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Province of EASTERN SAMAR

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

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

Foreword
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.

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

Message
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 situation 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 inuence. 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 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, Sarangani, 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 y 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

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

Message

Republic of the Philippines PROVINCE OF EASTERN SAMAR Borongan OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
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. CONRADO D


Governor

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

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 Coordinating 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. EVARD . BEN EVARDONE E


Representative, Eastern Samar

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

Preface
As one of the 189 countries that committed themselves to the United Nations Millennium 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--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 Development 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 Development 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 Childrens Fund, PLAN Philippines, Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Technische Zusammenarbeit or German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), World Bank, World Heath Organization, International Labor Organization (ILO), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) who are contributing to the attainment of the Provinces MDGs and targets.

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

Table of Contents

Foreword Messages

....................................................................................................... UN Resident Coordinator Dr. Jacqueline Badcock ........................ Governor Conrado B. Nicart ........................................................... Representative Ben P. Evardone .......................................................

2 3 4 5 6 7 9 11 12 13

Preface .......................................................................................................... Table of Contents ............................................................................................. List of Acronyms .............................................................................................. List of Tables ................................................................................................... List of Figures .................................................................................................. List of Maps ....................................................................................................

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................. 14 Part 1. Provincial Profile


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

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


Goal 1 - Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger ................................................... 27 Goal 2 - Achieve Universal Primary Education ...................................................... 39 Goal 3 - Promote Gender Equality ...................................................................... 46 Goal 4 - Reduce Child Mortality ......................................................................... 51

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

Table of Contents

Goal 5 - Improve Maternal Health .................................................................. 57 Goal 6 - Combat HIV / AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases ................................. 65 Goal 7 - Ensure Environmental Sustainability ................................................... 70 Goal 8 - Develop a Global Partnership for Development
..................................

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Part 3. Meeting the 2015 Challenge


Priority Programs and Policy Responses ................................................ Financing the MDGs ..........................................................................

80 82 Monitoring Progress Toward the Attainment of the MDGs ........................ 83 Part 4. Conclusion and Recommendations .......................................... 84 Explanatory Text ..................................................................................... 88

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

List of Acronyms

ADB ARCP BEONC BEmONC BHERT BHS BJMP CBMIS CBMS CEmONC DA DepEd DOH DOTS DSWD ECCD ESPH FAMH FHSIS GAD GIDA GOs GTZ ILHZ IMCI InFRES JPMNH KALAHICIDSS MDG MOVE

Asian Development Bank Agrarian Reform Community Projects Basic Essential Obstetrics and Neonatal Care Basic Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care Barangay Health Emergency Response Team Barangay Health Station Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Community Based Management Information System Community Based Monitoring System Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care Department of Agriculture Department of Education Department of Health Directly Observed Treatment for Short Course Chemotherapy Department of Social Welfare and Development Early Childhood Care and Development Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital Felipe Abrigo Memorial Hospital Field Health Service Information System Gender and Development Geographically Isolated and Depressed Areas Government Organizations Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Technische Zusammenarbeit Inter-Local Health Zone Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses Infrastructure for Rural Productivity Enhancement Sector Joint Program for Maternal and Neonatal Health Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services Millennium Development Goals Men Opposed to Violence Everywhere

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

List of Acronyms

MSWDO NAPC NDCC NDHS NSCB NSO OPT PNP PNRC RHU TESDA UNFPA UNICEF USAID VAWC VAW VSO WASH WCPU WHO WHT

Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office National Anti-Poverty Commission National Disaster Coordinating Council National Demographic and Health Survey National Statistical Coordination Board National Statistics Office Operation Timbang Philippine National Police Philippine National Red Cross Rural Health Unit Technical Education and Skills Development Authority United Nations Population Fund United Nations Childrens Emergency Fund United States Agency for International Development Violence Against Women and Children Violence Against Women Voluntary Service Overseas Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Program Women and Child Protection Unit World Health Organization Womens Health Team

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

List of Tables

Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Table 7 Table 8 Table 9 Table 10 Table 11 Table 12 Table 13 Table 14 Table 15 Table 16 Table 17 Table 18 Table 19 Table 20 Table 21 Table 22 Table 23 Table 24 Table 25 Table 26 Table 27 Table 28 Table 29 Table 30

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

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

List of Figures

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

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

List of Maps

Map 1 Map 2 Map 3 Map 4 Map 5 Map 6 Map 7 Map 8 Map 9 Map 10 Map 11 Map 12 Map 13 Map 14 Map 15 Map 16 Map 17 Map 18 Map 19 Map 20 Map 21 Map 22 Map 23 Map 24 Map 25 Map 26

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

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

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). 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.

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

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 experienced food shortage in the last 3 months

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Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

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

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

Table 1. (Continued)

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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 tuberculosis was about 33 per 100,000 population. About 45.0 percent of the population were living in inadequate living conditions.

Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

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, indicating 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-vis the need to ensure the protection and sustainability 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 communication facilities need to be expanded to include far-flung municipalities. The attainment of the MDG goals and targets depends largely on the political will 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 technical resources are expected from local and foreign donors .

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

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: Northern 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. Llorente, Hernani, Gen. MacArthur, Salcedo, Quinapondan, Giporlos, Balangiga, Lawaan, Mercedes, and Guiuan. The province has 597 barangays. Borongan has the most number of barangays 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

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 administrative jurisdiction set in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan divides the provinces 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 municipalities, namely: Maydolong, Balangkayan,

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Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

B. 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.

Figure 1. Location Map of the Province of Eastern Samar

Land Area
Eastern Samar has a total land area of 4,640.7 square kilometers based on the land area as certified by the Land Management 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

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

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.

Table 3. Population by Municipality: CBMS 2005-2006

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 November 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 Population
The total population of Eastern Samar based on the 2007 Census of Population 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 regions total population of 3,912,936. Borongan registered the largest population at 59,354 persons, which accounted for 14.7 percent of the provinces 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 Monitoring System (CBMS) Survey, the total population of Eastern Samar in 2006 was 385,875. Borongan led with 58,389 individuals (15.1%), followed by Guiuan with 39,988 (10.3%) and Dolores with 35,047 (9.0%). Those with the smallest number of

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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.

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Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Table 4. Number and Size of Households by Municipality: CBMS 2005-2006 Figure 2. . Urban-Rural Population : CBMS 2006

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 Distribution
In 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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

Urban-Rural Distribution
In 1995, about 30.9 (NS0) percent of the provinces household population lived in urban areas. More than two-thirds, or 69.1 percent, of the total household population 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.

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

Figure 3. Sex Distribution : CBMS 2006

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

of the total population. Males had a higher proportion (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 employment rate of 77.7 percent. Males had a significantly 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 Incidence

D. Local Economy
Family Income and Expenditures
The provinces 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).

Among 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.

Main Source of Income


More than two-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 Employment

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The CBMS survey 2005-2006 indicated a total labor force of 143,530 or 37.1 percent

Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

E. Infrastructure / Utilities / Facilities


Road Network
The 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.

Bridges
A total of 125 bridges with a combined length of 5,064.1 linear meters complemented the provinces 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%).

The province is linked to Metro Manila through the Philippine-Japan Highway that traverses Western Samar to the ferry terminals 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 Transportation
There 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.

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

Water Transportation
Inter-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.

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Province of Eastern Samar

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.

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

Postal and Cargo Forwarding Services


There 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.

Domestic Water Supply


In 2006 there were a total of 5,345 water systems facilities. Level 1 facilities, consisting 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 facilities. 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.

Radio Stations and Cable TV


Two 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 Churchcontrolled 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.

Irrigation
In 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.

Power
Electricity 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

Telephone and Telegraph Facilities


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

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Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

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.

University, has masters programs in agriculture, education, and management and doctorate program in educational management.

E. Local Institutional Capability


Income
The 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 provinces 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 externally source-out income.

Health Facilities
In 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 Schools


In 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.

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 government employees. The Provincial Engineering 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 departments were the Office of the Provincial Agricultural Services, General Services Office, and Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Courses Offered
The seven vocational schools has courses in agriculture, crafts and home industries, arts and trades, and fisheries. Courses in tertiary schools, apart from postsecondary, were baccalaureate degrees in management, education, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, engineering, nursing and commerce. The lone state college in the province, the Eastern Samar State

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

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 Sangguniang 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 Society
Nongovernment and peoples organizations complement the efforts of government and business in the development of Eastern Samar. In 2006, 10 nongovernment organizations (NGOs) operated province wide by extending varied development services in education, potable water supply and sanitation, and healthcare. A few NGOs served as partners of government in environmental protection, agricultural development, and policy advocacy. In addition, there were 490 registered cooperatives. Of these, only 96 (19%) were operating in 2006. Services provided were credit financing, marketing, transport services, processing and other developmental activities.

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

Part 2. Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals

Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger


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.

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar Province of Eastern Samar

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

The official 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
Map 1. Proportion of Population Below Poverty Threshold by Municipality

for the reference period 2005. For the reference period of 2006, four municipalities of Balangiga, Balangkayan, General MacArthur, 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, representing 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.

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

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

Source: CBMS Survey 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 five municipalities: 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 municipalities (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 subsistence 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 proportion 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.

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

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 areas 0.4.
Table 7. Poverty Gap Ratio by Urban/Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006

Eight municipalities had the highest poverty gap ratio of 0.5; namely, Jipapad, Dolores, Hernani, Arteche, General MacArthur, 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.

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

Target 1B. Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people
Employment Rate
Considered 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 proportion (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%).

Map 3. Poverty Gap Ratio by Municipality

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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

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

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

Source: CBMS Survey 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.

Map 4. Employment Rate by Municipality

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 experienced food shortage. A higher proportion of the males (14.1%) than of the females (13.6%) experienced the same.

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

Food shortage was experienced by majority of its population only in the municipality 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 shortage in the last three months prior to the

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

Map 5. Food Shortage by Municipality

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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

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Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

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, Balangiga was at par and the rest of the fourteen municipalities were below the average.

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.

B. CURRENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS


Poverty Alleviation Program
To respond to the poverty and hunger issues, the provincial government conducted the Provincial Anti-poverty Summit in 2007 and the Food Summit in 2008, which resulted in a multi-sectoral comprehensive collaboration in facing the issues on poverty. The Poverty Alleviation Program of the province provides for livelihood assistance to cooperatives, Non-government Organizations (NGOs), Peoples 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 Breeding Loan Program and Goat Dispersal Program. Since 2006, a total of 343 heads

Employment Program
The 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 placement 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 Development 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

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

were reported as employed. There remains more of those who were employed but not reported at all. From 2006-2009, TESDA provided scholarship 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 bridging program. So far, there are three operational 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%).

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 Anti-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 infrastructure, basic service infrastructure, and capability-building activities amounting to P72 million. The local counterpart amounted to P29.8 million.

Cooperatives Development
As of June 2007, there were 513 cooperatives 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 Cooperatives Savings Mobilization and Capital Build-up Program (SMCBUP), innovative savings mobilization 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.

KALAHI - CIDSS
The most impoverished barangays in the province became recipients of the World Bank -assisted Kapit-Bisig Laban sa

Tindahan Natin Program


This is a poverty alleviation project initiated by the national government for employment generation, livelihood, and food

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Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

security. The project provides governmentsubsidized 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 accredited 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.

10 farm-to-market roads 60.437 kilometers long and costing P12.931 million. Three Presidents bridges worth P13.8 million in Borongan, Guiuan and Sulat were also completed. The Infrastructure for Rural Productivity 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 million for the construction of 139.19 kilometers of farm-to-market roads in Can-avid, Arteche, Maslog, Balangkayan, Maydolong, Hernani, Sulat, and Dolores.

Infrastructure Support
Infrastructure 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 infrastructure 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

Food Fortification Program


The provincial government, through the Provincial Health Office, 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 fortified foods. In relation to this, the micronutrient supplementation through the Garantisadong 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.

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For its efforts, the province was given national recognition as the Garantisadong Pambata Champion of Region VIII for a consistently high accomplishment in Vitamin A supplementation and deworming of children from 2007-2009.

Pabasa Sa Nutrisyon
This is an information-sharing type of activity 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, Balangiga, 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 Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF), PLAN International and local government units.

Home, School and Community Food Production


This includes setting up of kitchen gardens in homes, schools, and communities; putting up of demo centers and nurseries, distribution of plant materials, small animals/fingerlings and provision of technical assistance in food production.

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

36 36

This is a locally initiated project at Brgy. Punta Maria, Borongan, E. Samar, conceptualized and implemented by the Barangay Nutrition Committee (BNC) through the Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) with assistance from PNC as a strategic approach to address the malnutrition problem in the area. The three major program components are: Pabasa sa Nutrisyon, Supplemental Feeding and the G Strategy (Gardening Component). The beneficiaries 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 Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Committee and the BNS as the Most Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar in 2008.

Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Food For School Program


Implemented 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 Educationsupervised 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 implementation 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 MacArthur, Giporlos, Hernani, Jipapad, Lawaan, Maslog, Mercedes, Quinapondan, Salcedo, 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.

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 municipalities 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 household 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 Employment
Although 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 provinces economy is dominated by primary (agriculture, fishing) or extractive industries, which by themselves are low-income generating activities. Priority should be focused on raising the level of income and providing more opportunities for employment. At the barangay and municipal levels, more funds should be provided for the Self-Employment Assistance Program of the Municipal Social Welfare

ASIN Law Implementation


As part of the effort to address the micronutrient deficiency problem, President Fidel V. Ramos in 1993 launched Salt Iodization through the Ending Hidden Hunger Conference. The ASIN Law or RA 8172 An

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

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 Incidence
The 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.

Ecology of University of the Philippines-Los Baos, 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 following are the other related challenges: (1) Sustainability of the volunteer program through the Barangay Nutrition 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%).

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 Nutrition and Food of the College of Human

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

Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education


A. 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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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Province of Eastern Samar Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

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

Proportion of Children Aged 13-16 Years Old 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 population 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.
Source: CBMS Survey 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 enrollment for these primary school children by 2015, the 23.4 percent have to be enrolled.

The lowest proportion of enrollees was in the municipalities of Maslog (21.8%), Jipapad (29.8%), Arteche (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 proportion 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 municipalities were above the provincial average of 56.8 percent while 12 were below such average.

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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

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

The highest proportion 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%), Maslog (72.2%), Jipapad (73.2%), Arteche (78.5%) and General MacArthur (79%). The other municipalities had proportions ranging from 80.6 percent to 89.9 percent. Compared to the provincial average of 83.5 percent, 13 out of the 23 municipalities fell above while 10 of the municipalities were below this.

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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 proportion 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.

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

Literacy Rate of 15-24 Year-olds


Simple literacy rate is measured in terms of the percentage of the population 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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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

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Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

B. CURRENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS


Access to Basic Education
Republic 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.

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

Basic Education Information System


This 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.

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


This DepEd program links childrens home experiences to every part of school learning proceedings. This further intends to enhance pupils 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 percentage (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

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, encouragement of integrated childhood care and development, and helping parents meet the basic learning needs of children.

Completion of Incomplete Elementary Schools


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

Multi-Grade Program
Multi-grade classes are established in barangays, especially in thinly populated, remote areas where the enrolment does not

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

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


BACKGROUND / RATIONALE:
The CBMS survey in 2006 showed that Hernani had one of the highest proportions of children 13 16 years old who were not enrolled in high school (53.8%). There are many youth who are unable to enroll due to poverty and difficulty in accessing schools

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 considerable 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. The District of Hernani got the highest percentage of passers (25%) in the Division and the result was above the Division average percentage.

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 education in the formal school system who are 15 years old and above. This 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 learners 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.
warrant the organization of single or mono grade classes. This program makes basic education accessible to the less fortunate and underprivileged Filipinos.

LESSON LEARNED
There is a need for policy support and corresponding budgetary allocation at the municipal level in order to sustain the implementation of the ALS programs and projects.
program, such will develop the reading readiness, word-recognition/vocabulary, comprehension, study and literacy appreciation 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.

Every Child a Reader Program (ECARP)


The program aims to make every child a reader at the end of the third year of instruction. Through a well-balanced reading

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Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

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, personnel 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).

is PLAN Philippines, that covers the municipalities 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 Associations (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 Program
Since 2009, the Provincial Government has been assisting students at the Eastern Samar State University and St. Marys College campuses in the province. The Academic Scholarship Program has amounted to P8.75 million. More than 50 of the scholars have already graduated.

C. CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES FOR ACTION


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.

Intensive Collaboration with Stakeholders


The 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 relationships with their public: the parents, the community, the church, the government and nongovernment agencies, and other institutions which might have vested interest in the education of the youth. The most prevalent organization that supports the school plans

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

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 secondary 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

46 46

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

Province of Eastern Samar Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

(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 yearold category, the ratio of females to males is 0.9 vis--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 Lawaans 1.0 ratio. Most of the municipalities 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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

Map 12. Ratio of Girls to Boys in Secondary Education

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Map 13. Ratio of Girls to Boys in Tertiary Education

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 municipalities 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.

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

Map 14. Ratio of Literate Females to Males

Proportion of Seats Held by Women in the Municipality and Province


Womens opportunities in political and public roles are closely linked to womens 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 proportion 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 municipalities 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.

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Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

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

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 Population Funds (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 Development Strategies, Reproductive Health, and Gender. The expected outcome of the Gender component 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 financial 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;

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

B.CURRENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS


Women Empowerment and Development
The Eastern Samar Gender and Development (GAD) Code of 2008 embodies womens empowerment, gender equality, womens human rights and gender-responsive 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 conditions: and other rights. To ensure the implementation of all GAD programs and activities, a GAD budget of 5 percent from the General Fund and 20-percent Development Fund of the Province shall be allocated. The

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

Creation of Provincial Gender Network (Pro-GenderNet) composed of lady legislators, heads of offices, faith-based organizations, 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 stakeholders. VAWC partnerships with PLAN Philippines, Oikos, Perfetta; MOVE partnerships with PLAN, Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and other government organizations, including provincial, municipal and barangay officials; Partnership with media practitioners highlighting reproductive health discussions in radio programs.

C. CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES FOR ACTION


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 participation in elective positions in government.

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

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 indicates the social, 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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

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

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 municipalities 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.

Source: CBMS Survey 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 proportions 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

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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

Twelve municipalities and one city had proportions below the provincial average of 2.5 percent while 10 other municipalities had higher proportions. The leading causes of infant mortality per 1,000 live births were pneumonia (6.06), diarrheal diseases (1.23), sepsis neonatorum (1.23), neonatal death (1.01) and pre-maturity (0.67).

Map 17. Proportion of Infants Who Died

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%). The municipalities of Jipapad (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) municipalities had proportions which ranged from 0.1 to 1.0 percent. Hernani and Mercedes had no deaths of this age level during this period.

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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.

Expanded Program for Immunization


On 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 Coverage 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.

B. CURRENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS


Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses
All Rural Health Units in the province are managing childhood illnesses using the Integrated Management for Childhood Illness (IMCI) approach. This approach consists of comprehensive evidencedbased guidelines developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to assess and classify childhood illnesses, thereby reducing preventable deaths of children under five years old through early recognition of signs, prompt treatment and referral to the appropriate health facility. Its implementation 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.

Breast Feeding Program


Correct and adequate feeding practices starting at birth are critical for the physical 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

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Province of Eastern Samar

Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

months and continued breastfeeding until the age of two years. Breastfeeding is very common in the province, as evidenced in the latest National 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 breastfeeding practice and in other incorrect feeding practices has been noted. The following strategies 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 barangays; 3. Capacity building for breast feeding support groups and health workers are on-going (trainings such as breast feeding counseling, infant and young child feeding practices, lactation management training for hospital-based health workers 4. Monitoring the enforcement of the Milk code in health facilities. 5. Mother-baby friendly Hospitals Initiatives (MBFHI) which has been a requirement in the Department of Health (DOH) licensing of hospitals.

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Province of Eastern Samar

Essential newborn care


Although significant 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 institutionalized. 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.

C. CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES FOR ACTION


The following are the challenges government 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 institutionalizing 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.

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Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health


A. STATUS
Target 5.A: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio
Proportion of Women Deaths Due to PregnancyRelated Causes
With CBMS, maternal mortality is computed 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 proportion as that of the province at 0.4 percent while nine fell below and twelve were above the provincial benchmark.

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006 Map 19. Proportion of Women Deaths Due to Pregnancy Related Causes

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 postpartum), 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 personnel. 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.

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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.

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


Contraceptive Prevalence
Contraceptive prevalence is the percentage 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.

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 institutionalized 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, maternal 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 community but in the health workers themselves1.

B. CURRENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS


The causes of maternal deaths were related to the threedelay model: i.e., (1) Delay in seeking medical care; (2) Delay in receiving adequate and appropriate care at health facility; and (3) Delay in identifying 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 Improving Access to Facility Based Deliveries: BEONC


Maternal Death Review (MDR) is a forum where deaths from pregnancy- and childbirth- related causes are reviewed. The road to death or the chronological events leading to death are discussed, avoidable
Table 20. Proportion of Couples Using Contraceptives

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

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

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one can actually reduce the second and third delay in the three-delay model. Maternal death reviews through the years have consistently revealed that majority of the maternal deaths were delivered by traditional 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 Investment 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 Disadvantaged 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 capability-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 developments. Recently, the Family Health Code was passed at the provincial level and replicated in the municipalities. It includes policies on redening the role of the traditional 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 ndings in the MDR that maternal deaths occur in the rst two days postpartum. Organization of Womens 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).

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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 critical 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. Transportation equipment for both land and river are also being provided by LGUs and foreign funding sources.

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 Ofce was really bent on addressing this problem. The conduct of the Community-Based Management Information System (CBMIS) in all the municipalities in 2009 has identied the real unmet needs for family planning. Municipalities are in the process of addressing the identied 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


All the interventions and reforms 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/

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.

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Councils have been reorganized and their role expanded to cover support for maternal 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 involvement with the family in the birth and emergency plan of the pregnant woman; c. Play an active role in other healthrelated activities such as the immunization, family planning action sessions, and garantisadong 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 intensified. With the interventions for the supply side now in place, the need to focus on the demand side generation is greatly emphasized 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.

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 System b. Health Information System c. Drug Management System d. Integrated Health Planning e. 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 ILHZs 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 organization 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 implemented 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.

Inter-Local Health Zones (ILHZ)


The province has five ILHZ: OrasArteche; Taft; Borongan; Guiuan, and the Balagiqui. Organization of the ILHZ was initially piloted in Balagiqui and Borongan ILHZ with technical assistance provided by DOH and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) in 2005-2006. It was

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The ILHZ gets its resources from the 1 percent of the 20-percent Development Fund contributed by each member municipal 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.

C. CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES FOR ACTION


The following are the challenges being faced by the government and priorities for action to achieve the Goal 5 targets: 1. Sustaining reforms and interventions initiated by development partners. This will be through the functional ILHZ, which will be the hive of all activities

for the coming years. The ongoing systems development within each ILHZ will ensure that all the interventions/ reforms will be sustained; 2. Improving community participation and involvement; hence, community organizations, advocacy campaigns and behavioral-change communication activities should be intensified and made as one of the priorities for action---e.g., the WHT and BHERT should be sustained; 3. Improving delivery of health services (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 facilities at all times through the improvement 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.

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Province of Eastern Samar

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


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. The mother died four days post partum The 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 conduct 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. Through the request of the MHO, the parish priest announced the activity during a Sunday holy mass. Letters and IEC materials were sent to possible donors 80% of the donors were members of the AFP and 20% were from LGU employees, RHU staff and the youth. caused by hemorrhage Lobby for LGU support for mass blood typing and donation Tapping of Medical 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 attributed to hemorrhage Increased couples awareness about the danger signs of high-risk pregnancy Availability of blood for patients from Llorente at the ESPH RHU will establish Blood Council and Barangay Blood Councils Updating of Blood Directory Conduct of bloodletting on a regular basis

OBJECTIVE:

To reduce the number of maternal deaths due Advocacy is a very important tool in catalyzto hemorrhage ing community support LGU support is crucial in implementing inKEY FEATURES: novative programs/strategies Conduct of community meetings to orient A minimum amount can be optimized by couples about maternal deaths especially those mobilizing widespread public support

LESSONS LEARNED:

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

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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

Map 20. Prevalence and Death Rates Associated with Tuberculosis

Endemic Diseases of the Province


The province has the second highest prevalence in lariasis, with microlaria rate of 7/1000 population and the highest clinical rate for 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 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.

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

B. CURRENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS


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 infection 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 treatment with Praziquantel, the drug of choice, is being done in the schistosomiasis-endemic municipalities of Arteche, Jipapad, 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

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households to 80,000 households, or from 15 percent to 55 percent of the population. This strategy also complemented other measures such as: improving the communitys 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.

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 facilities. 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 facility 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.

Waray Tukob Strategy


Waray Tukob is a comprehensive campaign against all endemic diseases in the province, namely: filariasis, schistosomiasis, 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 initiatives implemented under the PIPH, which is spearheaded by leaders from the five ILHZs. It puts together all the advocacy campaign activities with strong community participation. Mass treatment activities, policy development and advocacy activities are planned and implemented together with other stakeholders.

Anti-Rabies Program
All 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 established 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 strategy will focus on an advocacy campaign for responsible pet ownership and the organization of functional task forces at the community level.

Tuberculosis DOTS Program


DOTS, which stands for Directly Observed Treatment for Short Course Chemotherapy, has been implemented in the province since 2001. It has five essential components: Strong political support; Passive case finding which is being done through direct sputum microscopy hence, the vital presence of microscopist/ medical technology in each of the health

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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.

C. CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES FOR ACTION


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 implementation 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.

Peoples Empowerment Saves One (PESO) for Health: A HEALTHCARE FINANCING SCHEME
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 providing healthcare and that people were merely recipients of this service. This attitude usually rendered a poor family 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 Local Government Units (LGUs), especially during the immediate post-devolution period, lacked the resources to provide for all of the peoples hospitalization needs. Hospital staff, medical supplies, drugs and medicines were inadequate. . poor people a better alternative to indigence and all its negative ramifications -- cycle of debts, inability to access hospital services, feelings of despair and powerlessness, etc. It was initiated by the Provincial Health Office to enable the poor to access hospital services while participating in caring 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. They 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. They have been freed from total dependency and helplessness and have shaken off the stigma attached to being charity patients.

The vision of the project is to ensure quality, equitable, accessible and affordable health care to The PESO for Health, acronym for Peoples each beneficiary by the year 2020, in partnership Empowerment Saves One for Health, has offered with the LGUs and other sectors. Its purpose is

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to help improve access to health care services by providing expanded health care coverage to every household member. Its specific objectives are: 1) To strengthen access to health care services through community participation and inter-disciplinary approaches; 2) To install a health financing scheme for the peoples hospitalization needs; 3) To sustain the curative and preventive care projects and services through cooperativism. This was initially implemented in the municipality of Borongan and expanded in 2005 to the four other municipalities composing the interlocal health zone (ILHZ) namely, San Julian, Maydolong, Balangkayan and Llorente. The project membership has grown from 40 households and 186 individuals to 1,586 households and 5,884 individuals, achieving a 23% increase in its membership per year. It has also benefited a total of 161 members. The original scheme of the project is patterned after the original PESO for Health project implemented in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental. Modifications in the policies and benefit 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 member 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 specified drugstores with which the management team has made arrangements. Total funds as of April 2008, mostly from members contributions, amount to P203, 585.87. These have been deposited at the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Eastern Samar Provincial Health Office Employees Association (gaining 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. The dividends are used to finance the project operating costs such as meetings. In 2007, the project started providing the Treasurer with incentives amounting to 10% of the dividends earned. The most visible result of the project is the continued support and participation that it enjoys from the members. Members take pride in being part of a project that has earned them access to a vital health service and recognition from the Provincial Health Office 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

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Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability


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 deforestation in the past. Hence, the proportion of land area covered by forest in the province has decreased to 53.19 percent. The municipalities 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
Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006 Map 21. Proportion of Land Area Covered by Forest

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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 municipalities 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.

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

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, Proportion of Population with Access to Safe Water Supply, includes safe water supply from community water systems, deep well and Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006 artesian wells whether for own use or shared with other households. and Balangkayan (91.5%) had the highest proportions of the population with access to Of the total population, 303,437 or 78.7 safe drinking water. These were followed by percent had access to safe drinking water. 15 municipalities with proportions ranging Females (78.9%) had a slightly higher propor- from 70 percent to 88.7 percent. The lowest tion than males (78.4%). Households in the were Giporlos (34.3%), Sulat (59.3%), and urban areas (86.0%) had a higher proportion Balangiga (60.9%). Maslog had 0 percent than those in the rural areas (75.9%). access to safe drinking water. Compared to the provincial average of 78.7 percent, The municipalities of Lawaan (97.1%), there were 12 municipalities that had higher Arteche (93.4%), Maydolong (93.4%), proportions and 11 that were lower.
Table 22. Magnitude and Proportion of Households/Population with Access to Safe Drinking Water, by Sex and by Urban Rural, Eastern Samar, 2005-2006

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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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 provincial average of 2.9 percent.

Map 24. Proportion of Population Who are Informal Settlers

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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

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

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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percent in the province lived in makeshift housing. There was a higher percentage of these dwellers 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 municipalities 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.

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

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 population 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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

Map 26. Proportion of Population Living in Inadequate Living Conditions

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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

Giporlos had the next highest proportion of the population living in inadequate conditions 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 municipalities fell below and above the provincial average of 45.76 percent with Mercedes being at par.

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 proclamation 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 multisectoral 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

B. CURRENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS


Forest Management Services
This program is a service of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), which includes identification of production forest, distribution of seedlings for private plantation establishment, reforestation projects, maintenance and protection of established plantations, forest protection and confiscation of lumber,

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

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partners in the development and management of the countrys 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 development and management of the environment and natural resources.

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 Settlers
Informal 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 interventions 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, squatterfree 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..

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 enhancing 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 fishing, increased awareness on natural resource protection and the formulation of a unified ordinance in fishing activities.

C. CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES FOR ACTION


The 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 households 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%).

Water and Sanitation Program


The provincial governments implementation of the ADB-assisted Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project and the UNICEF-assisted Water, Sanitation 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

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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 percentage 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

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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Map 27. Proportion of Households with Cellphones

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

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.

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.

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

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Map 28. Proportion of Households with Computers

Source: CBMS Survey 2005-2006

B. CURRENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS


Information Technology
The 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 Information Technology and E-Commerce Committee 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 connection: Balangiga, Guiuan, Maydolong, Borongan, San Julian, and Can-avid.

C. CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES FOR ACTION


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 communication technology in all municipalities, especially those without internet connections; 2. Full implementation of the computerization program for the whole province.

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Part 3. Meeting the 2015 Chalenge

A. Priority Program and Policy Responses


The province has achieved modest success in some areas of human development. Based on the Field Health Service Information System (FHSIS) reports from the Provincial Health Office, both infant and mortality rates have gone down, malnutrition prevalence has been reduced, access to potable water and sanitary toilet facilities has improved, and basic education performance 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 population 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. The provinces pace of development has been slow and uneven across municipalities. 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 provinces economy is dominated by low-income primary economic activities such as agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. More than half of the provinces 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 dependent for their living is a cause for alarm. This

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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 postharvest and marketing systems. A more direct result of the relatively poor performance of the agriculture sector is

the negative effect on the provinces 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.

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Another cause for concern is the degradation of the environment due to uncontrolled 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 qualifications, however, majority of them end up as domestic helpers in the countrys 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 marketing 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 eradication. 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 development fund is the mandatory 20-percent allocation from its internal revenue allotment from the national government. In fact, this fund comprises almost 97 percent of the provinces 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. For the calendar year 2010, the provinces 20-percent Development Fund

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amounting to P126 million reflected the following allocation:


Amount General Public Services: P22,665,000.00 Social Services: Economic Services: Support Infrastructure: P50,980,000.00 P 8,900,000.00 P21,500,000.00 Percent 17.99% 40.46% 7.06% 17.06%

Eastern Samar will be fully operationalized in 2011-2016. Seven municipalities of the province will also be covered by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (4Ps).

C. Monitoring Progress Toward the Attainment of the MDGs


The Provincial Planning and Development Office, in cooperation with other stakeholders, has been conducting regular assessment of the provincial progress vis-avis 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) FHSISs data on health indicators, which has consolidated 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 benchmarks whenever the data are available for such comparative analysis.

The biggest allocation of 40.46 percent on social services includes programs, projects and activities primarily on health and nutrition, education, water and sanitation, and sports development. Economic services are focused on agricultural and fisheries development, livestock development, livelihood development, tourism, and trade and commerce. The support infrastructure includes development on land transportation, power and energy and flood control. The general public services are support activities that include initiatives in information 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

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Part 4. Conclusions and Recommendations


This report presents the status of the province vis--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 prioritize. 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 governments 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 development and promotion of eco-tourism. Priority programs will be Rice Self-Sufficiency Program; Agricultural Product Diversification and Intensification Program; Livestock and Poultry Production Program; Fishery Production and Development Program; Investment Promotion Program; Market Development Program; Small- and MediumIndustry Credit Program; and Eco-Tourism Development Program. 2. While only 13.8 percent experienced food shortage, the proportion of population living below food threshold was high at 58.7 percent. This indicates that majority 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 appropriate 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 industry. 3. To address malnutrition, the province will continue to implement its Nutrition

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Program. The program has two components: 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 generally 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 morbidity cases. The major components include communicable diseases control, endemic diseases prevention and control, and prevention and control of lifestyle-related diseases. 6. The Field Facilities Upgrading Program aims to make all the provinces Rural Health Units be Sentrong Sigla-certified 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-vis the need to ensure the protection and

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sustainability 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 geographically 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 elementary 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 DepEds 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 communication 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

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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 development. 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 Childrens Fund, United Nations Fund for Population 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).

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EXPLANATORY TEXT

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 decentralized 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
1

wit: the most comprehensive and consistent comparative subnational data (are) is at the regional level although this is simply an administrative level of government that has no responsibilities for delivery of social services. More data (are) is gradually becoming available 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 Monitoring 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 strengthening 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 attaining 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 particularly stated in DILG Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2004-152 Guide to Local Govern-

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

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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 governments 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 CBMS that is being implemented in the targets. the Philippines is indeed well-positioned to The CBMS role in localizing the MDGs was track progress toward the attainment of the MDGs at the local level. For one, a number of recognized during an Experts Group Meeting indicators being monitored in the CBMS are on Localizing the MDGs held on November included in the indicators for monitoring the 28, 2006 at the United Nations Economic and progress in achieving the MDGs. Moreover, Social Commission for Asia and the Pacic (UN ment Units in the Localization of the MDGs dated November 2004, which provides for the: (a) menu of Programs, Projects and Activities (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.
Figure 4. CBMS Coverage in the Philippines (as of May 12, 2010)

Source: CBMS Survey, 2005

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ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand. The Committee on Poverty Reduction composed of 24 nationstates agreed that the CBMS could complement the ofcial data collection activities of national statistical ofces 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 integrate the goals into the national development strategies. It therefore urged other developing countries to initiate and implement similar innovative systems that would help localize the MDGs. As of May 12, 2010, CBMS is being implemented in 59 provinces (32 of which are province-wide), 687 municipalities and 43 cities in the Philippines, covering 17,848 barangays 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 reects the multi-faceted nature of poverty. In addition, data generated by the CBMS can be broken down by municipal, barangay, purok and even down to the household 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.

Agusan del Sur, Biliran, Camarines Norte, Eastern Samar, Marinduque, Romblon, Sarangani and Siquijor. The abovementioned 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 attainment of the MDGs in the identified provinces; (ii) to assist these provinces in preparing their Provincial MDG Reports; and (iii) to increase local 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

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 status since the provinces used their first round of CBMS data in formulating this report. These provinces include Agusan del Norte,

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satisfactory level of knowledge in processing 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 technical assistance to the Project Teams in (i) processing CBMS data to generate the additional MDG indicators and consolidating 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 indicators 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 statistical tables, graphs, charts and poverty maps presented in this report were generated using the CBMS methodology. The MDG Indicators, which were estimated using CBMS data, are presented in table 29.

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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 performance. It is a tool for improved local governance and democratic decisionmaking that promotes greater transparency and accountability in resource allocation.

It involves the following steps: Step 1 Advocacy/organization Step 2 Data collection and field editing Step 3 Data encoding and map digitization Step 4 Data consolidation, databasebuilding & poverty mapping Step 5 Data validation and community consultation Step 6 Knowledge (database) management Step 7 Plan formulation Step 8 Dissemination, implementation, and monitoring

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Table 29. The CBMS-MDG Indicators and their Definition

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

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

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C. Poverty and Food Thresholds


Ofcial poverty thresholds computed by the NSCB were used and, in some cases, updated to the reference period for the CBMS data by inating these thresholds using the appropriate Consumer Price Index (CPI). The poverty and food thresholds used for each province are presented in Table 29.
Table 30. Poverty and Food Thresholds

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 identied the local personnel who were trained as enumerators and eld supervisors. Technical assistance was provided by the PEP-CBMS Network Coordinating Team,

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 strengthening the statistical system at the local level. It also directs the NSCB Technical Staff to initiate and coordinate an advocacy program for the adoption of the CBMS by the LGUs, through the Regional Statistical 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.

the Bureau of Local Government Development (BLGD) and Regional Ofce IV-B of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Ofce 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 (Training of Enumerators) is conducted for

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

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.

F. Data Processing System


The data processing software used under this project includes the CBMS Data Encoding System, the CBMS-Natural Resources Database 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 surveys. The CSPro-based (Census and Survey Processing) Encoding System converts survey data into electronic data. It produces text les (ASCII) described by data dictionaries, which adds exibility to the output data. This feature facilitates the interface between the CBMS data and other database systems and statistical softwares. The CBMS Mapping system employs the Natural Resources Database2 (NRDB) for CBMS-based poverty mapping and for storing and displaying household- and individuallevel information, The CBMS-NRDB is capable of creating and storing spatial (shapeles) and non-spatial (texts and numbers) data as well as generating maps, reports and graphs ideal for presentation and analysis of poverty attributes in the community. This has signicantly 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
2

G. CBMS Poverty Maps


The poverty map for each indicator shows the provincial map disaggregated by municipality. A simple color scheme is used (green, light green, pink and red) to represent the four ranges of data for each indicator. Each indicator, however, used a different range relative to the provincial data.

H. Limitations of the Data


While observations are taken from the entire population, the user of the data presented in this report should bear in mind that the municipalities 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 implemented provincewide in 2006. Moreover, due to some difculties, 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 incidence may also be affected by under- and/or over-reporting of income or reluctance on the part of the respondents to reveal their true levels of income. As in other surveys, the CBMS enumerators may also have encountered interview non-response and item non-response.

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

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Available in this series:


NATIONAL REPORT

Philippines Progress Report on the Millennium Development Goals 2010


PROVINCIAL REPORTS

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