PRESENTATION PAPER

TITLE: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION AND UTILIZATION OF CBMS IN THE TWO ROUNDS OF ITS ADOPTION IN THE PROVINCE OF

BY: EVARISTO G.L. PANDI – MPDC, LGU-LABO, AND CAMARINES NORTE

INTRODUCTION:

The province of Camarines Norte is found on the northwestern part of the Bicol Peninsula which forms the southeastern section of . It is one of the six provinces in the and is composed of 12 municipalities and its 282 barangays covers a total land area of 232,007 hectares or 2,320.07 sq. kilometers. Its capital town, is 365 kilometers southeast of Metro , a 7-hour trip by bus or a 45-minute trip by plane.

The province’s topography is generally rugged. It is composed of rolling hills and mountainous terrain with only a small but fertile coastal plain. It is endowed with numerous mountain peaks in which Mt Labo is the highest at 943 meters above the sea level.

The province population is unevenly distributed at the municipal levels and varies in terms of growth. Some are growing fast with growth rates higher than the regional and national averages while others are gaining minimally and some are diminishing. The average household size of 102,362 households is about 5.23 and for every 100 females, there are about 105.23 males hanging around in the province

Though the province is suitable for agricultural and fishery production, is also endowed with varied mineral resources classified as metallic and non-metallic. Metallic minerals such as gold, silver, iron, lead, zinc, iron lump, bull quartz and iron in laterite are abundant in the province.

CBMS IN CAMARINES NORTE

Community-Based Monitoring System or CBMS started in the province in 2003. The municipality of Labo was the first Local Government Unit to adopt the system. With the limited resources and various resistances of the different agencies in the community, the said municipality was able to implement successfully the first round of enumeration in its 52 barangays. From thereon, the other municipalities in the province followed suit, however, due to various limitations in the other municipalities, their implementation were not completed.

With the support extended by the Provincial Government of Camarines Norte, the second round of implementation of the CBMS took off smoothly with all the municipalities started almost simultaneously. From the first module to the last module, all the municipalities were able to acquire the basic skills in all aspects of CBMS.

ISSUES AFFECTING THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ADOPTION OF CBMS:

For the longest time, ACCEPTANCE to new ideas is one of the most pressing issues that confronted the implementation of the CBMS in the province of Camarines Norte. The political leaders and various sectors in the community were adamant to recognize the advantage and importance of the System. With so many different survey tools being used and introduced in the province and without much interventions being provided, the target end-users (the agencies concerned) were afraid that the respondents (beneficiaries) will no longer have faith in the activities.

The volume of work is also one of the reasons why the system was not accepted especially in the rural areas. MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS is not dealing only on how many able bodies will do the job but also its capability on how to implement it effectively in all aspects of the CBMS activities.

Dealing with megabytes is also one of the pressing problems in the implementation of the system. With thousands or hundred thousands of data involve, AVAILABILITY & THE CAPACITY OF EQUIPMENTS is also one of the vital issues in the implementation of the CBMS in the province. Earlier versions being used in processing CBMS data required a vey large memory capacity and as experienced in the municipality of Labo, a very large and almost all of encoded data were lost when their computers units crashed down.

And finally, COMMITMENT to effectively implement the system is also one of the issues that make CBMS Activity almost fail in the province of Camarines Norte. With the exemption of the Municipalities of Labo and Sta. Elena who were able to complete the first round of the Activity, the CBMS in the province were almost doomed to fail. It is because of the efforts of these two municipalities, the provincial government and the other LGUs in the province were able to ascertain the importance and advantage of the CBMS.

STEPS TAKEN TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ADOPTION OF CBMS:

1. ACCEPTANCE : a. INTENSIVE INFORMATION AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ¾ The LCE of the LGU Labo, Camarines Norte was invited to attend the 1st National Conference of the CBMS Network Team conducted in the Province of . ¾ The CBMS Network Team conducted an Orientation on CBMS to the Sangguniang Bayan and the Municipal Development Council ¾ Various local leaders (LCEs and Punong Barangays were invited to attend the National Conferences of the CBMS to provide opportunity to learn the advantages in the implementation of the CBMS and the best practices performed by various CBMS practitioners ¾ Validation of Data Collected in the – after the data has been collected and processed manually, the CBMS Municipal Technical Working Group go back and validated this results to the barangay to ensure that the data submitted to the Office of the MPDC is the actual status of the barangays. ¾ Radio Programs entitled “CBMS –LABO on the Air” were provided as part of the continuous advocacy and information and education campaign b. PROVISION OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE CBMS PRACTITIONER: ¾ The Municipality of Labo received 8 of the 14 Grant Programs at 150,000.00Php per project provided by the Peace and Equity Foundation to address the various poverty issues in the municipality ¾ The municipality of Labo also received 200,000.00Php from the United Nation Development Program to finance the Water Supply System of Brgy Bagong Silang 2 in the Municipality of Labo

2. MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS to address the issues relative to this, the following steps were taken, to wit: a. Selection of Key Personnel - utilizing key personnel in the barangay to execute the activities in their respective barangays is vital in the effective and efficient implementation of the CBMS, such personnel were as follows: ¾ Sangguniang Kabataan Members ¾ Barangay Health Workers (BWHs) ¾ Barangay Nutrition Scholars(BNSs) ¾ Day Care Workers ¾ Purok Presidents ¾ Barangay Secretaries ¾ Barangay Kagawad ¾ Punong Barangays ¾ Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) Beneficiaries ¾ Job Orders/Practicum Students There were some efforts to utilize personnel other than what we will mention above, but efforts resulted to frustrations and disappointing outcome. b. The above-mentioned personnel underwent various training and workshops activities to acquire the much needed capability to be effective and efficient in conducting the enumeration and data collection activities. ¾ Module 1 : Training-Workshop in Data Collection ¾ Module 2 : Training-Workshop in Data Processing (Manual & Computerized) ¾ Module 3 : Training-Workshop on Processing of Encoded CBMS Data and Building of CBMS Database ¾ Module 4 : Training-Writeshop for the Preparation of Barangay Socio- Economic Profile and Barangay Development Planning and Budgeting using CBMS Data. c. Financial remuneration in the form of honorarium was also provided to the personnel who conducted the activities. The barangay provided such honorarium in the amount of 15.00/household surveyed.

3. AVAILABILITY AND CAPACITY OF EQUIPMENTS a. With the limited resources that the LGUs had, it is very important that a cluster of 5-10 LGUs/barangays have a depository of databases. Such steps were now in placed in the province of Camarines Norte to avoid the unfortunate experience of the municipality of Labo where all data encoded in the first round were lost when the computer crash-down. b. Barangays without computer units should prioritize the procurement of such equipment. They can also avail the equipment thru solicitation from their good hearted political leaders.

4. COMMITMENT a. To accept and to commit differ a world apart. The most tangible proof that the Province of Camarines Norte and the 12 municipalities are committed in the implementation and adoption of CBMS are as follows: ¾ The Provincial Development Council passed a PDC Resolution #01-2007 re: A Resolution requesting the MIMAS-CBMS for a six month extension of the Memorandum of Agreement with the Provincial Government of Camarines Norte relative to the implementation of CBMS in the province. ¾ The Provincial Government of Camarines Norte provided the financial support in the amount of 412,255Php as provincial counterpart for the second round of implementation of CBMS in the province. ¾ The 12 Municipalities in the province allocated funds in the amount of 4,030,390.00Php as the municipal counterpart for the implementation of the second round of CBMS in the province. ¾ The Sangguniang Bayan of the 12 municipalities adopted resolutions authorizing their respective Local Chief Executives to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Provincial Government of Camarines Norte and the CBMS Network Team in the implementation of CBMS in the province. ¾ The provincial government and the 12 municipalities provided funds to address poverty issues as determined by the CBMS results. OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS USING THE CBMS IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF LABO

Being the first municipality to successfully implement Community-Based Monitoring System, the municipality of Labo has been active in information-education campaign not only in the province of Camarines Norte. The Municipal Mayor, Hon. Winifredo B. Oco, League President of the League of Municipalities, Camarines Norte Chapter has been actively advocating the advantages of using the CBMS. He presented the CBMS best practices of the municipality of Labo during the 3rd PEP General Meeting in Dakar, Senegal in June 2004 after implementing the first round of CBMS in Labo.

Thru the League of the for which he is now elected as President for Luzon Cluster, Mayor Oco continuously promotes CBMS to his fellow Local Chief Executives and he received the Plaque of Recognition for the Most Active Advocate of CBMS awarded by the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) and the CBMS International Network Coordinating Team.

Likewise, the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator (yours truly) was also one of the primary advocates in the use of CBMS in the Bicol Region. He was behind the adoption of CBMS by the Bicol Regional Statistic Board as one of the official tools in research and survey works in the region. He was also invited by the different LGUs in the Bicol region to orient the different Local Leaders and Planning and Development Coordinators in CBMS.

With CBMS, the municipality of Labo was awarded the following recognition:

1. Hon. Winifredo B. Oco – One of the Outstanding Local Chief Executive in the Philippines in 2006 2. Sangguniang Bayan of Labo - Outstanding Sangguniang Bayan in Bicol Region 3. Sangguniang Bayan of Labo - One of the 15 Outstanding Legislative Body (Municipal Category) National Level 4. Labo Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council - Three Time National Awardee of the KALASAG AWARD – Best Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council 5. Award of Excellence, Cleanest & Greenest Municipality (Region V) 6. Plaque of Recognition, Regional Winner Gawad ng Pangulo sa Kapaligiran 7. Award of Excellence, National Finalist for Gawad ng Pangulo sa Kapaligiran 8. Outstanding Accredited Government Agency (CSC Region V) 9. Outstanding Accredited Government Agency (CSC Central Office) 10. Sentrong Sigla Award, DOH Center for Health & Development (Region V) 11. Plaque of Recognition, Regional Winner – Search for Child Friendly Municipality 12. Kabalikat Awardee (TESDA) Region V 13. Plaque of Recognition, Pamilihan ng Rehiyon 2004Labo Public Market 14. Certificate of Recognition, Best Performing MDCC in the Region 15. Plaque of Recognition for Best MDCC, Given by League of Municipalities of the Philippines 16. Plaque of Recognition, Most Active Advocate of CBMS – LMP-CBMS Int’l Network Coordinating Team Not only awards and recognitions, the LGU Labo was also awarded various grant programs by the Peace and Equity Foundation (PEP) as follows:

and the United Nation Development Program as follows: In the provincial level, CBMS results were used in the following:

1. Generation of household list of 57 barangays in the province identified for actual enumeration by Multi-Indicator Cluster Surveys(MICS) which aims to gather data most needed to establish CPC 6 benchmark and trade progress in disparity reduction at the provincial level 2. Input to the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Program, Provincial Action Plan submitted to the National Nutrition Council in Manila as lead agency and input to Programang Agrikultura para sa Masa as submitted to the Department of Agriculture 3. Input to the selection of Pilot Area for construction of Day Care Center sponsored by UNICEF and TIMEX Co. at San Roque, Mercedes and Bagong Silang 1 at Labo. 4. Input to UNICEF Projects on: a. Improvement and Protection of 4 units existing Dug Wells with Filter Box at Purok 1 & Purok 4 of Barangay Lorenzo, Purok 1 & Basiad High School at Barangay Basiad, Sta Elena, Camarines Norte in the amount of 104,000.00Php. b. Provision of Access to Sanitation Facilities (Construction of Shallow Well –Hand Pump with Water Collection Box at Elementary School - Extension) Bagumbayan, Paracale, Purok 5, Barangay 111 and Purok 4, San Roque, Mercedes amounting to 140,222.00Php, each. c. Construction of Level 11(Spring Development ) Water System at A. Racelis Elementary School, Exciban, Labo, Camarines Norte in the amount of 152,594.00Php; d. Construction of 1-unit shallow well hand pumps with filter box at Calangcawan Norte Elementary School, Calangcawan Norte, in the amount of 27,000.00Php; e. Construction of 159 RCPR type septic tank for 300 households without sanitary toilets under the Environmental Sanitation Project amounting to 718,275.00Php. f. Micronutrient Syrup Supplementation for 4,950 underweight children ages, 0 – 5 years old for 6 month in the amount of 136,125.00Php; g. Proposal for the proposed construction of 2 units Day Care Centers for communities with Indigenous People (IP) to be funded by Johnson&Johnson h. Preparation of project proposals for possible funding under CBMS UNDP Development Grant for three(3) barangays with high proportion of household without access to sanitary toilet facilities and safe drinking water namely: i. Provision of Sanitary Facilities in Barangay Hinipaan, Mercedes Camarines Norte in the amount of 245,400.00Php ii. Provision of Sanitary Facilities in Barangay Manguicsoc, Mercedes Camarines Norte in the amount of 245,400.00Php iii. Provision of Sanitary Facilities in Barangay Mangcamagong, Camarines Norte in the amount of 266,800.00Php

NEXT STEPS

With CBMS in placed and widely accepted in the province of Camarines Norte, the League of Local Planners and Development Coordinators(League of Planners) is now planning to have a province-wide training/workshop/write shop in the preparation of Barangay Socio-Economic Profile, Barangay Comprehensive Development Planning and Budgeting and Project Proposal Using the results of the Community-Based Monitoring System(CBMS). by this activity, the barangay will have the knowledge how to deal with the poverty situation of their respective barangays.

CHALLENGES FACING THE COMMUNITY-BASED MONITORING SYSTEM

How to strengthen popular mobilization to get government to change and deliver on its promises? What are the best Alternatives that work?

Now that the Community-Based Monitoring System is steadily gaining its reputation as an effective tool for governance, CBMS Partners especially in the highly politicized areas were apprehensive if this systems will really work when their politician bosses still engaged in the traditional way of governance – re: palakasan system, etc.

In this regards, I supposed it is necessary that a national law be adopted that the use of PORK BARREL of our beloved District Representatives be based on the needed intervention as provided for by the CBMS Activity. While the local (barangay and municipal) level is assessing the poverty situation in their areas, their representative must provide the funding requirements to address the needs of their respective constituents.

I just wished that this is the best alternative that will work.

Thank you and more power.