(This situational analysis of Biliran Province provides the context of the operations of the
Panamao Development Initiatives (PDI), Inc.)

 

Biliran is an island province located north of Leyte Province in the Eastern Visayas Region (Region 8).  Its capital town is Naval, located 123 kms. northwest of Tacloban City, the regional capital, and is accessible by any form of land and sea transportation.  Biliran Province consists of 8 municipalities (Almeria, Kawayan, Culaba, Caibiran, Cabucgayan, Maripipi, Biliran and Naval) and has 132 barangays.  It is a lone congressional district.  It had a total population of 140,274 in 2000 which annually grows at a rate of 1.28 %.  The native languages spoken are Waray-waray (43.3%) and Cebuano (55.9%).

 

 

A.  Socio-Economic Situation

 

• Biliran's economy is predominantly agricultural. The province’s rice production output is more than enough to feed its people. However, the problem is that even before harvest, much of the rice produce of the farmers is already pawned to “bugaseras” or rice traders who had lent them money to defray pre-harvest expenses for the purchase of seeds, pesticides and fertilizers, rental of farming equipment, payment of hired labor, etc. Not much of the produce is left with the farmers to feed their families until the next harvest season. This cycle contributes to, if not causes, the poverty of the people who live mostly on farming.   

 

• Poverty, which affects 65% of the total number of families in Biliran, is one of the major problems in the province. Poverty is manifested in the relatively low standard of living, poor health and nutrition, low level of education, and low income of identified groups consisting mainly of marginal and landless farm workers and sustenance fishermen. Estimated family income of poverty groups amount to less than P3,000 pesos per month. The lack of access to credit, support services, technology and marketing of the farmers in Biliran also contribute to their limited income. (Biliran Provincial Physical Framework Plan)

 

• Biliran has a very weak human resource base despite its high literacy rate of 90.5%. Around 62% of the school-going population in the province obtained only elementary education. Cohort survival rates remain low at 55% for the elementary level and 71.4% for the secondary level. Malnutrition is still prevalent among pre-school age children at the rate of 63%. (Biliran Provincial Physical Framework Plan)

• Until now a significant percentage of households still do not have functional sanitary toilets. While only few live on houses that they do not own or rent, many have houses standing on lots that are either borrowed or rented.  In some barangays some families have no access to potable water that is safe from contamination and water-borne diseases.   

 

 

B. Politics and Governance Situation

 

• The mandated venues for citizens’ participation in local development planning and budgeting are not working or non-existent. In most barangays, the Barangay Development Councils (BDCs) and other local special bodies are not working, if they have been constituted at all. This situation often results in the most pressing needs of the people being neglected and meager resources being wasted.

• Since the people are not involved in needs identification and in the selection of projects, mobilizing them or their resources for the projects is difficult. They do not feel they own the projects, just as they do not think the local government is relevant.

• The people are not involved in deciding what problems to address and what projects to undertake in their communities. Feedback mechanisms for them to know what projects were implemented and how barangay funds were utilized are also not in place. Barangay assemblies, if ever they are held, do not become venues for feedback and decision-making on major issues confronting the barangay. They are conducted mainly to prepare for fiestas.

 

• Basic service delivery in most barangays is not efficient or effective. The projects usually implemented were waiting sheds, barangay centers, basketball courts, beautification, welcome arches/ markers and the like. Rarely have they responded to the issues of poverty and environment. They local officials have contented themselves with these visible projects, hoping to build records of “accomplishments” with them.

 

• Systems for ensuring transparency and public accountability are yet to be installed. Many barangay officials feel more accountable to higher LGU (Local Government Unit) units or the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Governments) than to their constituents.

 

• The citizens are generally apathetic and politically immature as manifested in their susceptibility to massive vote-buying during elections.

 

• Political careerism among local officials, patronage politics and concentration of political power in a single party or political family. 

 

 

C. Environmental Condition

 

• Being a small island-province, Biliran has a very fragile ecological system. It would only take a few years for its environment to be totally destroyed if the current pace of abuse continues and no serious efforts at environmental rehabilitation and protection are done.

 

• The forest cover of the island is no longer sufficient to maintain its ecological balance. Continued forest denudation which affects almost 81% of the classified forest lands likewise makes 83% of the total land area of the island susceptible to erosion, resulting in significant loss of soil fertility, flooding, and decreased water availability during dry season. (Biliran Provincial Physical Framework Plan) 

 

• Marine and fishery resources have been largely damaged due to over-fishing and the proliferation of the use fishing methods that destroy the natural reefs and fish habitat, thus taking a toll on the livelihood of sustenance fisherfolks.

 

• Rice farming in the province is highly dependent on inorganic inputs that destroy soil fertility and possibly contaminate the supply of potable water.  

 

• Privatization of eco-tourism sites and other ecological reserves, including the conversion of forest lands to alienable and disposable (A&D) lands.

 

• Community awareness of environmental concerns has not been translated into lifestyle changes, institutional programs and policies, and concerted action for the protection and rehabilitation of the Biliran environment.