fortunate and underprivileged Filipinos.

Every Child a Reader Program (ECARP)The program aims to make every child a

reader at the end of the third year of instruc-tion. Through a well-balanced reading

program, such will develop the reading readiness, word-recognition/vocabulary, comprehension, study and literacy appre-ciation skills of the children. Under this program, there are provisions for regular monitoring of reading instructions; regular diagnosis and evaluation of the reading status of pupils in both oral and silent reading, and the adoption of varied reading projects in the school and district levels.

BACKGROUND / RATIONALE:

• The CBMS survey in 2006 showed that Her-nani had one of the high-est proportions of children 13 – 16 years old who were not enrolled in high school (53.8%).

• Th ere are many youth who are unable to enroll due to poverty and dif-fi culty in accessing schools

OBJECTIVES:• As one of the programs of the Alternative

Learning System, this is intended for those who are not able to complete the ten-year basic edu-cation in the formal school system who are 15 years old and above.

• Th is aims to deliver basic education services to the underserved, deprived and depressed sectors of the community with limited access to formal education

• To sustain the learner’s participation in the A & E System and answer the special and individual learning needs of learners who are elementary and secondary dropouts, 15 years old and above, who lack time in attending learning sessions.

KEY FEATURES:• Learning activities are conducted individually

in the home of the learner at a regular schedule as agreed upon by the learners and the Mobile Teacher

• Flexible learning services are provided to out of school youth and adults so that they may be able to continue learning outside the framework of the school system and upgrade their literacy skills and competencies.

RESULTS:• In 2006, there were 15 enrollees from Brgy.

Nagaja and 20 from Brgy. Batang.• Supported by PLAN Philippines, a consid-

erable increase in the enrolment in the A & E System was observed in the District of Hernani

• In 2007, 15 out of 25 learners were able to pass the A & E Test for secondary level. Th e District of Hernani got the highest percentage of passers (25%) in the Division and the result was above the Division average percentage.

LESSON LEARNED• Th ere is a need for policy support and corre-

sponding budgetary allocation at the municipal level in order to sustain the implementation of the ALS programs and projects.

Home-Based Learning Program on Accreditation and Equivalency (The Hernani Experience)


Likewise, continuous capability building of school heads and teachers is designed just so their instructional and managerial competence would improve. In line with this program, too, some reading policies are adhered to by the division, such as: “No read, No Pass Policy”, “Let a Child Read a Day”, “Drop Everything and Read”, and “Developing Study Habits Through Assignments”.

School-based Management (SMB)The School-based Management program

is popularized by empowering school heads to come up with strategic plans to address the specific needs and problems of their respective schools in line with curriculum and instruction, physical facilities, person-nel capability building, management of educational services and networking with stakeholders, including government and non-government organizations. This values the involvement of the School Governing Council in the implementation of school programs, projects and activities, including the preparation of the School Improvement Plan (SIP).

Intensive Collaboration with StakeholdersThe crucial role that stakeholders play

in the effective implementation of school programs and projects cannot be denied. Hence, schools undergo several activities in order to establish harmonious relation-ships with their public: the parents, the community, the church, the government and nongovernment agencies, and other institu-tions which might have vested interest in the education of the youth. The most prevalent organization that supports the school plans

is PLAN Philippines, that covers the munici-palities of Salcedo, Llorente, Balangkayan, and Hernani.

Stakeholders are involved in planning, implementing and evaluating projects. They are invited and recognized in school programs and activities. They are consulted on issues and concerns directly affecting the children and the school. The Parent-Teacher Associat ions (PTAs) and the Student Government Council (SGC) are active partners of the school in fund generation for projects, while the government entities are usually sources of fund for these projects.

Scholarship ProgramSince 2009, the Provincial Govern-

ment has been assisting students at the Eastern Samar State University and St. Mary’s College campuses in the province. The Academic Scholarship Program has amounted to P8.75 million. More than 50 of the scholars have already graduated.


One of the major challenges being faced by the government is how to reduce dropout rates both in elementary and secondary level. This is primarily because of the relatively high proportion of children who are not in school. In fact, more than 23.4 percent of children with ages 6-12 years are not enrolled in elementary education while more than 43.2 percent of children 13-16 years old are not enrolled in secondary school education. More than 16.5 percent of children 6-16 years old who are not enrolled in school.



Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality

A. STATUS

Target 3A. Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

Ratio of Girls to Boys in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Education

The CBMS survey indicates that in 2005-2006,the ratio of girls to boys in elementary education in relation to the total population of primary school children was 0.9 or 9 girls to 10 boys. There are also more boys than girls in elementary school in urban (0.9) and in rural (0.9) areas. For secondary schools, the ratio of girls to boys in relation to the total population of second-ary school children is 1.1 or 11 girls to 10 boys. There are also more girls in the urban

Table 15. Ratio of Girls to Boys in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Levels, by Urban/Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006



Map 12. Ratio of Girls to Boys in Secondary Education


(1.1) than in rural (1.1) schools. The same picture shows for tertiary level students. Of the total population of tertiary students, the ratio of girls to boys is 1.1 or 11 girls to 10 boys. In urban and rural areas, there is the same ratio of 1.1 each. In the 15-24 year–old category, the ratio of females to males is 0.9 vis-à-vis the total population of this age category. There are also nine literate females per 10 males in urban and rural areas, giving a 0.9 ratio each.

There is gender equality in primary education in eight municipalities: Arteche, Balangkayan, Mercedes, San Policarpo, Maydolong, Quinapondan, San Julian, and Maslog with a 1.0 ratio each of girls to boys. The rest of the 15 municipalities and one city each had a ratio of 0.9 girls to boys in primary education, which was comparable to the provincial average of 0.9. There were only nine girls to every 10 boys who were in school in these municipalities.

In the secondary education, there was a disparity in the ratio of girls to boys in almost all the municipalities except for Lawaan’s 1.0 ratio. Most of the municipali-ties had a higher ratio favoring girls, with 11 municipalities having a 1.1 ratio and 10 with a 1.2 ratio. It was only in Hernani where there is a 0.9 ratio, indicating more boys than girls enrolled in primary education.

The ratio of girls to boys in tertiary education shows the widest disparity was in General MacArthur and Quinapondan with a 1.5 ratio each, indicating more girls than boys in tertiary education. These were followed by San Policarpo (1.4), Giporlos (1.3) and Dolores (1.3). Twelve other municipalities had disparities, albeit to a lesser degree: ranging from 1.11.2. Only

Map 11. Ratio of Girls to Boys in Primary Education



Map 14. Ratio of Literate Females to Males

Hernani and Sulat showed a ratio of 1.0 each, indicating equal numbers of girls and boys. In four municipalities however, the ratio indicated more boys than girls in Taft (0.9), Arteche (0.9), Lawaan (0.9) and Maslog (0.8).There were eight municipali-ties that were at par with the provincial ratio of 1.1. Nine had higher ratios while six had lower-than=average ratios.

Ratio of Literate Females to Literate Males Aged 15-24 Years Old

Generally, there were more literate males than females with the ratio of 0.9, except in Maslog (1.1) and in Balangkayan where there was no disparity (1.0). In the other 21 municipalities, ratios ranged from 0.8 to 0.9. Sixteen municipalities were at par with the provincial ratio of 0.9 while two (2) were above and five (5) were below.

Proportion of Seats Held by Women in the Munici-pality and Province

Women’s opportunities in political and public roles are closely linked to women’s empowerment. The number of elective seats held by women in the municipalities and in the province is expressed as a percentage of all occupied elective seats. The propor-tion of elective seats held by women was highest in San Policarpo (79.7%), Lawaan (78.5%), and Sulat (56.3%). Lowest were in Jipapad (30.0%), Balangiga (32.0%), and San Julian (35.5%). The rest of the munici-palities ranged from 37 percent to 53.7 percent. Fifteen municipalities were below the provincial percentage of 46.5 percent and only eight were higher, suggesting a lower participation of women compared to men in the political arena.

Map 13. Ratio of Girls to Boys in Tertiary Education




B.CURRENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS

Women Empowerment and Development

The Eastern Samar Gender and Devel-opment (GAD) Code of 2008 embodies women’s empowerment, gender equality, women’s human rights and gender-respon-sive development. Among other things, it provides for their protection; participation in political processes; economic welfare and security; reproductive rights; marital and parental rights; right to education, adequate healthcare, humane living condi-tions: and other rights. To ensure the imple-mentation of all GAD programs and activi-ties, a GAD budget of 5 percent from the General Fund and 20-percent Development Fund of the Province shall be allocated. The

GAD Code also provided for the creation of the Provincial Gender and Development (PGAD) Council that ensures the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of GAD programs and activities.

The United Nations Popula-tion Fund’s (UNFPA) 6th Country Programme of Assistance to the Province of Eastern Samar in the three pilot municipalities of Sulat, Maydolong, and Llorente starting 2005 focuses on three component areas: Population and Develop-ment Strategies, Reproductive Health, and Gender. The expected outcome of the Gender compo-nent is strengthened institutional mechanisms and socio-cultural practices to promote and protect the rights of women and girls, and

advance gender and equality.

The UNFPA provides f inancial and technical assistance to the projects that aim, among other things, to mainstream gender issues through legal and policy reforms, gender-sensitive data collection, and prevention of gender-based violence.

Interventions initiated in the three UNFPA pilot areas resulted in:

1. The creation of a gender-friendly environment with support structures.

• Gender Code/Ordinance in place in the province (Provincial Ordinance No. 7, s. 2008) and adopted in the three pilot municipalities;

• Regular meeting of Provincial GAD Council to discuss emerging GAD issues and concerns;

Map 15. Proportion of Seats Held by Women in Elected Positions



• Creation of Provincial Gender Network (Pro-GenderNet) composed of lady legisla-tors, heads of offices, faith-based organiza-tions, and educators;

• Creation of Gender Champions in Media;

• Formation of Men Opposed to Violence Everywhere (MOVE) local chapters;

2. Steady GAD allocation in the LGUs.3. Increasing number of clients availing

of Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) center services (3 VAWC centers in the 3 pilot areas, Provincial Crisis Center and Provincial Women and Child Protection Unit).

4. Trained 19 service providers of VAW composed of 10 Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDOs), two social workers, three house parents, four Women and Child Protection Unit (WCPU) staff (doctor, medical social worker, police officer, houseparent).

5. Continued operation of VAWC centers and other similar institutions while adhering to performance standards and protocol and providing services such as psychosocial care, medical health, protection and safety, clothing and personal items, paralegal/legal assistance, livelihood (Llorente), IEC/Advocacy and even financial assistance to defray schooling in formal and Non-Formal Education (NFE).

6. Forging of partnership with stakehold-ers.

• VAWC partnerships with PLAN Philip-pines, Oikos, Perfetta;

• MOVE partnerships with PLAN, Philip-pine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and other government organizations, includ-ing provincial, municipal and barangay officials;

• Partnership with media practitioners highlighting reproductive health discussions in radio programs.


The following are the challenges being faced by the government and priorities for action in terms of achieving the Goal 3 targets:

1. To eliminate the disparity of the 0.9 ratio of girls to boys in elementary education.

2. To eliminate the disparity of the 1.1 ratio of girls to boys in secondary and tertiary levels of education.

3. To eliminate the disparity of the 0.9 ratio of literate females to males aged 15-24 years.

4. To strengthen GAD implementation and integration in programs and services.

5. To encourage more women participa-tion in elective positions in government.



Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality

A. STATUS

Target 4A. Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate

Proportion of Children Aged 0 to Less Than 5 Years Old Who Died

The survival of very young children ind icates the soc ia l , economic and environmental conditions in which they

live and the quality of healthcare that are available and accessible to them. The higher the proportion of deaths, the lesser the quality of healthcare.

Of the 45,345 children with ages 0-5 years, 410 (0.9%) died, according to the CBMS survey. There was a slightly higher proportion of male (1.0%) than female (0.8%) deaths. The proportion of deaths in the urban areas (0.9%) was much higher than in the rural areas (0.4%).

Table 16. Magnitude and Proportion of of Children Aged 0 to Less than 5 Years Old Who Died, by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006



The highest proportion of children aged 0 to less than 5 years old who died was in Jipapad with 6.4 percent. This was followed by Maydolong (1.8%), Arteche (1.7%), and Balangkayan (1.5%). The lowest propor-tions were in General MacArthur, Taft and Sulat with 0.3 percent deaths. The rates for the rest of the 15 municipalities ranged from 0.4 percent to 1.3 percent. The municipality

with zero deaths was in Mercedes. Twelve municipalities fell below the provincial average of 0.9 percent and 11 were beyond the average.

The Provincial Health Office in 2006 reported that the five leading causes of under-five mortality per 1,000 live births were pneumonia, which accounted for 8.19, diarrhea (2.02), sepsis (1.12), congenital heart disease (0.79), and pre-maturity (0.79).

Proportion of Infants Who Died

Children aged 0 to less than one year old or infants who died consisted of 175 out of 6,945 (2.5%) of children of this age. There were a higher proportion of male deaths (2.8%) as compared to female deaths (2.1%). The proportion for urban areas was higher (3.1%) than that for the rural area (2.3%).

The proportions of infants who died were highest in Jipapad (14.0%), Arteche (5.7%), San Julian (5.7%), and Maydolong (5.5%). These were followed by fifteen (15 munici-palities with proportions ranging from 0.4 percent to 4.7 percent. The municipalities of Maslog, Mercedes, Sulat, and Taft had no infant deaths during the period.

Table 17. Magnitude and Proportion of Infants Who Died, by Sex and by Urban /Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006


Map 16. Proportion of Children Aged 0 to Less Than 5 Years Old Who Died



Map 17. Proportion of Infants Who Died


Twelve municipalities and one ci ty had proport ions below the provincial average of 2.5 percent while 10 other municipal i t ies had higher proport ions. The leading causes of infant mortality per 1,000 live births were pneumo-nia (6.06), diarrheal diseases (1.23), sepsis neonatorum (1.23), neonatal death (1.01) and pre-maturity (0.67).

Proportion of Children Aged One to Less Than Five Years Old Who Died

There were 38,400 children aged one to less than five years old. Of these, 245 (0.6%) died. Both males and females had the same proportion of 0.6 percent. The proportion of deaths was higher in the rural (0.7%) than in the urban areas (0.5%).

T h e m u n i c i p a l i t i e s o f J ipapad (4.2%), Maslog (1.5%), and Dolores (1.4%) had the highest proportions of deaths of children aged one to less than five years old. Eighteen (18) munici-pal i t ies had propor t ions which ranged from 0.1 to 1.0 percent. Hernani and Mercedes had no deaths of this age level during this period.

Map 18. Proportion of Children Aged 1 to Less than Five Years Old Who Died



Twelve of the municipalities and one city had proportions below the provincial average of 0.6 percent. Ten were above this average while Can-avid was at par with such province-wide percentage.


Integrated Management of Childhood IllnessesAll Rural Health Units in the province are

managing childhood illnesses using the Integrated Management for Childhood Illness (IMCI) approach. This approach consists of comprehensive evidenced-based guidelines developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to assess and classify childhood illnesses, thereby reduc-ing preventable deaths of children under five years old through early recognition of signs, prompt treatment and referral to the appropriate health facility. Its implementa-tion has been sustained in almost all of the Rural Health Units (RHUs) since 2000 with regular mentoring and coaching from IMCI supervisors/facilitators within the health facility. Training of health workers has also been maintained through a shift to IMCI On-the-Job (OJT) training in 2004. On the other hand, the municipal LGU ensures that IMCI drugs such as antibiotics, antipyretics and oral rehydrating solutions (ORESOL) are available at the health facility at all times.

Expanded Program for ImmunizationOn the overall, the immunization coverage

of the province has been consistently over 90 percent for the past five years, although some municipalities still have immunization coverage below 85 percent. The delivery of immunization services to the community has greatly been strengthened through the Reaching Every Barangay (REB) Strategy, where missed children are identified and tracked through data analysis. Strategies to reach every child in every barangay such as catch-up immunizations are conducted to make sure that all eligible children are given the necessary immunizations before they reach one year of age. Rapid Cover-age Assessments are then being done to validate results.

This strategy is complemented by good Cold Chain Management to ensure that the potency of the vaccines is maintained at the health facility; and by improved disease surveillance activities.

Breast Feeding ProgramCorrect and adequate feeding practices

starting at birth are critical for the physi-cal and mental development of a child. Studies show that breastfeeding is the best form of feeding during the first six months of life due to both health and economic reasons. The WHO recommends that infants receive nothing but breast milk (exclusively breastfeeding) for the first six

Table 18. Magnitude and Proportion of Children Aged 1 to Less than 5 Years Old Who Died, by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006



months and continued breastfeeding until the age of two years.

Breastfeeding is very common in the province, as evidenced in the latest Nation-al Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) survey in 2008, which indicates that 91.6 percent of children in Eastern Visayas in the past five years have been breastfed. However, only 30.2 percent in Eastern Samar (SR-MICS 2007) are exclusively breast-fed and on the average, children are breastfed only until age of 15 months (NDHS 2008).

The downward trend in the exclusive breast-feeding practice and in other incorrect feeding practices has been noted. The following strate-gies to address this have been implemented:

1. Intensifying advocacy and health promotions at the community level;

2. Organization of breastfeeding support groups – peer-to-peer counseling is being initiated and promoted in some pilot baran-gays;

3. Capacity building for breast feeding suppor t groups and heal th workers are on-going (trainings such as breast feeding counseling, infant and young c h i l d f e e d i n g p r a c t i c e s , l a c t a t i o n management training for hospital-based health workers

4. Monitoring the enforcement of the Milk code in health facilities.

5. Mother-baby friendly Hospitals Initia-tives (MBFHI) which has been a require-ment in the Department of Health (DOH) licensing of hospitals.



The following are the challenges govern-ment faces and priorities for action in terms of achieving the Goal 4 targets:

1. Improving infant and young child feeding practices at the community level is a more sustainable way to address malnutrition. This includes improving the breast feeding practices, particularly on the exclusive breast feeding up to six months and continued breast feeding until the child reaches two years of age. Organization of breast feeding support groups in each barangay is critical to the success of this program.

2. Reducinge disparity of immunization coverage by sustaining the “Reaching every child in every barangay” approach.

3. Improving newborn care by institu-tionalizing the Essential Newborn Care program in all health facilities (hospitals, rural health units, barangay health stations).

4. Ensuring the availability of low cost, good quality, essential IMCI drugs in all health facilities at all times.

5. Institutionalize the Neonatal Death Review to identify preventable causes for implementation of appropriate response strategies.

Essential newborn careAlthough s igni f icant improvements

have been made in child health globally, newborn mortality rates have changed little. An estimated 34 out of every 1,000 babies born in developing countries die before they reach one month of age (Global health eLearning, United States Agency for International Development, USAID). WHO (2006) report revealed that “Of the 130 million babies born every year, about four million die in the first four weeks of life – the neonatal period" and "Three-quarters of neonatal deaths occur in the first week of life." Hence, achievement of the Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG-4) of reducing under-five mortality by two-thirds by the year 2015 will require substantial reduction in neonatal mortality.

However, in the province, newborn deaths are not efficiently reported when compared to maternal deaths because the neonatal death review has yet to be insti-tutionalized. Based on the study conducted by WHO (2009) in 51 big hospitals in the country, a number of practices in essential newborn care need to be corrected. Hence, , DOH and WHO came up with a new protocol in newborn care that is now being implemented in the province.



A. STATUS

Target 5.A: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio

Proportion of Women Deaths Due to Pregnancy-Related Causes

With CBMS, maternal mortality is comput-ed in terms of proportion of women deaths due to pregnancy-related causes over the number of children less than one year old plus the number of women who died due to pregnancy-related causes. There was a total of 31 (or 0.4%) maternal deaths during

the period 2005-2006. A higher proportion of deaths occurred in the rural (0.5%) rather than in the urban (0.3%) areas.

The proportions of women deaths due to pregnancy-related causes were highest in Jipapad (1.8%), Llorente (1.3%), Arteche (1.0%), and Quinapondan (1.0%). Those ranging from 0.2 percent to 0.8 percent were registered by 10 municipalities. Nine other municipalities recorded no deaths due to pregnancy-related causes.

Two municipalities had the same propor-tion as that of the province at 0.4 percent while nine fell below and twelve were above the provincial benchmark.

Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health


Maternal deaths are deaths due to pregnancy and childbirth occurring during pregnancy or up to 42 days after delivery of the child. Recently, focus had been on deaths caused by direct causes such as hemorrhage (antepartum or postpar-tum), puerperal sepsis and obstructed labor. Indirect maternal deaths are those pre-existing conditions not related to pregnancy and childbirth such as anemia, heart conditions, and traumatic accidents.

Hemorrhage from abruptio placenta, placenta previa and ruptured uterus remained the leading causes of maternal deaths in the province. The other causes were eclampsia and puerperal sepsis.

There had not been much progress in the area of reproductive health in the province and this may have contributed to the relatively high maternal deaths. The Sub-Regional Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (SR-MICS) conducted in 2007 by the NSO revealed that although eight out 10 women of reproductive age who gave birth were provided pre-natal care by skilled personnel, only about three out of 10 deliveries were attended by skilled person-nel. What is more alarming is the data that showed that only two out of 10 deliveries were in facilities as most of these women had home deliveries.

The CBMS report on maternal deaths is consistent with the results of the Maternal Death Review of the province in 2005 and 2006. There were 22 and 17 deaths reviewed for the year 2005 and 2006, respectively. Of these, 60 percent to 70 percent were caused by hemorrhage and 70 percent were still delivered at home and attended by traditional birth attendants (TBA) or hilots.

Map 19. Proportion of Women Deaths Due to Pregnancy Related Causes


Table 19. Magnitude and Proportion of Women Deaths Due to Pregnancy-Related Causes, By Urban/Rural,Eastern Samar 2005-2006



Target 5.B: Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health

Contraceptive Prevalence

Contraceptive prevalence is the percent-age of couples using at least one method of contraception, regardless of the method used. During the period 2005-2006, a total of 499 or 22.2 percent of couples were using at least one method of contraception. All those reported were coming from rural areas. There were none from the urban areas.


The causes of maternal deaths were related to the three–delay model: i.e., (1) Delay in seeking medical care; (2) Delay in receiving adequate and appropriate care at health facility; and (3) Delay in identify-ing and reaching the appropriate level of facility, hence, interventions and reforms instituted throughout the years have been focused in addressing the causes of these three delays.

Maternal Death Review

Maternal Death Review (MDR) is a forum where deaths from pregnancy- and child-birth- related causes are reviewed. The “road to death” or the chronological events leading to death are discussed, avoidable

factors and solutions are identified, and policy agreements between stakeholders are made at the end. These agreements are being reviewed as to the status of implementation. Using a prescribed tool, investigation of maternal deaths starts with community interview and then traced to the facility the patient was referred to. A health facility interview for both the rural health unit and the hospital (in case of hospital deaths) will be then be conducted.

The MDR was initiated in the province by UNICEF and DOH in 2000 and institutional-ized since then. It has evolved into MDRs in the Inter-Local Health Zones (ILHZs). Some municipalities conduct maternal death reviews even down to the barangay level, discussing with barangay officials the avoidable factors and the interventions to address these and to improve community participation. Throughout the years, mater-nal death reviews have become part of the health system and accomplished what they were supposed to and even more. Reforms and interventions are all anchored on the findings of the MDR. Finally, behavior change was noted not only in the commu-nity but in the health workers themselves1.

Improving Access to Facility Based Deliveries: BEONC

By improving access to facility-based deliveries or deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants, through the Basic Essential Obstetrics and Neonatal Care (BEONC),

1( Mabulay, D. (2009). “Learning and Acting on Results”, MDR documentation for Eastern Samar experience initiated by UNICEF)

Table 20. Proportion of Couples Using Contraceptives


one can actually reduce the second and third delay in the three-delay model. Mater-nal death reviews through the years have consistently revealed that majority of the maternal deaths were delivered by tradi-tional birth attendants and done at home. Hence, MDRs had always encouraged deliveries in health facilities attended by skilled health professionals (doctor, nurse, and midwife). The Province-wide Invest-ment Plan for Health (PIPH) has included interventions and reforms such as the renovation and construction of birthing huts in strategic barangays, which give priority to the Geographically Isolated and Disad-vantaged Areas (GIDA). This is funded by the European Union/Commission and the DOH Facility Enhancement Program.

In 2009, as one of the pilot sites, the province received funding from the Joint Program on Maternal and Neonatal Health (JPMNH) to rapidly reduce maternal and neonatal deaths. Three UN agencies: UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO, in cooperation with the DOH, provided funds for capabili-ty-building activities of health workers and for the equipment to make facility-based deliveries possible. To date, 18 of the 24 rural health units have functional lying-in clinics offering the BEONC. It has become the norm since a lot more health facilities (RHUs and Barangay Health Stations or BHS) are getting ready to provide BEONC services. To sustain their operations, these facilities have applied for accreditation for the Philhealth Maternity and Newborn Care Package (MNCP), which provides reimbursements for the drugs, medicines, supplies and incentives for the healthcare provider. Fourteen RHUs have in fact been

accredited for the Philhealth MNCP and have been receiving reimbursements while the rest of the facilities are in the process of complying with the requirements for accreditation.

Upgrading the health facilities is also complemented with local policy develop-ments. Recently, the Family Health Code was passed at the provincial level and replicated in the municipalities. It includes policies on redefi ning the role of the tradi-tional birth attendants in safe motherhood and newborn care, mandatory postpartum visits of midwives on the immediate 24-48 hours after delivery for those who gave birth at home. This is so as to address the fi ndings in the MDR that maternal deaths occur in the fi rst two days postpartum.

Organization of Women’s Health Team (WHT) in every barangay was done in 2008. The WHT are tasked to find pregnant women in their barangay, track pregnancy, assist pregnant women in their birth and ensure that these pregnant women will have prenatal services and eventually delivery in health facilities. They also make sure that health professionals, in case of home-based deliveries, do postpartum care. They are also the ones who vigilantly report maternal deaths to make sure that all deaths are accounted for.

All these interventions have greatly improved the proportion of pregnant women delivering in health facilities from 15 percent in 2006 to 40 percent in 2009, and deliveries attended by skilled health professionals from 40 percent in 2006 to 78 percent in 2009 (LGU score card data).


Improving access to Basic Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (BEmONC) and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (CEmONC)

Through the PIPH and the United Nations joint program, all 12 government hospitals and some RHUs have improved their criti-cal capacities to provide BEmONC and CEmONC functions. This strategy aims to address the third cause of delay in the three-delay model.

These facilities are the referral centers for the RHU/BHS lying-in clinics in the community, particularly for pregnancies with complications. They also attend to the births that cannot be handled in the community. To date, all the hospitals have BEmONC functions while two hospitals (Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital or ESPH in Borongan and Felipe Abrigo Memorial Hospital or FAMH in Guiuan) have CEmONC functions such as providing blood transfusions and caesarian operations. They comprise the second and third tiers in the Maternal, Neonatal, Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) service delivery network.

Strengthening the Health Referral system has also help reduce the second and third delay. A health referral manual is available in all health facilities, which include policies and guidelines in the referral system as agreed upon by all stakeholders. Transpor-tation equipment for both land and river are also being provided by LGUs and foreign funding sources.

Reduction of Unmet Needs for Family Planning

Studies have shown that addressing the Family Planning unmet needs will reduce 20 percent to 30 percent of maternal deaths.

These unmet needs refer to those women of reproductive age and are interested in using at least one family planning method but are not currently using it. While it is true that there are various reasons for such non-action on the part of the patient, no access to family planning services is the most common reason.

Provincial maternal death reviews through the years have consistently showed that 60 percent of maternal deaths occurred to those with four or more children already. Hence, the Provincial Health Offi ce was really bent on addressing this problem. The conduct of the Community-Based Management Informa-tion System (CBMIS) in all the municipalities in 2009 has identifi ed the real unmet needs for family planning. Municipalities are in the process of addressing the identifi ed family planning unmet needs through outreach services. This has increased the contraceptive prevalence rate from 27 percent in 2008 to 33 percent in 2009 (FHIS). This is still a long way from the benchmark set by DOH but the province ensures that the health workers will adhere to the four pillars of the family planning program.

Community Involvement and Participation

Al l the in te rvent ions and re forms mentioned above will only be successful through strong community involvement and support. The community should own the issue on maternal deaths, as its long-term effect does not only affect the health sector component of the community as a whole. This will address the first and second causes of delay of the three-delay model.

Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERT) or Barangay Health Teams/


Councils have been reorganized and their role expanded to cover support for mater-nal and newborn care services. Advocacy campaigns are ongoing to get their support in the following:

a. Establishing a communication and transportation network in the barangay to facilitate the transport of pregnant mothers to the nearest lying-in facility;

b. Ensure that their support and involve-ment with the family in the birth and emergency plan of the pregnant woman;

c. Play an active role in other health-related activities such as the immunization, family planning action sessions, and garan-tisadong pambata program.

d. Assist the WHT in pregnancy tracking and in resolving any problems that may arise.

e. Allocate funding for WHT activities in the community

Health promotions are geared toward increasing community involvement and participation. Information dissemination using localized, focused behavior-changing communication materials are being intensi-fied. With the interventions for the supply side now in place, the need to focus on the demand side generation is greatly empha-sized for the coming years so as to improve the utilization of the lying-in facilities that are now available in all parts of the province.

Inter-Local Health Zones (ILHZ)

The province has f ive ILHZ: Oras-Arteche; Taft; Borongan; Guiuan, and the Balagiqui. Organization of the ILHZ was init ial ly piloted in Balagiqui and Borongan ILHZ with technical assistance provided by DOH and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) in 2005-2006. It was

then expanded to Oras-arteche, Taft, and Guiuan. Today, the five ILHZs are in varying levels of functionality or maturity but all are one in improving themselves to meet the criteria for functionality and developing their systems:

a. Integrated Health Referral Systemb. Health Information Systemc. Drug Management Systemd. Integrated Health Planninge. Human Resource Development System

Each ILHZ has an ILHZ board composed of the governor as the chairman, and mayors of the member municipalities, PHO, DOH, Philhealth, Technical management committee chairman, and nongovernmental organization representative as its members. The Technical Management Committee (TMC) is the ILHZ’s technical working arm. It is composed of the chief of hospital of the core referral center as its chairman. Members are the following: municipal health officers of member municipalities, the chief of Technical section of the provincial health office, DOH, nongovernment organi-zation and Philhealth representatives.

The ILHZ board convenes every quarter to discuss and resolve health-related issues raised by the TMC, and formulates and approves resolutions/policies to be imple-mented in member municipalities of the ILHZ. The TMC meets each month to discuss and resolve issues and concerns raised by its members, at their level. It consolidates issues to be referred to the ILHZ board. It spearheads the implementation of the ILHZ Work and Financial Plan and tracks its progress. It facilitates and assists problems that may arise from the local health board of each municipality.


The ILHZ gets its resources from the 1 percent of the 20-percent Development Fund contributed by each member munici-pal LGU and from the Provincial LGU called the Common Health Trust Fund (CHTF). The Technical Management Committee formulates the work and financial plan that is approved by ILHZ board. All the reforms and interventions initiated will be sustained through the functional ILHZ. In sum, the ILHZ is the hive of all the community-based activities facilitating the achievement of the MDGs.


The following are the challenges being faced by the government and priorities for action to achieve the Goal 5 targets:

1. Sustaining reforms and interven-tions initiated by development partners. This will be through the functional ILHZ, which wil l be the hive of all activit ies

fo r the coming years . The ongoing systems development within each ILHZ wil l ensure that all the interventions/ reforms wil l be sustained;

2. Improving community participation and involvement; hence, communi ty organizat ions, advocacy campaigns and behavioral-change communica-t ion act iv i t ies should be in tens i f ied and made as one of the priorit ies for ac t ion- - -e .g . , t he WHT and BHERT should be sustained;

3. Improving delivery of health servic-es (RHUs and hospitals) by ensuring that the quality of care is maintained through mentoring and supervision;

4. Ensuring the availability of drugs, medicines and supplies in health facili-ties at all times through the improve-ment of the procurement system and the implementation of other reforms such as the Revolving Fund for the hospitals, and Income Retention, which requires strong political will for its success.


BACKGROUND / RATIONALE:• Hemorrhage is a major cause of maternal

deaths• In 2007, a maternal death occurred due to

hemorrhage and the patient was not transfused with the exact amount of blood needed because there was no blood available at the Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital. Th e mother died four days post partum

• Th e incident motivated the RHU to initiate a “walking blood bank”

• UNFPA gave P50,000 for the establishment of a Blood Directory in Llorente

• RHU personnel visited every barangay to con-duct blood typing in order to establish a Blood Directory

• Preparatory steps were taken for an upcoming bloodletting campaign. A series of information campaigns were conducted for LGU employees, high school students, the SK Federation and other youth organizations. Th rough the request of the MHO, the parish priest announced the activity during a Sunday holy mass.

• Letters and IEC materials were sent to pos-sible donors – 80% of the donors were members of the AFP and 20% were from LGU employees, RHU staff and the youth.

OBJECTIVE:• To reduce the number of maternal deaths due

to hemorrhage

KEY FEATURES:• Conduct of community meetings to orient

couples about maternal deaths especially those

caused by hemorrhage• Lobby for LGU

support for mass blood typing and donation

• Tapping of Medi-cal Technologist from the PHO

• Establishment of Blood Directory that identifies potential blood donors in every household/barangay

• Donated the blood collection to the ESPH blood bank but reserved for the priority use of mothers from Llorente.

RESULTS: • Reduced number of maternal deaths attrib-

uted to hemorrhage• Increased couple’s awareness about the danger

signs of high-risk pregnancy• Availability of blood for patients from Llor-

ente at the ESPH• RHU will establish Blood Council and Ba-

rangay Blood Councils• Updating of Blood Directory • Conduct of bloodletting on a regular basis

LESSONS LEARNED:• Advocacy is a very important tool in catalyz-

ing community support• LGU support is crucial in implementing in-

novative programs/strategies• A minimum amount can be optimized by

mobilizing widespread public support

Sustained Blood Supply:A MotherÊs Lifeline in Llorente, Eastern Samar



Goal 6: Combat HIV/ AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases

A. STATUS

Target 6.C: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases

Prevalence of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis was the cause of death of 126 (or about 33 per 100,000 population)

individuals in the province in 2006, with more males than females dying of the disease. There was a higher death rate related to tuberculosis in the rural areas (about 41 per 100,000) as compared to those in the urban areas (about 13 per 100,000).

The municipalities with the highest death rates (i.e., per 100,000) associated with tuberculosis were Arteche (80), Hernani

Table 21. Death Rates Associated with Tuberculosis, by Sex and by Urban Rural, Eastern Samar 2005-2006



(78), Sulat (68), Balangiga (67), and Jipapad (57). Mercedes and Maslog had no (0) deaths associated with the disease.

Endemic Diseases of the Province

The province has the second highest prevalence in fi lariasis, with microfi laria rate of 7/1000 population and the highest clinical rate for fi lariasis in the region. Thus, the WHO had recommended mass treatment for the province. Likewise, 11 out of 23 municipalities are endemic for schistosomiasis. There have also been cases of rabies in six out of the 23 municipalities for the past fi ve years.

Rising cases of dengue has been noted in some municipalities, with several outbreaks noted in 2009. On the other hand, in 2007, the province has been declared as a “Malaria-Free” province and has maintained the status since then.


Mass Treatment Strategy:a. Filariasis

The WHO recommended mass treatment with Diethyl Carbamazole (DEC), the drug of choice, to 95 percent of the population regardless of whether they have the infec-tion or not. Diethyl Carabamzole is said to reduce the microfilaria, the infective stage of filaria worm by 99 percent, thereby breaking the cycle of infection. This is conducted once a year for a period of five consecutive years. However, for the province, this has been extended to several years because of the discouraging results of the random survey conducted in 2006 and 2009. Reasons for these results have been identified and discussed. Strategies to address this such as

the Waray tukob (zero bites) program have been implemented since 2009. This helped to increase the mass treatment coverage to more than 85 percent. Such steps aim to eliminate the disease in the next two years.

b. Schistosomiasis

Mass t reatment wi th Praz iquante l , the drug of choice, is being done in the schistosomiasis-endemic municipalities of Arteche, J ipapad, Maslog, Oras, Dolores, Can-avid, Taft, Sulat, San Julian, Borongan, and Maydolong. Although the mass treatment strategy was initiated few years ago, it gave a dismal average of 15 percent coverage vis-a-vis the target of 85 percent coverage before 2009. However, after the launch and implementation of the Waray tukob strategy, this increased the mass treatment coverage from 2,000

Map 20. Prevalence and Death Rates Associated with Tuberculosis



households to 80,000 households, or from 15 percent to 55 percent of the popula-tion. This strategy also complemented other measures such as: improving the community’s behavior and healthcare practices; and increasing households’ access to sanitary toilet and sustaining this through the implementation of the Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS), where the community is taught a “disgust to open-defecation” mindset. This is more sustainable since it requires community involvement and participation.

Waray Tukob Strategy

Waray Tukob is a comprehensive campaign against all endemic diseases in the province, namely: filariasis, schis-tosomiasis, rabies, and dengue. It also includes those diseases not caused by bites such as tuberculosis and leprosy. This is one of the Disease-Free Zone initia-tives implemented under the PIPH, which is spearheaded by leaders from the five ILHZs. It puts together all the advocacy campaign activities with strong commu-nity participation. Mass treatment activi-ties, policy development and advocacy activities are planned and implemented together with other stakeholders.

Tuberculosis DOTS Program

DOTS , wh i ch s tands fo r D i rec t l y Observed Treatment for Short Course Chemotherapy, has been implemented in the province since 2001. It has five essen-tial components: Strong political support; Pass ive case f inding which is being done through direct sputum microscopy hence, the vital presence of microscopist/medical technology in each of the health

facility; Regular and uninterrupted supply of drugs; Good recording and reporting system; and Available Treatment partner who will directly observe as the patient takes the anti-tuberculosis drugs within the prescribed time.

The implementation of this program has been sustained throughout the years with the cure rate at over 85 percent in almost all the health facilit ies. Recent developments include the private-public mixed DOTS; the creation of a functional tuberculosis diagnostic committee (TBDC) for the smear negative cases; and the Philhealth accreditation of the health facil-ity for the Tuberculosis-DOTS Package where treatments are reimbursed as incentives for health workers, particularly the treatment partners. To date, 18 of the 24 RHUs are accredited for the Philhealth Tuberculosis-DOTS package.

Anti-Rabies ProgramAll municipalities have passed their Rabies

Ordinance, which includes the promotion of the responsible pet ownership. However, the problem lies in the enforcement or implementation of the ordinance. Few municipalities have established a functional task force while dog vaccination coverage is very low. On the other hand, animal bite treatment centers (ABTC) have been estab-lished in the core referral centers of each ILHZs, thereby improving the management of dog bite cases. Human anti-rabies vaccines are being purchased using the Common Health Trust Fund (CHTF) of each ILHZ. Meanwhile, the Waray Tukob strat-egy will focus on an advocacy campaign for responsible pet ownership and the organization of functional task forces at the community level.


66888

Dengue Control Program

A strengthened epidemiologic and disease surveillance system in the province has greatly improved the reporting and early response toward dengue. The Waray Tukob strategy includes organizing Dengue Brigades in each barangay.


The following are the challenges being faced by the government and priorities for action so as to achieve the Goal 6 targets:

1. Sustaining the mass treatment strategy for filariasis and schistosomiasis to be able to eliminate these endemic diseases in the province;

2. Intensifying the advocacy for the imple-mentation of the Rabies Ordinance and increasing the awareness of the community on responsible pet ownership to achieve a rabies-free province;

3. Strengthening the Epidemiologic and Disease Surveillance System in the province to include the Disaster and Outbreak response;

4. Gathering data on HIV/AIDS incidence in the province.

Saving for health was usually rated low by poor families in their order of priorities. Money was usually set aside for education and other needs, but not for health. The prevailing thinking was that the government had the sole responsibility for provid-ing healthcare and that people were merely recipients of this service. Th is attitude usually rendered a poor fam-ily helpless in times of illnesses and

medical emergencies. With no other available resources, the only option was to borrow money at a high interest when hospitalization could no longer be postponed. On the other hand, the Lo-cal Government Units (LGUs), especially during the immediate post-devolution period, lacked the resources to provide for all of the people’s hospi-talization needs. Hospital staff , medical supplies, drugs and medicines were inadequate. .

Th e PESO for Health, acronym for People’s Empowerment Saves One for Health, has off ered

PeopleÊs Empowerment Saves One (PESO) for Health:A HEALTHCARE FINANCING SCHEME

poor people a better alternative to indigence and all its negative ramifi cations -- cycle of debts, inability to access hospital services, feelings of despair and powerlessness, etc. It was initiated by the Provincial Health Offi ce to enable the poor to access hospital services while participating in car-ing for their own health. By becoming members of the PESO for Health and contributing their own money, they have gradually realized that their own health is valuable hence, has a cost attached to it. In the process, the members have gained a sense of their own dignity and self-worth. Th ey have taken pride in belonging to a project that has been able to provide for their hospitalization needs and has earned them recognition from the hospital and PHO staff . Th ey have been freed from total dependency and helplessness and have shaken off the stigma attached to being “charity patients”.

Th e vision of the project is to ensure quality, equitable, accessible and aff ordable health care to each benefi ciary by the year 2020, in partnership with the LGUs and other sectors. Its purpose is


to help improve access to health care services by providing expanded health care coverage to every household member. Its specifi c objectives are: 1) To strengthen access to health care services through community participation and inter-dis-ciplinary approaches; 2) To install a health fi nanc-ing scheme for the people’s hospitalization needs; 3) To sustain the curative and preventive care projects and services through “cooperativism.”

Th is was initially implemented in the munici-pality of Borongan and expanded in 2005 to the four other municipalities composing the inter-local health zone (ILHZ) namely, San Julian, Maydolong, Balangkayan and Llorente. The project membership has grown from 40 house-holds and 186 individuals to 1,586 households and 5,884 individuals, achieving a 23% increase in its membership per year. It has also benefi ted a total of 161 members.

Th e original scheme of the project is patterned after the original PESO for Health project implemented in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental. Modifi cations in the policies and benefi t packages were incorporated over the years. Members pay a registration fee of P20.00 per household and a monthly fee of P2.00 per individual member or a total of P24.00 per year. In exchange, a mem-ber is given a membership card and is entitled to P400.00 worth of medicines, whenever he/she is hospitalized. In cases when drugs are out of stock in the hospital, members are given the P400.00 so they can buy medicines from drugstores outside. During week-ends and whenever the hospital has no supply of drugs and medicines, members can get medicines from specifi ed drugstores with which the management team has made arrange-ments.

Total funds as of April 2008, mostly from mem-bers’ contributions, amount to P203, 585.87. Th ese have been deposited at the Development Bank of

the Philippines and the Eastern Samar Provin-cial Health Offi ce Employees’ Association (gain-ing yearly dividends of more than P25,000.00). However, the Treasurer maintains a petty cash of ten thousand (P10,000.00) to ensure that money is available whenever the members need it. Th e dividends are used to fi nance the project operating costs such as meetings. In 2007, the project started providing the Treasurer with incentives amounting to 10% of the dividends earned.

Th e most visible result of the project is the continued support and participation that it en-joys from the members. Members take pride in being part of a project that has earned them ac-cess to a vital health service and recognition from the Provincial Health Offi ce and hospital staff . Consequently, they have gained dignity, a sense of self-worth and appreciation of the value of their own health. Furthermore, hospital and PHO staff have become more responsive to the needs of the members seeking hospitalization



A. STATUS

Target 7.A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources

Forests are necessary for preserving a stable and habitable environment. Before the presidential proclamation of the total log ban, Eastern Samar sustained some damages as a result of extensive deforesta-tion in the past. Hence, the proportion of land area covered by forest in the province has decreased to 53.19 percent. The munici-palities with very low forest area coverage were Salcedo (9.6%), Mercedes (10.7%), Taft (13.7%), and Can-avid (24.4%). On the other hand, the municipalities

Map 21. Proportion of Land Area Covered by Forest


Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability


Map 22. Proportion of Population with Access to Safe drinking Water


with the highest forest coverage were Llorente (88.0%), Maydolong (82.5%), Oras (81.0%), Maslog (78.3%), Borongan City (77.9%), Jipapad (77.3%), and Guiuan (75.0%). Dolores did not indicate any data on forest coverage. There are eight munici-palities with a land area covered by forest that were less than the provincial average of 53.19 percent while 14 had bigger forest cover than the average.

Target 7.C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

Access to Safe Drinking Water

The CBMS indicator, Proport ion of Population with Access to Safe Water Supply, includes safe water supply from community water systems, deep well and artesian wells whether for own use or shared with other households.

Of the total population, 303,437 or 78.7 percent had access to safe drinking water. Females (78.9%) had a slightly higher propor-tion than males (78.4%). Households in the urban areas (86.0%) had a higher proportion than those in the rural areas (75.9%).

The municipalities of Lawaan (97.1%),

Arteche (93.4%), Maydolong (93.4%),

Table 22. Magnitude and Proportion of Households/Population with Access to Safe Drinking Water, by Sex and by Urban Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006


and Balangkayan (91.5%) had the highest proportions of the population with access to safe drinking water. These were followed by 15 municipalities with proportions ranging from 70 percent to 88.7 percent. The lowest were Giporlos (34.3%), Sulat (59.3%), and Balangiga (60.9%). Maslog had 0 percent access to safe drinking water. Compared to the provincial average of 78.7 percent, there were 12 municipalities that had higher proportions and 11 that were lower.


Access to Sanitary Toilet Facilities

Considered sanitary toilet facilities are water-sealed flush to sewerage system or septic tank and closed pit, whether for own use or share with other households.

The CBMS survey revealed that only 69.2 percent, or 55,384 of households, had access to sanitary toilet facilities. There was a higher percentage of access by urban (79.2%) households as compared with rural households (65.2%). The proportion of the population with access to sanitary toilets was almost comparable with that of the households, which was 69.5 percent. Females had a higher percentage (70.3%) of accessibility than males (68.7%).

The municipality of Maslog had the

lowest percentage (44%) of accessibility to sanitary toilet facilities with majority of its population not having access to toilets. Other municipalities with percentages below 60 were Jipapad (53.8%), Arteche (56.6%), Guiuan (57.1%), and Dolores (57.2%). Accessibility to sanitary toilet facilities was high in Maydolong, Sulat, and

Map 23. Proportion of Population With Access to Sanitary Toilet Facility


Table 23. Magnitude and Proportion of Households/Population with Access to Sanitary Toilet Facilityfe Drinking Water, by Sex and, by Urban Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006


Hernani with proportions of 85.1 percent, 82.3 percent, and 81.7 percent, respec-tively. Fourteen municipalities had higher than the provincial average of 69.5 percent while nine fell below this figure.


Table 24. Magnitude and Proportion of Households/Population Who Are Informal Settlers, by Sex and by Urban Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006


Target 7.D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers

Proportion of Households/Population Who Are Informal Settlers

Informal settlers are those occupying houses and/or lots without permission of owner. A total of 2,234 (or 2.8%) households were informal settlers at the time of survey. There is a slightly higher percentage of informal settlers in the urban (2.9%) than in the rural (2.8%) areas. The proportion of the population who were informal settlers was at 2.9 percent with males having a higher percentage (2.9%) than females (2.8%).

The neighboring towns of Hernani (6.1%), General MacArthur (5.7%), Llorente (5.6%), and Giporlos (5.4%) had the highest proportions of the population who were informal settlers. There were more municipalities that had lower proportions than the provin-cial average of 2.9 percent.

Proportion of Households/Population Who Are Living in Makeshift Housing

Those living in makeshift housing have either walls or roofs that are improvised or temporary. A total of 1,848 households or 2.3

Map 24. Proportion of Population Who are Informal Settlers


Table 25. Magnitude and Proportion of Households/Population who are Living in Makeshift Housing by Sex and by Urban Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006



Map 26. Proportion of Population Living in Inadequate Living Conditions


percent in the province lived in makeshift housing. There was a higher percentage of these dwell-ers in the urban (2.5%) rather than in the rural (2.2%) areas. A total of 8,758 persons (or 2.3% of the population) in the province were living in makeshift housing. There was a higher proportion of males (2.3%) than females (2.2%) who lived in such type of housing.

The highest proportion of population who lived in makeshift housing was concentrated in the municipalities of Can-avid (7.2%), Maslog (4.9%), and Arteche (4.6%). Those with the lowest proportions were in Jipapad (0.6%), Hernani (0.7%), and Sulat (0.8%). Other munici-palities fell within the range of 1.1 to 3.6 percent. There are more municipalities that fell below the provincial percentage of 2.3, indicating that this was not widespread.

Proportion of Households/Population with Inadequate Living Conditions

Households or population with inadequate living conditions are those which do not have safe drinking water or sanitary toilet facilities, or living in makeshift housing or no security of tenure.

Of the total households, 35,931 (or 44.9%) had inadequate living conditions, with the rural areas having a higher proportion (49.4%) compared to those in the urban areas (34.1%). In terms of the population, a total of 173,758 (45.0%) were living in inadequate conditions. Males had a higher percentage (45.76%) than the females (44.23%).

All or 100 percent of the members of the popula-tion of the municipality of Maslog were living in inadequate living conditions. This is so because the CBMS survey indicates that all households in Maslog had no access to safe drinking water from the community water system, deep well or artesian well. Meanwhile, the municipality of

Map 25. Proportion of Population Who are Living in Makeshift Housing



Giporlos had the next highest proportion of the population living in inadequate condi-tions at 75.8 percent. A closer look at the CBMS survey result indicates that a large portion of the population or 65.7 percent had no access to safe drinking water and 32.0 percent had no access to a sanitary toilet facility.

In six other municipalities, majority were living in inadequate living conditions. These were in Balangiga (59.4%), Jipapad (58.0%), Dolores (54.8%), Can-avid 53.0%), Guiuan (52.7%), Sulat (52.4%), and Arteche (50.6%). The inaccessibility of either safe water or sanitary toilet facilities or both were the major reasons for their inadequate living conditions. Those with the lowest proportions were in Maydolong 22.1%), Lawaan (24.5%), Balangkayan (27.9%), and Borongan (33.7%). Other municipalities ranged from 36 percent to 46.6 percent. An equal number of munici-palities fell below and above the provincial average of 45.76 percent with Mercedes being at par.


Forest Management ServicesThis program is a service of the Provincial

Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), which includes identification of production forest, distribution of seedlings for pr ivate plantat ion establ ishment, reforestation projects, maintenance and protection of established plantations, forest protection and confiscation of lumber,

proclamation of watershed reservation areas and advocacy on climate change mitigation and adaptation, and solid waste management.

Samar Island Biodiversity Project (SIBP)The project was designed to establish and

support the Samar Island National Park (SINP). The SINP was established by Presidential procla-mation 422 in 2003 as the largest terrestrial Protected Area in the Philippines. The park covers 333,000 hectares of forests and an additional 125,400 hectares of buffer zone encompassing 36 municipalities and one city of Samar Island (19 of which are in Eastern Samar). The project includes strict biodiversity protection and the sustainable use of non-timber forest products (NTFPs).

The SINP is being managed by the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), a multisec-toral body composed of representatives of LGUs, NGAs, POs, nongovernmental organizations, and the DENR responsible for policy formulation and general administration of the protected area.

The following are the four major programs being implemented in the management of SINP:

• Biodiversity management program• Community outreach program• Community-based eco-tourism program• Stakeholder participation and management

program

Community-Based Forest Management Program (CBFM)As a national strategy to ensure sustainable

development, the Community-Based Forest Management Program (CBFM) was designed to uplift the socio-economic condition of upland farmers and likewise encourage them to become

Table 26. Magnitude and Proportion of Households / Population Living in Inadequate Living Conditions, by Sex and by Urban Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006



partners in the development and manage-ment of the country’s natural resources. In the province, this involves area development of denuded forest lands by planting forest trees intercropped with cash crops so as to provide additional income to upland farmers of Borongan, Hernani, Salcedo, Oras, and Can-avid while serving as partners in the devel-opment and management of the environment and natural resources.

Coastal Resource Management Project (CRMP) – Matarinao Bay Management Project (MBMP)

This coastal project is a joint undertaking of the LGUs of Salcedo, Quinapondan, General MacArthur, and Hernani. The parties aim toward protecting, rehabilitating and enhanc-ing the productivity of their natural resources through the implementation of laws and the Matarinao Bay Management Council (MBMC) Plan for sustainable development. The project has resulted in decreased incidence of illegal f ishing, increased awareness on natural resource protection and the formulation of a unified ordinance in fishing activities.

Water and Sanitation ProgramThe provincial government’s implementation

of the ADB-assisted Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project and the UNICEF-assisted Water, Sanitat ion and Hygiene (WASH) program resulted in the construction of Level II water facilities in all municipalities. The UNICEF WASH project either has completed or is undertaking construction, improvement and development of 31 water and sanitation facilities in 20 barangays in nine municipalities and in 12 elementary and high schools.

With assistance from the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), five water systems were

constructed in three municipalities: Maslog (1), Jipapad (2), and Arteche (2). In terms of sanitation, 591 sanitary toilets were constructed to benefit 100 households in Arteche, 135 in Jipapad, and 356 in Maslog.

Informal SettlersInformal settling of a small portion of the

population is not as widespread a problem as their inaccessibility to water and sanitary toilet facilities. Hence, the focus of inter-ventions from the provincial government has been in providing water and sanitary toilet facilities. There is, too, a faith-based organization which has been providing houses in some areas of the province. The Gawad Kalinga program of the Couples for Christ envisions a slum-free, squat-ter–free Philippines by providing land for the landless, homes for the homeless, food for the hungry, and as a result, dignity and peace for every Filipino..

C. CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES FOR ACTIONThe following are the challenges being

faced by the government and priorities for action to achieve the Goal 7 targets:

1. Full Implementation of Provincial Environment Code;

2. Focus on Climate Change Mitigation issues and concerns;

3. Provision of water facilities to house-holds having no access to potable water (e.g., Maslog, 100%;Giporlos, 65.7%; Sulat, 40.7%);

4. Provision of sanitary toilet facilities to households without access (e.g., Maslog, 56%; Jipapad, 46.2%; Arteche, 43.4%);

5. People living in inadequate living conditions (e.g., Maslog, 100%; Giporlos, 75.8%; Balangiga, 59.4%).



Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

A. STATUS

Target 8. F: In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications

Proportion of Households with Cellphones

Only a very small proportion, i.e., 21.7 percent, of households in the province has

cellphones. Urban areas (35.7%) have a higher proportion of households with cellphones compared to those in the rural areas (15.9%).

Borongan City had the highest percent-age of households with cellphones at 32.5 percent, followed by Mercedes with 31.2 percent. The far-flung municipalities of Maslog and Jipapad had the lowest percentage with 1.8 percent and 3.8

Table 27. Magnitude and Proportion of Households with Cellphones, by Urban Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006



Map 27. Proportion of Households with Cellphones


percent, respectively. Municipalities with percentages less than 15 percent were Arteche (11.5%), San Policarpo (11.6%), Giporlos (12.4%), and Dolores (14.7%). Others ranged from 15.8 percent to 28.9 percent. Only seven out of 23 municipalities had percentages higher than the provincial average of 21.7 percent.

Table 28. Magnitude and Proportion of Households with Computers, by Urban Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006


Proportion of Households with Computers

Households with computers were still a rare occurrence with only 2.7 percent of the households owning computers. Predictably, most of these were located in urban (5.2%) rather than in rural (1.7%) areas.


Map 28. Proportion of Households with Computers



Information TechnologyThe provincial government implemented

its computerization program that resulted in the construction of a provincial website, earning for the province the Best Regional Website Award (Provincial Category) in October 2007 from the Regional Informa-tion Technology and E-Commerce Commit-tee and National Computer Center. It also enhanced the IT literacy and capability of the provincial government employees.

The provincial capitol premises are Wi-Fi zones for up to a 200-meter radius. Six out

of 23 municipalities have internet connec-tion: Balangiga, Guiuan, Maydolong, Borongan, San Julian, and Can-avid.


The following are the challenges being faced by the government and priorities for action to achieve the Goal 7 targets:

1. Improvement of information and commu-nication technology in all municipalities, especially those without internet connections;

2. Full implementation of the computer-ization program for the whole province.


A. Priority Program and Policy Responses

The province has achieved modest success in some areas of human develop-ment. Based on the Field Health Service Information System (FHSIS) reports from the Provincial Health Office, both infant and mortality rates have gone down, malnutri-tion prevalence has been reduced, access to potable water and sanitary toilet facilities has improved, and basic education perfor-mance indicators are at par with the rest of the provinces in the country.

According to the NSCB, poverty incidence has also been reduced to 33.9 percent in 2003 from 45.9 percent in 2000, enabling it to move out of the “Club 20” of the poorest provinces in the country. However, the 2006 CBMS survey showed that the province had 50,772 households (or 63.7%) living below the poverty threshold. This means that 268,104 persons (69.5%) of the popula-tion are classified as poor. Those in the rural areas had a higher poverty incidence (69.3%) than those in the urban areas (50.0%) in 2006.

Part 3. Meeting the 2015 Chalenge

The province’s pace of development has been slow and uneven across munici-palities. The vicious cycle of poverty and underdevelopment is visible in the province. Low income, poor health and nutrition, low level of education, and low standard of living are the tangible manifestations of underdevelopment and deprivation among a big chunk of the population.

The major cause of poverty in Eastern Samar is the relatively underdeveloped and stagnant economy. This, to a large extent, accounts for the lack of/or insufficiency of income of the poor families in the province. The province’s economy is dominated by low-income primary economic activities such as agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. More than half of the province’s poor have household heads who are engaged in agriculture.

The low productivity of agricultural lands especially rice fields and coconut farms on which majority of the population are depen-dent for their living is a cause for alarm. This


situation has serious implications on the income earning capacities of farmers and fishermen who comprise the bigger portion of the population.

Low agricultural/fishery production is, in turn, caused by the lack of appropriate and adequate inputs such as seeds, feeds, and technology that is beyond the reach of small farmers, fishermen, and livestock producers due to lack of capital. The depletion and degradation of the environment, especially marine and fishery resources, have negative implications on production levels. This is further aggravated by the inefficient post-harvest and marketing systems.

A more direct result of the relatively poor performance of the agriculture sector is

the negative effect on the province’s food security, which in turn affects the health of the people. Based on nutritional standards and estimated food requirements, Eastern Samar suffers deficits in most commodities such as rice, vegetables, fruits, beef, and eggs. Only rootcrops and fish are produced in excess of the dietary requirements of the province.

A substantial proportion of the population lives without the benefit of the minimum basic facilities and services. As shown in the latest CBMS survey, around 30.7 percent of households do not have sanitary toilet access while a significant 21.1 percent of households have no access to safe water. As of 2007, 46 percent of households did not yet enjoy the benefit of electricity.


Another cause for concern is the degra-dation of the environment due to uncon-trol led extraction and exploitation of natural resources through such activities as quarrying, mining, deforestation and other abusive practices. This is compounded by an inadequate solid waste management system in most parts of the province.

Against this backdrop, some segments of the population are left with no choice but to move or migrate as workers either in other areas of the country or overseas. Due to their low skills and educational qualifica-tions, however, majority of them end up as domestic helpers in the country’s big cities or abroad. At the same time, outmigration also drains out the province of its skilled manpower and leaves a generally weak human resource base. The predominance of negative and counterproductive values among a big segment of the population and the perceived presence of too much politics and corruption in government further deter the institution of positive change in Eastern Samar.

Given the above development problems and issues, the province shall address the following development imperatives geared toward the attainment of the MDGs:

1. The need to invest in agricultural development to secure food security;

2. The need to shift to high-value crops, to diversify land usage and to move toward agro-industrialization;

3. The need to extensively render critical social services such as health, education, housing, potable water and sanitation, and social welfare;

4. The need to invest in infrastructure and facilities that could bring the province to the mainstream such as by rehabilitating

the national highway and improving and expanding seaports and airports, irrigation facilities, farm-to-market roads, power and communication systems;

5. The need to improve the condition of the environment;

6. The need to provide the poor greater access to specialized credit sources and social preparation to become bankable;

7. The need to broaden the ownership base of local economies by organizing and promoting cooperatives, livelihood associations and collective enterprises and linking both government and the business sector for financial, technical, and market-ing assistance.

B. Financing the MDGs

The major development concerns of the provincial government have always been in line with the MDGs, particularly on healthcare, education and poverty eradi-cation. However, these concerns require substantial resources which the provincial government cannot adequately provide due to its very limited financial resources.

The major source of the province devel-opment fund is the mandatory 20-percent allocation from its internal revenue allot-ment from the national government. In fact, this fund comprises almost 97 percent of the province’s projected total income for 2010. Its locally generated income merely comprises 3 percent. This limited income of the province is fortunately augmented by overseas development assistance from UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, and EC.

Fo r t he ca lendar yea r 2010 , t he province’s 20-percent Development Fund


amounting to P126 million reflected the following allocation:

Amount Percent

General Public Services: P22,665,000.00 17.99%

Social Services: P50,980,000.00 40.46%

Economic Services: P 8,900,000.00 7.06%

Support Infrastructure: P21,500,000.00 17.06%

The biggest allocation of 40.46 percent on

social services includes programs, projects and activities primarily on health and nutri-tion, education, water and sanitation, and sports development. Economic services are focused on agricultural and fisher-ies development, livestock development, livelihood development, tourism, and trade and commerce. The support infrastructure includes development on land transporta-tion, power and energy and flood control. The general public services are support activities that include initiatives in informa-tion technology, public finance, and peace and order programs.

The grant for the health sector from EC through the DOH amounts to P500 million for 2006-2010 in support of the Provincial Investment Plan for Health. The UNICEF and UNFPA Sixth Country Program for Children (CPC 6) for the current year, which is for the welfare of children and women, amounts to P19.1 million and P3.86 million, respectively. The JPMNH for the Province of

Eastern Samar will be fully operationalized in 2011-2016.

Seven municipalities of the province will also be covered by the Pantawid Pamily-ang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (4Ps).

C. Monitoring Progress Toward the Attain-ment of the MDGs

The Provincial Planning and Develop-ment Office, in cooperation with other stakeholders, has been conducting regular assessment of the provincial progress vis-a-vis the MDGs. In tracking the progress, the major sources of data were (1) NSCB for poverty and subsistence incidence with baseline data as early as 1990 and updated every three years; (2) the annually published BEIS for data for performance indicators in education; (3) FHSIS’s data on health indicators, which has consoli-dated province-wide annual data as well as disaggregated data by municipality for select indicators; (4) NSO for demographic data and others; and (5) CBMS for its disaggregated data by municipality, sex and urban/rural updated every three years. The second update is already ongoing, with the first CBMS results serving as baseline data. The performance of the province is compared to national and regional bench-marks whenever the data are available for such comparative analysis.


This report presents the status of the province vis-à-vis the MDG targets, as well as the challenges facing the government vis-a-vis the MDGs. The results highlight which areas the government should priori-tize. As such, the following should be given priorities if one were to achieve the MDG targets.

1. Poverty presents the highest cause for concern to the province. Poverty incidence at 69.5 percent indicates that majority of the population remains poor. How to provide opportunities for and support to increase family income is therefore the government’s challenge. The Eastern Samar Provincial Development Physical and Framework Plan (PDPFP) for 2010 to 2015 proposes to adopt strategies for economic development that will lessen reliance on primary economic activities and gradually shift the focus to secondary or tertiary ones, particularly on agri-based industries and the develop-ment and promotion of eco-tourism. Prior-ity programs will be Rice Self-Sufficiency Program; Agricultural Product Diversifica-tion and Intensification Program; Livestock and Poultry Production Program; Fishery Production and Development Program;

Investment Promotion Program; Market Development Program; Small- and Medium-Industry Credit Program; and Eco-Tourism Development Program.

2. While only 13.8 percent experienced food shortage, the proportion of popula-tion living below food threshold was high at 58.7 percent. This indicates that major-ity are unable to meet the minimum food needs. Hunger and malnutrition need to be addressed. One of the component strategies for agro-industrialization is productivity enhancement in agriculture and fishery through intensification and diversification. To optimize productive levels of agricultural and fishery resources, the government should provide adequate and timely production inputs such as appropri-ate technology, seeds, fertilizers, pre- and post-harvest facilities, high quality breed of livestock and poultry, and fishing gears and implements. This will target major food and industrial crops to satisfy food sufficiency and the raw material requirements of indus-try.

3. To address malnutrition, the province will continue to implement its Nutrition

Part 4. Conclusions and Recommendations


Program. The program has two compo-nents: micronutrient deficiencies, and protein energy malnutrition. The former seeks to prevent and virtually eliminate deficiencies in iron, Vitamin A, and iodine. The latter is concerned with the gener-ally poor nutritional status of children as indicated by low weight and stunted growth. The major activities include the following: (a) food production through bio-intensive gardening; (b) supplemental feeding; (c) micronutrient supplementation; (d) food fortification; (e) advocacy and social mobilization and IEC development; and (f) designation of full time municipal nutrition action officers.

4. In the area of health, diseases such as tuberculosis and other endemic diseases such as filariasis, schistosomiasis, and dengue must be contained /controlled.

5. The Public Health Improvement Program aims to improve the delivery of public health services and thus help reduce mortality and morbid-ity cases. The major components include communicable diseases control, endemic diseases preven-tion and control, and prevention and control of lifestyle-related diseases.

6. The Field Facilities Upgrad-ing Program aims to make al l the province’s Rural Health Units be Sentrong Sigla-certif ied and PhilHealth-accredited, and thus be able to offer improved health services. It also helps establish additional health stations in remote areas to complement the health services offered by hospitals and health centers in the poblacion.

7. Reduction of maternal and child deaths must be sustained through the Child Health Program and the Maternal Health Program. The Child Health Program seeks to reduce mortality rates of infant and those under-five years of age by implementing projects such as immunization and the Integrated Management of Child Health Illnesses (IMCI).

8. The Maternal Health Program is intended to improve direct services to mothers and reduce maternal mortality and morbidity. Major components are: (a) upgrade and improvement of maternal health facilities in hospitals and rural health units; (b) training of health workers on the management of obstetrical emergencies; and (c) lactation management.

9. Provision of basic services such as water, sanitation, and adequate living conditions need to be addressed vis-à-vis the need to ensure the protection and


sustainabil i ty of the environment and natural resources through the Environment Protection and Development Program and Infrastructure and Utilities Program

10. More and better quality educational facilities for pre-school, elementary and high school students must be accessible especially for those living in geographi-cally isolated areas. In 2005-2006, only 469 elementary schools provide services for 597 barangays (78.6%) of the province. Of these, only 304 were complete elementary schools while 154 were incomplete elemen-tary or primary schools usually located in the small and hard-to-reach barangays. There were only 66 secondary schools and eight tertiary ones. This concern can be addressed through the DepEd’s School Building Program and Multi-grade Program.

The incomplete elementary schools have to be addressed as well so as to widen the access to basic education. Other underlying problems such as poverty can be addressed by poverty reduction measures intended for poor families.

11. Information technology and commu-nication facilities need to be expanded to include far-flung municipalities. Along with power development, this is important especially since part of the overall goal is to attract tourists and investors into the province.

12. The attainment of the MDG goals and targets, however, depends largely on the political will to carry out the policy directions and on provision of the resources in the operationalization of the policies. For


2010, the Province of Eastern Samar has allocated 40.5 percent of its 20-percent Development Fund to social services, particularly for programs, projects and activities on health and nutrition, education, water and sanitation, and sports develop-ment.

For economic and support infrastructure, 7.1 percent and 17.1 percent, respectively, have been allocated. Financial, material and technical resources are expected from local and foreign donors such as PLAN Philippines, United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations Fund for Popula-tion Fund, United Nations Development Program, the World Health Organization,

European Commission, and faith-based donor agencies such as Compassion International. The progress of the province vis-a-vis the MDGs will also be monitored using data from various sources such as the National Statistical Coordination Board, National Statistics Office, Department of Education, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of the Environment and Natural Resources, Provincial Health Office and others, using administrative/monitoring tools such as the CBMS, BEIS, FHSIS, Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) and Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS).


EXPLANATORY TEXT

1Decentralization in the Philippines: Strengthening Local Government Financing and Resource Management in the Short-Term, 2005 (A Joint Document of the

World Bank and the Asian Development Bank)

A. Preparation of Provincial Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Report Using CBMS Data

1. Background and Justification

The availability of good statistics and the capacity of governments, donors and international organizations to systematically measure, monitor and report on progress in all social and economic spheres are at the heart of development policy and the achievement of the MDGs.

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007

While progress toward the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is systematically being measured, monitored and reported at the national level, clearly, there must be a parallel effort at the local level to bring the MDGs into the mainstream of the local development agenda.

This is especially called for under decen-tralized regimes where local government units (LGUs) are at the forefront of policy or program execution. Unfortunately, however, national statistical systems have yet to respond adequately to the demand for micro-level statistics that can aid LGUs in their poverty alleviation efforts, as noted in a joint World Bank and Asian Development Bank report, to

wit: “the most comprehensive and consistent comparative subnational data (are) is at the regional level although this is simply an ad-ministrative level of government that has no responsibilities for delivery of social services. More data (are) is gradually becoming avail-able at the provincial level, but not at lower levels which are at the frontline of efforts to reduce poverty1.”

In response, the Philippine Government has embarked on an initiative to localize the MDGs using the Community-Based Monitor-ing System (CBMS). In 2005, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) issued Resolution No. 6 “recognizing and enjoining support to the CBMS as a tool for strength-ening the statistical system at the local level that will generate statistics for monitoring and evaluation of development plans, including the progress of the local governments in at-taining the Millennium Development Goals.”

Meanwhile, several approaches are being carried out by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in capacitating LGUs to contribute to the attainment of the MDGs and uplifting the quality of life of their constituents. These interventions are particu-larly stated in DILG Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2004-152 “Guide to Local Govern-


Source: CBMS Survey, 2005

Figure 4. CBMS Coverage in the Philippines (as of May 12, 2010)

ment Units in the Localization of the MDGs” dated November 2004, which provides for the: (a) menu of Programs, Projects and Ac-tivities (PPAs) per MDG goal and target to guide LGUs in responding to the MDGs; (b) diagnosis of the local situation using existing local indicators and monitoring system; and (c) call for documentation and replication of good practices.

The CBMS that is being implemented in the Philippines is indeed well-positioned to track progress toward the attainment of the MDGs at the local level. For one, a number of indicators being monitored in the CBMS are included in the indicators for monitoring the progress in achieving the MDGs. Moreover,

CBMS is intended to be done on a regular basis and can therefore be used for updating MDG indicators and facilitating preparation of regular MDG reports. The CBMS can also be used as basis by national and local govern-ments for costing and identifying appropriate interventions needed to achieve the MDGs as well as for resource allocation. Finally, given the large spatial disparities, the CBMS can help identify where focus has to be given to achieve the targets.

The CBMS’ role in localizing the MDGs was recognized during an Experts Group Meeting on Localizing the MDGs held on November 28, 2006 at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacifi c (UN


ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand. The Committee on Poverty Reduction composed of 24 nation-states agreed that the CBMS could comple-ment the offi cial data collection activities of national statistical offi ces and improve the availability of the MDG and other indicators at the local level. It also agreed that localizing the MDGs through CBMS would help inte-grate the goals into the national development strategies. It therefore urged other developing countries to initiate and implement similar in-novative systems that would help localize the MDGs.

As of May 12, 2010, CBMS is being imple-mented in 59 provinces (32 of which are province-wide), 687 municipalities and 43 cities in the Philippines, covering 17,848 ba-rangays all over the country (see Figure 34). A good number of these LGUs have already consolidated their CBMS databases and are well-positioned to generate their own local MDG Reports. For one thing, CBMS collects information that refl ects the multi-faceted na-ture of poverty. In addition, data generated by the CBMS can be broken down by municipal, barangay, purok and even down to the house-hold level, thereby presenting meaningful information and enabling deeper analysis of the poverty situation. Moreover, the CBMS can generate color-coded maps showing the poverty status at each geopolitical level.

2. Objectives

This technical collaboration aims to capacitate nine provincial governments to systematically measure, monitor and report their status with respect to the MDGs. The operative word here is statussince the provinces used their first round of CBMS data in formulating this report. These provinces include Agusan del Norte,

Agusan del Sur, Biliran, Camarines Norte, Eastern Samar, Marinduque, Romblon, Sarangani and Siquijor. The abovemen-tioned provinces were selected since they were among the first LGUs that were able to consolidate their CBMS databases at the provincial level. The CBMS Census was conducted in these provinces between 2005 and 2007 (for detailed information on census years, see Table 29).

In particular, the technical collaboration was carried out to meet the following objectives:

( i) to track the status on the attain-ment of the MDGs in the ident i f ied provinces; (i i) to assist these provinces i n p repar ing the i r P rov inc ia l MDG Repor ts ; and ( i i i ) to inc rease loca l awareness on how these reports can bridge local and national development strategies.

3. Expected Technical Collaboration Outputs

The project is expected to produce the following outputs: (i) mentored technical staff of the nine CBMS-partner provinces on how to prepare Provincial MDG Reports, and (ii) Provincial MDG Reports of the nine provinces.

4. Capacity-Building

The capacity-building of the Provincial MDG Teams consists of three workshops and one-on-one mentoring process.

Processing of CBMS Data to Generate MDG Indicators. This 2-day activity was designed to provide participants with: (i) a deeper appreciation of the importance of the CBMS in benchmarking/tracking local progress toward the attainment of the MDGs; (ii) a


satisfactory level of knowledge in process-ing CBMS data to facilitate analyses of accomplishments versus targets; (iii) some basic skills on how to incorporate MDG targets in local development plans and facilitate corresponding increase in budget allocation for MDG-responsive PPAs; and (iv) tools and methodologies in formulating MDG reports.

Preparation of Provincial MDG Reports Using CBMS Data. This 2-day activity was designed to build on the gains of the first workshop by providing techni-cal assistance to the Project Teams in (i) processing CBMS data to generate the additional MDG indicators and consoli-dating their data at the provincial level, (ii) benchmarking/tracking their progress toward the attainment of the MDGs , (iii) reviewing partial provincial reports based on the indicators generated using the first workshop, and (iv) finalizing list of indica-tors to be included in the report.

Presentation and Critiquing of Provincial MDG Reports. This 3-day activity was designed to finalize the Provincial MDG Reports and at the same time provide an opportunity for an exchange of views and possible harmonization of approaches as well as for the provision of consistent guidance to all the Provincial MDG Teams. The expected output from this workshop was the complete manuscript of the MDG Report which already incorporates the comments/inputs of the assigned mentor and resource persons who were invited to share their expertise during the workshop.

Mentor/Mentee Relationship. In order to ensure a sustained and focused mentoring program, a mentor from the Research Team of the CBMS Network was matched to one Provincial MDG Team.

The assigned mentor was expected to set a specific time each week to interact with his/her Provincial MDG Team and discuss the following: (1) review progress in drafting the Provincial MDG Report, (2) set/identify targets for the coming weeks, and (3) draw up an action plan to achieve those targets. In addition, the mentor was expected to assist his/her assigned MDG Team in identifying and solving problem areas.

Meanwhile, Dr. Celia M. Reyes, Anne Bernadette E. Mandap and Marsmath A. Baris, Jr. reviewed all partial and final reports. The technical staff of the NEDA Social Development Staff headed by Director Erlinda Capones also reviewed and provided valuable comments on the reports.

B. CBMS-MDG Indicators

Unless otherwise indicated, all the statisti-cal tables, graphs, charts and poverty maps presented in this report were generated using the CBMS methodology.

The MDG Indicators, which were esti-mated using CBMS data, are presented in table 29.


It involves the following steps:Step 1 – Advocacy/organizationStep 2 – Data collection and field editingStep 3 – Data encoding and map digiti-

zationStep 4 – Data consolidation, database-

building & poverty mappingStep 5 – Data validation and community

consultationStep 6 – Knowledge (database) manage-

mentStep 7 – Plan formulationStep 8 – Dissemination, implementation,

and monitoring

Box 1. Community-Based Monitoring System

The CBMS is an organized way of collecting data at the local level to be used by local governments, national government agencies, nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and civil society for planning, budgeting, and implementing local development programs as well as for monitoring and evaluating their perfor-mance. It is a tool for improved local governance and democratic decision-making that promotes greater transpar-ency and accountability in resource allocation.


Table 29. The CBMS-MDG Indicators and their Definition


Table 29. The CBMS-MDG Indicators and their Definition (Continued)


Table 29. The CBMS-MDG Indicators and their Definition (Continued)


Table 30. Poverty and Food Thresholds

C. Poverty and Food Thresholds

Offi cial poverty thresholds computed by the NSCB were used and, in some cases, updated to the reference period for the CBMS data by infl ating these thresholds using the appropriate Consumer Price Index (CPI). The poverty and food thresholds used for each province are presented in Table 29.

D. Authority for the CBMS Census

The NSCB has issued Resolution No. 6 (2005) which recognizes and enjoins support to the CBMS as a tool for strength-ening the statistical system at the local level. It also directs the NSCB Technical Staff to initiate and coordinate an advoca-cy program for the adoption of the CBMS by the LGUs, through the Regional Statisti-cal Coordination Committees (RSCCs), the technical arm of the NSCB Executive Board in the regions.

The NSCB has also approved the CBMS Survey Instruments through NSCB Approval No. DILG-0903-01.

E. Survey Operations

All survey operations were undertaken under the supervision of the CBMS Technical Working Groups (TWGs) at the Provincial and Municipal Levels. They identifi ed the local personnel who were trained as enumerators and fi eld supervi-sors. Technical assistance was provided by the PEP-CBMS Network Coordinating Team,

the Bureau of Local Government Develop-ment (BLGD) and Regional Offi ce IV-B of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Offi ce IV-B and the Institute for Democratic Participation in Governance (IDPG).

Training was mainly conducted at two levels. The first level training (Training of Trainors) is conducted for members of the TWGs. This is usually conducted by members of the research staff of the CBMS Network and CBMS accredited trainors from the DILG, NAPC and NEDA. Meanwhile, a second level training (Train-ing of Enumerators) is conducted for


enumerators who are usually composed of barangay health workers and students. The members of the TWG acted as trainors in this training.

F. Data Processing System

The data processing software used under this project includes the CBMS Data Encoding System, the CBMS-Natural Resources Data-base and Stata.

The CBMS encoding system uses CSPro (Census and Survey Processing), a software developed by the United States Bureau of Census for entering, editing, tabulating, and disseminating data from censuses and sur-veys. The CSPro-based (Census and Survey Processing) Encoding System converts survey data into electronic data. It produces text fi les (ASCII) described by data dictionaries, which adds fl exibility to the output data. This feature facilitates the interface between the CBMS data and other database systems and statisti-cal softwares.

The CBMS Mapping system employs the Natural Resources Database2 (NRDB) for CBMS-based poverty mapping and for storing and displaying household- and individual- level information, The CBMS-NRDB is capable of creating and storing spatial (shapefi les) and non-spatial (texts and numbers) data as well as generating maps, reports and graphs ideal for presentation and analysis of poverty attri-butes in the community. This has signifi cantly addressed the need for a simple yet powerful and free geographically-oriented database.

Meanwhile, the CBMS data presented in this report through tables, graphs, charts and

poverty maps were processed using Stata, a general-purpose statistical software package created in 1985 by StataCorp.

These softwares were provided for free to the nine provinces which formulated their reports under this project.

G. CBMS Poverty MapsThe poverty map for each indicator shows

the provincial map disaggregated by munici-pality.

A simple color scheme is used (green, light green, pink and red) to represent the four ranges of data for each indicator. Each indica-tor, however, used a different range relative to the provincial data.

H. Limitations of the DataWhile observations are taken from the entire

population, the user of the data presented in this report should bear in mind that the mu-nicipalities in two provinces (Eastern Samar and Biliran) were not able to collect their data over the same period. For instance, CBMS was piloted in a number of municipalities in Eastern Samar and Biliran in 2005 and was imple-mented provincewide in 2006. Moreover, due to some diffi culties, the CBMS census could not be carried out in 1 barangay in Romblon, and 2 barangays each in Camarines Norte and Eastern Samar.

Estimates on poverty and subsistence inci-dence may also be affected by under- and/or over-reporting of income or reluctance on the part of the respondents to reveal their true lev-els of income. As in other surveys, the CBMS enumerators may also have encountered in-terview non-response and item non-response.

2 The NRDB was developed by Mr. Richard Alexander, a British volunteer who spent three years working for the Bohol Environment Management Offi ce through the assistance of

Available in this series:

NATIONAL REPORT

• Philippines Progress Report on the Millennium Development Goals 2010

PROVINCIAL REPORTS

•Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data Province of Agusan del Norte

•Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data Province of Agusan del Sur

•Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data Province of Biliran

•Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data Province of Camarines Norte

•Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data Province of Eastern Samar

•Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data Province of Marinduque

• Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data Province of Romblon

•Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data Province of Siquijor

•Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data Province of Sarangani

Documents

MDGs Provincial Status Report 2010 Philippines Eastern Samar