CHAPTER 8 Social Development

Developing the social sector is a key ingredient towards realizing inclusive growth. The social sector provides the services that allow the process of social inclusion, which is a pillar of inclusive growth, to take place.

Social inclusion happens if people have adequate capabilities and are adequately protected against man-made and natural shocks. It is achieved by removing all barriers that hinder them from accessing development opportunities.

To build human capabilities in the next three years, the region aims to deepen the development of its human capital as well as improve the physical well-being of Central Visayans, particularly the poor and vulnerable. This will be done in order to give them equal access to development opportunities, such as employment. Thus, the updated regional development plan will focus on addressing challenges that impede the delivery of education and training, health care and housing services from being more inclusive, efficient and effective.

Building human capabilities will also require the provision of access to productive assets such as land. Access to productive assets allows people to use their acquired capabilities. Therefore, the updated plan shall give equal attention to the improvement of land reform program implementation and enhancement of the ancestral domain management by indigenous peoples.

The availability of adequate social protection and safety nets is another integral component of social inclusion since this helps the poor and vulnerable groups overcome shocks produced by natural disasters, conflict, illness, changing demographic profile and economic instability that diminishes the poor and vulnerable people's already limited capability to access development opportunities. Thus, the updated plan shall address the need to enhance further the coverage of social protection and safety nets.

8-1 Chapter 8 The sector's efforts shall be guided by the Social Contract of the President with the Filipino people as well as by the country's pursuit of attaining the social dimensions of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) dealing with education, health and nutrition, decent shelter, access to potable water and sanitation facilities. A. Assessment and Challenges

The implementation of several social development programs in the past three years contributed in making growth more inclusive and consequently reducing poverty in . Between 2010 and 2012, the region was on track in achieving 4 of the 7 MDGs, which were on reducing child mortality, promoting gender and equality, fighting HIV/Aids and malaria and increasing access to potable water and sanitation facilities. The region also gained headway towards increasing the coverage and effectiveness of social protection and safety nets through the expansion of the 4Ps and other social protection programs.

Despite the accomplishments of the social sector, unemployment still persists and poverty incidence is still way above the 2015 MDG poverty level target. This means that the social sector needs to do more so that its contribution to inclusive growth will be substantial enough to fasttrack the reduction of poverty incidence in Central Visayas, thus enabling the region to meet the 2015 MDG target.

In the next three years the region needs to address the factors that hamper it from realizing the following: (a) full development of its human capital; (b) better health and housing conditions of the poor and some vulnerable groups; (c) better access of the poor and vulnerable groups to land; and (d) provision of adequate social protection and safety nets. It also needs to rehabilitate a number of social infrastructure that were considerably damaged by recent calamities.

1 . Underdeveloped human capital

Developing the region's human capital, which refers to the stock of competencies, skills and knowledge of people, applies not only to the current workforce but also to children who will form part of the region’s future working population. The quality of workforce in the region is primarily dependent on the quality of education and training that people receive from higher learning institutions and vocational-technical education centers as well as from the primary and secondary schools, which help hone core competencies that will later be developed into higher skills.

8-2 Chapter 8 While quality of education and training is the main determinant in the development of human capital, an equally critical issue that must be addressed is access to education and training since the process of skills and knowledge development begins upon entry to the region’s education and training system. Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed that around 40 per cent of workers in the region have not attended secondary education while about 75 per cent have not attended tertiary education. This means that only 25 per cent of the workers in Central Visayas are either undergraduates or graduates of college.

This data is further substantiated by the results of the 2011 Annual Poverty Indicator Survey (APIS) conducted also by NSO, which reveals that many people who are expected to be in school or developing further their skills through higher education are not getting formal education and training. The results of the survey showed that only two-thirds of Central Visayas' population aging 3 to 24 years old is currently attending school. More than half of those attending school were at the primary level while 26.8 per cent were at the secondary level. On the other hand, only 10.6 per cent of individuals surveyed who were suppose to be currently receiving some form of higher education and training were attending higher education while 0.1 per cent were attending post secondary school.

Clearly, there is a need for the region to invest in its human capital in order to expand the region’s pool of highly-skilled workers and meet the manpower supply requirements of emerging and dynamically growing industries. The investments of the region on developing human capital must address the challenges that impede children and the working-age population from acquiring skills and knowledge needed to access development opportunities now and in the future.

In the past three years, the region undertook several initiatives and programs in an effort to put all school-age going children in school and enhance their core competencies. It also initiated programs to enhance the employability of higher-education and technical-vocational graduates and to make higher- education programs more inclusive. But still, participation, retention and achievement rates in basic education remained low and fell below targets. It is also very hard to establish the extent to which higher education and tech-voc graduates are employable. Moreover, the sustainability in the implementation of higher-education programs, which were designed to be inclusive, leaves room for doubt.

Figure 8.1 shows basic education enrollment rates for Central Visayas while Table 8.2 (see page 8-6) shows the region's achievement rates.

8-3 Chapter 8 Figure 8.1 Basic Education Net Enrollment Rates SY 2009-2010 to SY 2011-2012 Central Visayas Region

Source: Department of Education 7

These undesirable outcomes stem from inadequate education facilities and resources as well as limited capacities of teachers in basic education. The lack of mechanisms for skills assessment, certification and monitoring of employability of graduates; and the unsustainable implementation of higher- education programs to promote inclusion aggravates the situation. a . Inadequate school facilities and resources

In both primary and secondary education, poor physical condition of classrooms characterized by poor ventilation, overcrowding, and lack of facilities were among the reasons cited for the low net enrolment, cohort survival, and completion rates. In the secondary level where low participation, retention and achievement rates are more notable, the insufficiency of schools for secondary level was a huge challenge. Secondary schools are not accessible for students living in far-flung barangays. Schools with day class schedules, which are preferred by parents over night high schools, are inadequate in urban areas. Child labor is also a top reason why children could not continue and complete secondary education.

For SY 2012-2013, deficiency in classrooms was more pronounced at the secondary level, where majority of school divisions exceeded the maximum 1:45 classroom-to-pupil ratio. Further, the region still lacks school furniture both at

8-4 Chapter 8 the primary and secondary levels as of SY 2012-2013. In general, at least two students share a unit of furniture such as classroom table and chair.

Although the regional average of teacher to pupil ratio was within the standard of 1 teacher per 45 students, there were a number of school divisions that did not meet this standard hence, sufficiency of teachers also contributed to low achievement rates particularly in these school divisions.

Table 8.1 shows the Central Visayas ratios on education resources per pupil for SY 2012 by school divisions.

Table 8.1 Classroom, Furniture and Teacher-to-Pupil Ratios by School Divisions, SY 2012-2013 Central Visayas Region

Classroom-to-Pupil Furniture-to-Pupil Teacher-to-Pupil Ratio, Schools Ratio, SY 2012-2013 Ratio, SY 2012-2013 SY 2012-2013 Division Primary Secondary Primary Secondary Primary Secondary Bais City 1: 38.46 1: 46.80 1: 1.05 1: 0.98 1: 39.04 1: 38.88 City 1: 38.43 1: 51.86 1: 1.08 1: 1.00 1: 36.16 1: 36.00 Bogo City 1: 39.48 1: 73.00 1: 1.05 1: 1.11 1: 38.88 1: 48.05 1: 39.40 1: 43.58 1: 1.66 1: 1.20 1: 34.96 1: 30.83 City 1: 45.49 1: 59.80 1: 1.11 1: 1.16 1: 33.08 1: 36.12 1: 42.72 1: 50.91 1: 1.15 1: 1.16 1: 49.15 1: 40.31 1: 48.72 1: 58.06 1: 1.18 1: 1.52 1: 42.31 1: 40.56 Danao City 1: 43.87 1: 59.60 1: 1.38 1: 1.40 1: 40.56 1: 36.13 City 1: 37.22 1: 41.54 1: 1.26 1: 0.86 1: 44.38 1: 49.04 City 1: 43.90 1: 82.62 1: 1.44 1: 1.42 1: 34.39 1: 35.17 Lapu-lapu City 1: 55.24 1: 61.89 1: 1.79 1: 1.36 1: 36.60 1: 48.60 City 1: 55.79 1: 70.59 1: 1.23 1: 1.17 1: 51.82 1: 46.69 Naga City 1: 44.56 1: 45.61 1: 1.39 1: 1.14 1: 49.00 1: 39.69 1: 37.63 1: 48.55 1: 1.09 1: 1.03 1: 47.07 1: 41.35 1: 21.39 1: 29.97 1: 0.76 1: 0.82 1: 34.76 1: 39.03 City 1: 42.51 1: 55.94 1: 1.16 1: 1.07 1: 21.09 1: 22.93 Talisay City 1: 57.24 1: 64.93 1: 1.33 1: 1.24 1: 34.17 1: 32.66 City 1: 32.05 1: 49.37 1: 0.92 1: 1.10 1: 50.41 1: 43.62 Toledo City 1: 44.24 1: 51.18 1: 1.18 1: 1.01 1: 28.36 1: 42.50 Region 1: 2.97 1: 1.18 1: 41.95 1: 35.72 Source: Department of Education 7

8-5 Chapter 8 In an effort to improve access to basic education, th region implemented the Alternative Learning System (ALS) to provide education to those who could not attend school. The number of completers and test takers of ALS - Accreditation and Equivalency had been increasing from 2010 to 2012. On the average 56 per cent of students who take the accreditation and equivalency pass the test. As of 2012, there were 232 mobile teachers to execute the ALS in the region. b . Limited capacities of teachers

The regional National Achievement Test Scores (NAT) for SY 2012-2013 were below the national target scores of 73.3 for the primary level and 66.8 for the secondary level. Table 8.2 shows the overall NAT score of schools divisions in Central Visayas for SY 2012-2013.

Table 8.2 Overall NAT Score by Schools Division, SY 2012-2013 Central Visayas Region School Division Primary Secondary REGION 66.87 55.19 Bais City 65.51 53.90 Bayawan City 52.72 44.66 Bogo City 80.06 58.52 Bohol 77.82 58.62 Carcar City 58.37 58.23 Cebu 69.44 50.64 Cebu City 53.66 51.82 Danao City 66.25 53.27 Dumaguete City 62.91 56.07 Guihulngan City 71.84 51.45 Lapu-lapu City 58.86 50.02 Mandaue City 60.79 58.47 Naga City 67.59 52.62 Negros Oriental 74.29 53.81 Siquijor 76.67 60.21 Tagbilaran City 75.06 62.09 Talisay City 51.06 51.20 Tanjay City 78.86 62.49 Toledo City 67.68 60.56 Source: Department of Education 7

8-6 Chapter 8 For the primary level, only the school divisions of Bogo City, Bohol, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Tagbilaran City, and Tanjay City managed to meet the NAT target score. Meanwhile, no school division has achieved the target NAT score for the secondary level.

The region needs to improve its performance in all the subject areas. Special attention is required in Science for both levels, and Critical Thinking Skills for the secondary level, where NAT scores were lowest.

The factors that contributed to poor learning outcomes included ineffective teaching strategies, irrelevant and fragmented curriculum, lack of equipment (eg. computers) and learning. In the case of secondary education, teachers do not regularly utilize teaching strategies that would develop critical thinking, hence the low scores in Critical Thinking Skills. c . Lack of mechanisms for skills assessment, certification and monitoring the employability of graduates

With regard to TVET graduates, their employment rate averaged 64 per cent from 2010 to 2012. This rate could have been higher if all graduates were assessed and certified. On the average, only around 86.4 per cent of the total TVET graduates were assessed in the past four years. Out of those TVET graduates assessed, 77 per cent were certified to be competent. There are still a number of some TVET programs, which do not have an assessment instrument.

Establishing an assessment and certification mechanism for all TVET programs would have an impact on how the region could take advantage of the Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs). Under the MRAs, employers would be particular on the proof of competency in employing manpower. The qualification of a professional from one country is recognized in other countries only if proof of competency is established. Hence, the lack of assessment instrument for some TVET programs need to be urgently addressed with the impending ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 as it would make the professionals in South East Asia mobile across the ASEAN countries. The ASEAN Economic Community would open more doors of employment opportunities. Thus, it would be to Central Visayas' advantage if it can prove that it can provide the right manpower to the industries of South East Asia.

Except for TVET graduates, the region had no existing mechanism to track employability of graduates. However, employment rates would support the observation that skills of the region’s manpower supply were not attuned to industry requirements. The lack of monitoring mechanism made it difficult for the region to determine the relevance of academic curricula and responsiveness of higher education institutions to the human resource needs of the industry.

8-7 Chapter 8 d . Inclusive yet unsustainable higher education programs

Programs to make higher education more accessible were implemented by the Commission on Higher Education. For instance, the CHED extended financial assistance to students of high academic standing through its Full and Half Merit Scholarships, and Tulong Dunong. A higher education student was entitled to a Php15,000 per semester assistance under the Full Merit Scholarships, Php7,500 per semester under the Half Merit Scholarship, and Php6,000 per semester under the Tulong Dunong. On the average, grantees of Full and Half Merit Scholarships and Tulong Dunong combined, comprised 0.7 per cent of the total enrolment in higher education. The CHED also provided student loan amounting to Php7,500 per semester, through the Study Now, Pay Later Program. The program’s drawback was that collection rate for the student loan program was low, with roughly 14 per cent of the loan released being repaid.

To make higher education more inclusive, the CHED also implemented the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP), and the Ladderized Program. Out of 158 higher education institutions in the region, seven are deputized to implement the ETEEAP, while 58 HEIs offer the Ladderized Education Program. In the last two academic years, graduates through the ETEEAP merely accounted for 0.6 per cent of the total higher education graduates

2 . Unsatisfactory health and housing conditions of the poor and some vulnerable sectors

For the period 2010-2012, efforts to improve the physical well-being of Central Visayans are still wanting. The region struggled to improve the health conditions of mothers, reduce TB incidence and provide decent shelter especially to the poor. Sustaining the gains made on reducing child mortality and nutrition is still a concern. a . Unsatisfactory health conditions

The region's progress in improving maternal mortality rate has been very slow. Its maternal mortality rate of 57.15 for every 100,000 livebirths in 2012 is still high compared to its 2015 target of 15 per 100,000 livebirths. If the region were to meet its MDG target, the maternal mortality rate has to be drastically reduced in the next three years.

The region may not also be able to achieve the MDG target of halting and reversing TB since as of 2012 there was still TB detection and even TB related deaths in the region. TB detection and cure should also be intensified to attain the MDG target of total elimination of TB by 2015.

8-8 Chapter 8 There is a need to sustain the gains made in child mortality since data showed an increase in the child mortality rate from 9.47 in 2011 to 14.25 in 2012. Another challenge confronting Central Visayas in the aspect of health is to sustain its gains in reducing cases of malnutrition especially in the light of the recent natural calamities that severely affected the region. b . Slow implementation of housing programs to address b a c k l o g

The Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) projected that additional housing units needed in Central Visayas would reach 67,094 units in 2012. Moreover, the 2011 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) showed that only 65.20 per cent of families in Central Visayas reside in their own house and lot. In the case of poor families who belong to the lowest 30% income group, only 60.8 per cent own the house and lot where they reside. The rest of poor families were either renting, or occupying rent-free house and lot with or without consent of the owner. Table 8. 3 shows the housing conditions of families in Central Visayas as of 2011.

In terms of the quality of dwellings, only 60 per cent of families live in dwellings with outer walls made of strong materials. Among the poor families, only 42 per cent of them live in dwellings made of strong materials. Many of the low income families live in dwellings with outer walls made of light, salvaged/makeshift materials.

A major challenge in the provision of decent shelter is the slow implementation of socialized housing projects. This is mainly caused by the failure of local government units and housing agencies to identify adequate area suitable for socialized housing. The identification of land for socialized housing would require enhanced land use planning.

The challenge of providing decent shelter is aggravated by the limited resources spent on housing programs by LGUs who are supposed to be at the forefront in the implementation of housing projects. Data derived from the Statement of Income of Expenditures (SIE) of LGUs in the region showed a very negligible growth of 1.01 per cent in LGU expenditures for Housing and Community Development for the period 2008 to 2011.

The efforts of national housing agencies in the region such as the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), the National Housing Authority (NHA), Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) and Housing and Land use Regulatory Fund (HLURB) to catch up with the housing backlog, particularly for socialized housing, have also been inadequate. The Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) reported that the region only completed 4,244 socialized housing units in 2012 which was only a small fraction of the backlog for socialized housing. The records of Pag-ibig Fund Region 7, which provided housing loans, showed a total of 5,017 housing units funded for the same

8-9 Chapter 8 period 2010-2012. Of the total number, 895 were for socialized housing units or around 17 per cent of the total housing units funded.

Table 8.3 Housing Conditions, 2011 Central Visayas

Central Visayas Indicators Highest Lowest Highest Lowest 30% Total Total 70% 30% 70% Tenure Status (% of families)

Own house and lot 60.80 68.10 65.20 58.30 68.80 65.60

Rent 2.20 8.50 6.00 2.20 9.80 7.50

Own house, rent lot 4.80 5.50 5.20 2.80 2.10 2.30 Own house, rent-free lot w/ 22.40 10.50 15.20 24.20 9.10 13.60 owner’s consent Own house, rent-free lot 3.10 2.40 2.70 4.60 3.50 3.90 w/out owner’s consent Rent free house and lot w/ 6.50 4.80 5.50 77.30 6.50 6.70 owner’s consent Rent free house and lot 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 w/out owner’s consent Outer wall materials of dwellings (% of families)

Strong materials 42.90 71.40 60.20 46.40 78.30 68.70

Light materials 31.50 12.60 20.00 32.40 8.70 15.80 Salvaged/make-shift 3.00 0.90 1.70 2.20 0.80 1.20 materials Predominantly strong 10.80 10.30 10.50 10.70 8.80 9.10 materials Predominantly light 10.90 4.80 7.20 7.80 3.20 4.60 materials Predominantly salvaged 0.08 0.10 0.40 0.50 0.20 0.30 materials Roof materials of dwellings (% of families)

Strong materials 71.70 88.3 81.80 62.80 87.40 80.00

Light materials 20.60 8.0 12.90 27.30 6.30 12.60 Salvaged/make-shift 0.40 0.1 0.20 0.70 0.40 0.50 materials Predominantly strong 4.10 2.4 3.10 5.80 4.40 4.80 materials Predominantly light 3.00 1.2 1.90 3.10 1.50 2.00 materials Predominantly salvaged 0.20 -- 0.10 0.20 0.10 0.10 materials Source: 2011 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey, NSO

8-10 Chapter 8 With regard to the implementation of the Community Mortgage Program (CMP) of the Social Housing Finance (SHF), the program served 6,519 beneficiaries for a total loan value of P241.269 million. There was a dearth of LGUs participating in the Community Mortgage Program with only one city (Talisay City) participating in the Localized CMP as of 2012. Table 8.4 shows the performance of the region on the provision of socialized housing.

As an initiative to fasttrack the implementation of housing projects, the first PABAHAY CARAVAN was launched in Cebu Province and was participated by the city and municipal mayors and the planning officers of the local government units in Region 7 in 2011. As an offshoot of this first caravan, the PABAHAY Regional Inter-Agency Composite Team for Region 7 (PRIACT7) was created with the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) as the lead agency and key housing agencies (KHAs) in the region such as the HDMF, NHA, and the SHFC as members. The function of PRIACT7 is to disseminate information on the housing programs of the KHAs to the LGUs. To date, PRIACT 7 reported the conduct of the following activities by the member housing agencies: orientation, trainings and workshops for LGUs on Local Shelter Plans (LSPs), Localized Community Mortgage Programs (LCMPs) by SHFC), Comprehensive Land Use Planning (CLUPs) and review of CLUPs completed by the LGUs. There were already 9 LGUs in the region that were assisted by HUDCC7 on their Local Shelter Plans. Another 3 LGUs need to update their respective LSPs.

Table 8.4 Socialized Housing Units, CY 2012 Central Visayas

Economic Type of Project PD 957 Total Housing New settlement (SHP) 54 20 74 Advance credit 288 902 1,190 Joint Venture with LGUs 2,162 --- 2,162 Joint Venture with Private Sector 34 66 100 Gawad Kalinga 227 406 633 SHUP 45 40 85 TOTAL REPORTED BY HLURB 4,244 Pag-ibig Fund (2010 - 2012) 895 Share of Socialized Housing to Total Housing 17.84% Source: Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board 7 and Pag-ibig Fund 7

8-11 Chapter 8 3 . Deficient implementation of asset reform programs

Constituting the crucial development strategy that promotes equitable access to productive assets are the asset reform programs of the government that include agrarian reform and ancestral domain, among others. These programs have been mandated through legislations such as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Law or RA 6657 and the Ancestral Domain Reform or Indigenous Peoples Right (RA 8371).

The implementation of these programs, during the period 2010-2012, was still deficient. The implementation of the CARP law, in particular, had setbacks. Moreover, capacities of IPs to manage their ancestral domain needed to be strengthened. a . Setbacks in the implementation of the CARP law

During the period 2010 to 2012, the implementation of land reform in the region had its share of highs and lows. The region, through the activities of the Department of Agrarian Reform 7 (DAR 7), made positive progress on the provision of legal assistance and support services but experienced setbacks on land distribution and in the organization of new agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Table 8.5 Status of CARP Implementation, 2010-2102 Central Visayas Region

2010 2011 2012 Total Indicator Target Attained Target Attained Target Attained Target Attained

A. Land Distribution 10,371 7,811 11,230 10,065 4,938 4,386 26,539 22,263 B. No. of CARP beneficiaries 4,012 8,492 4,665 5,618 7,212 7,833 15,889 21,943 provided legal assistance C. Provision of Support Services

C.1 Trained ARBs 10,600 11,618 7,750 9,681 13,730 22,083 32,080 43,382 C.2 Organized New 18,200 5,737 8,400 8,296 9,700 10,434 36,300 24,467 ARB Membership C.3 ARBs Provided with Micro-finance 4,850 2,130 2,770 4,400 5,350 8,893 12,970 15,423 Services Source: Department of Agrarian Reform 7

8-12 Chapter 8 DAR 7 exceeded by about 38 per cent of its target on the provision of legal assistance to CARP beneficiaries. This positive performance is attributed to the fast and immediate resolution of cases and the cooperation of concerned parties.

On the provision of support services, the training programs for CARP beneficiaries also exceeded its target by about 35 per cent. Accomplishments on the provision of micro-finance assistance, on the other hand, exceeded targets by about 19 per cent.

The implementation of land reform also had its setbacks. The region fell short by 16.11 per cent of its target on land distribution. Ownership of 4,276 hectares land that was targeted to be transferred to beneficiaries between 2010-2012 remained undistributed. This negative accomplishment is attributed to the conflicts of boundary between claimants and private individuals or companies; and hesitant claimant farmers/ tillers due to peace and order problems

Another setback was on the organization of new agrarian reform beneficiaries which was 33 per cent below the target. This was because preliminary identified beneficiaries did not qualify with the requirements of the agrarian reform program. Table 8.5 presents the status of CARP implementation for the period 2010-2012 in Central Visayas. b . Weak capacities of indigenous peoples (IPs) in the planning for and management of their ancestral domain

Republic Act 8371 provides that the ancestral domain of the IPs have to be determined and governed by the IPs themselves. It has been observed that the capacities of indigenous peoples in Central Visayas on the planning and management of their ancestral domain needs to be strengthened. Table 8.6 presents the IP population of Central Visayas.

Table 8.6 Population of Indigenous Peoples by Province Central Visayas Region

Province/Locality Population Ethnic Groups

Province of Bohol 6,641

Dauis 445 Badjao

Loay 129 Ati Alicia, Candijay, Duero, Guindulman, Sierra Bullones, Pilar, 5,867 Eskaya Valencia

8-13 Chapter 8

Province/Locality Population Ethnic Groups

Province of Cebu 1,520

Alaska, Mambaling, Cebu City 1,385 Badjao

Poblacion, Naga City 135 Ati

Province of Negros Oriental 26,294

Mabinay, Bais City, 1,424 Ata, Aeta, Ati

Tanjay City, , La Libertad, Guihulngan City 1,854 Bukidnon-Ata

Bindoy, City, Jimalalud 21,515 Bukidnon

Basay, Bayawan City, Sta. Catalina 1,501 Bukidnon-Magahat Source: National Commission on Indigenous Peoples 7

4 . Inadequate social protection and safety nets

Between 2010 and 2012, the government established mechanisms to protect the poor and vulnerable population of the region. Among these mechanisms were social protection programs, safety nets during calamities and legislation as well as policies to protect vulnerable groups. The major social protection programs of government are the Sponsored Program under the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) being managed by PhilHealth, social pension for poor senior citizens, the Social Protection Floor (SPF) and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Being a disaster-prone country, the region implemented safety net interventions such as supplementary feeding and provision of emergency employment for those affected by calamities. The government also passed laws and adopted policies to protect the vulnerable such as the Batas Kasambahay or the Domestic Workers Act and the Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction in Social Development Intervention which provides that every social development intervention considers climate change adaptation in the processes and implementation of programs.

Through the implementation of these programs, the region made some progress in its efforts to protect the poor and the vulnerable from various risks and shock. It was able to increase the coverage of the Sponsored Program of the NHIP which benefited 96.54 per cent of the identified poor families. The number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with PhilHealth coverage also increased from 2010 to 2012, posting a 13 per cent increase in 2012 from the previous year’s level. The region likewise provided health insurance to more

8-14 Chapter 8 indigent senior citizens, thus registering a 108.69 per cent accomplishment compared to the target. With the implementation of the SPF, the proportion of the region’s own account workers and unpaid family workers decreased from 49.8 per cent in 2010 to 46.5 per cent in 2011.

Under the 4Ps, the government was able to provide social protection to 381,535 poor households in Central Visayas from 2010 to 2012. As of 2012, it already served 57.98 per cent of the target beneficiaries. The accomplishment rate rose to 79.17 per cent in March 2013 with the implementation of the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) program. In order to achieve greater impact on the lives of the beneficiaries, the 4Ps was linked to the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) and the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan- Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS). The community-driven development (CDD) approach of the Kalahi-CIDSS was scaled up into a national poverty reduction strategy through the National CDD Program (NCDDP) that was approved in January 2013.

With regard to the provision of safety nets during calamities, the Department of Social Welfare and Services in Region 7 (DSWD 7) released P33.9 million as resource augmentation to disaster affected areas benefiting 302,111 victims in 2012. The Department of Labor and Employment 7 (DOLE 7) also intervened in crisis situations by providing emergency employment to skilled, semi-skilled and low skilled workers through the Community Based Employment Program (CBEP) which has been implemented for more than two (2) decades already.

Despite efforts, the provision of social protection and safety nets were still considered inadequate in the region. There remains unprotected children, displaced and repatriated workers, persons with disabilities, and indigent senior citizens in the region. This inadequacy stems from limited budget for social protection programs, low level of awareness and appreciation of protection programs, lack of data including targeting mechanism to identify the vulnerable and the risks and shocks that they confront, and limited capacities of local government units (LGUs) to deliver SP services.

Table 8.7 shows the accomplishments on the provision of social protection and safety nets. a . Limited budget for social protection programs

The budget for the implementation of social protection programs particularly at the local was insufficient. Programs such as Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) have limited budget support and capacities for support services despite the increasing number of reported cases. The budget to fulfill RA 9994, which provides for senior citizen benefits, from both national and local governments was also not enough for its effective implementation.

8-15 Chapter 8 Table 8.7 Social protection targets vis-a-vis accomplishments 2010-2012 Central Visayas Region

Baseline Targets vs. Accomplishments Indicator Province (2010) 2011 2011 (A) 2012 (T) 2012 (A) (T) 1. Social insurances that seek to mitigate individual and life cycle risks to vulnerable HHs expanded Bohol 0 61,259 70,028 68,030 Number of poor families Cebu 0 130,877 151,425 141,846 covered by PhilHealth as identified under the Negros Or. 0 80,175 88,550 87,370 NHTS-PR Siquijor 0 1,898 4,651 5,041 TOTAL 0 274,209 314,654 302,287 Bohol 0 3,400 4,735

Number of poor senior Cebu 0 4,702 6,304 citizens covered by Negros Or. 0 2,764 3,914 social pension Siquijor 0 303 2,252 TOTAL 0 11,169 17,205 2. Labor market programs that seek to mitigate economic risks enhanced

Vulnerable employment Central Visayas 49.8% 46.5% rate Bohol 8,314 17,205 13,880 Cebu 21,578 15,560 30,599 Number of jobseekers placed in local Negros Or. 43,376 22,588 14,141 employment Siquijor 1,268 2,195 1,686 TOTAL 74,536 57,548 60,306 3. Social welfare programs to protect the poor and vulnerable groups from risks enhanced Bohol 9,393 28,023 70,028 41,607 Cebu 16,609 53,293 151,425 88,216 Coverage of CCT (No. of Negros Or. 32,416 57,020 88,550 50,287 HH Beneficiaries) Siquijor 484 1,851 4,651 2,336 TOTAL 58,902 140,187 314,654 182,446 Bohol 14,556 16,981 19,528 Cebu 73,690 83,537 93,955 OFWs with PhilHealth Negros Or. 9,811 11,190 12,867 Coverage Siquijor 1,096 1,222 1,369 TOTAL 99,153 112,930 127,719 Sources: PHIC 7, DSWD 7, DOLE 7, BAS 7

8-16 Chapter 8 b . Lack of information on poor and vulnerable groups

There is a degree of difficulty in capturing a comprehensive data on the membership of the poor and vulnerable groups to SSS, PhilHealth, etc. Another challenge in the data collection lies with the fact that not all social security institutions adopt a uniform definition of Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW). For instance, PhilHealth and SSS only consider as OFWs the land-based workers abroad because the sea-based ones are classified under the employed sector. There is also discrepancy in serving PWDs because of the absence of appropriate data. c . Low awareness and appreciation of social protection p r o g r a m s

It has been reported that many 4Ps beneficiaries enrolled under PhilHealth do not fully utilize health care services because of low level of awareness about their benefits.

Because membership to social security is voluntary and that some OFWs would ather not be classified under the the OFW category which is being levied with higher premium rates, there were OFWs who opted not to be covered by PhilHealth and the Social Security System (SSS).

5. Several social infrastructure damaged by natural calamities

The calamities that hit the region may dampen the region’s gains in its social development efforts. Moreover, it aggravated the many challenges that the region already faced in providing education and health services and decent shelter.

As of November 2013, a total of 7,525 classrooms were damaged due to the earthquake and 1,390 classrooms were damaged when typhoon Yolanda hit some parts of the region in November 2013. This brought the total number of damaged classrooms due to the 2 calamities to 8,915. This number excludes the classrooms damaged by typhoon Sendong in 2011 and the February 2012 earthquake.

A total of 207 health facilities costing about P1,077,250,000.00 were damaged during the October 15, 2013 earthquake. Another 64 health facilities with estimated cost of P25,380,000.00 were damaged by Typhoon Yolanda. The 7.2 magnitude earthquake alone damaged a total of 66,932 houses (12,238 totally and 53,694 partially) in Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor. Additional houses were also damaged from the Typhoon Sendong, earthquake in Negros Oriental and the most-recent Typhoon Yolanda which affected Northern Cebu areas.

8-17 Chapter 8 Table 8.8 shows the damage to the region’s social infrastructure brought by calamities.

Table 8.8 Social infrastructure damaged by natural calamities Central Visayas

Province/ Classrooms Health Facilities Housing Type of Social Infrastructure Bohol 2,896 165 97,365 Cebu 5,315 83 91 Negros Oriental 550 13 156 Siquijor 154 3 -- DOH Hospitals and Offices 7 TOTAL 8,915 271 97,612 Source: DPWH 7, DepEd 7, DOH 7,and DSWD 7 B. Strategic Framework

1 . Provide adequate education and heath facilities and resources for areas unserved, underserved and affected by calamities

The repair of schools and classrooms and health facilities and equipment damaged by natural calamities shall be given priority. This is to ensure continuation of the conduct of classes and sustain the capacity of schools in accepting students.

The building of additional schools and/or classrooms in areas that did not meet the standard classroom to pupil ratio shall also be given priority by the DPWh and DepEd. For the primary level, additional schools/classrooms are needed in the school divisions of Carcar City, Cebu City, Lapulapu City, Mandaue City, and Talisay City. Meanwhile, the school divisions of Bais City, Bayawan City, Bayawan City, Bogo City, Carcar City, Cebu, Cebu City, Danao City, Guihulngan City, Lapulapu City, Mandaue City, Negros Oriental, Tagbilaran City, Talisay City, Tanjay City, and Toledo City will be the priority for secondary level schools/classrooms construction.

DepEd 7 shall work at providing additional school furniture, such as seats, tables and chairs to close the gap in school furniture needs and make the classroom environment conducive to learning. Except Siquijor, all school divisions in the region, lack school furniture.

DepEd 7 shall also augment the pool of mobile teachers to implement the Alternative Learning Systems, especially for secondary education. They shall be deployed to areas where net enrolment and completion rates are low to provide

8-18 Chapter 8 educational services that were not reached by the traditional school/classroom set-up.

For the health sector, the LGUs in the region shall effectively use the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) to upgrade the capacity of district hospitals in providing surgical services, including secured access to blood supply. The region shall encourage the use of the HFEP as leverage for LGU counterpart investments, especially in hiring additional skilled health professionals.

2 . Build capacities of service providers to effectively deliver education and housing services

The conduct of trainings for teachers shall be continued. Training designs shall be enhanced by DepEd 7 to equip teachers with techniques that would effectively improve the quality of basic education. For instance, teachers will be trained on teaching methods that would develop critical thinking of the students. The RDC shall closely monitor the NAT scores to ensure that the desired improvement in the quality of education would be achieved.

The region shall also capacitate further the LGUs in managing its own socialized housing program through the creation of Urban Poor Offices or Local Housing Offices. This is seen as a local counterpart of the proposed Department of Housing and Urban Development (DUHD). Creating an office that would focus on socialized housing program will mobilize and smoothen the implementation of the program and the consequent generation of funds for that purpose at the local levels.

3 . Enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of higher education and training programs

For effectiveness of technical-vocational education, TESDA 7 shall work on the establishment of an assessment and certification system for courses where these mechanisms are absent. This will be complemented with the establishment of competency standards for new qualifications that are responsive to the industry needs in partnership with the industry sector. Linkages between industries, academe and/or training institutions shall be strengthened to establish a seamless feedback mechanism on the relevance and quality of education. For instance, convergence among TESDA, POEA, PESOs and DOLE shall be strengthened in providing self and wage employment to TVET graduates while CHED shall coordinate with the industries in the design of curricula.

For higher education, the RDC shall propose for the collection of data on the employment of graduates of higher education institutions. By this, information on the responsiveness of the academe on the human resource needs of the industries will be made available. In turn, it would enable the

8-19 Chapter 8 academe to redesign their curricula to suit the actual needs of the industry, and consequently lead to gainful employment of the graduates.

To sustain higher education programs the region shall, through the RDC, shall push for the review of the implementation of the Study Now, Pay Later Program to improve the efficiency of its loan repayment and make the program sustainable. The RDC will also propose for the review on the effectiveness of programs, such as the Full and Half Merit Scholarships, and the Tulong Dunon, in extending financial assistance to make higher education more accessible.

The region shall intensify the d issemination of the different programs for higher education in the region. Social media shall be utilized in spreading the information. The CHED will partner with DepEd in disseminating information on the various higher education programs.

4 . Advocate for the passage of bills to fasttrack the implementation of housing programs and land reform

The region, through the RDC will advocate for the passage of the bill which will establish the Department of Housing and Urban Development (DHUD). The passage of the DHUD bill consolidates the role of the different government agencies on housing and urban development into one department and the head of which would be a member of the President's cabinet. In effect, this would take over the functions of the HUDCC and the planning regulatory functions of the HLURB.

The region shall also pursue the passage of the National Land Use Act (NALUA) to enhance land use planning and identification of sites for socialized housing by LGUs. The proposed Act will “institute a national land use policy, provide implementing mechanisms, rationalize the utilization, management and development of the country's land resources and ensure optimum use consistent with the principle of sustainable development.” This bill also calls for vertical integration and harmonization of land use and physical development plans to include the Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP), Coastal Resources Management Plan (CRMP), Protected Areas Management Plan (PAMP), Strategic and Fisheries Development Zones (SAFDZ), Agricultural and Fisheries Management Plan (AFMP); National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP); and the more recent, namely: National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPC) and National Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP).

The region shall also advocate for the immediate passage of the Forestland Bill to support the distribution of alienable and disposable lands that are suitable for agriculture.

8-20 Chapter 8 5. Scale-up the implementation of major health, housing and social protection programs

For health services, the region shall intensify the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) or Kalusugan Pangkalahatan (KP) by scaling up preventive and promotive public health programs and increasing national health insurance coverage and benefits. To scale up preventive and promotive public health programs, DOH 7 shall ensure that essential public health programs such as the RNHEALS (Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Service) and the Community Health Teams are on track. This will facilitate the identification of demand and delivery of vaccines, FP commodities, micronutrient supplements, and TB drugs in the identified priority areas. Scaling up of health programs will also mean expansion of vitamin A supplementation as well as folic acid supplementation. Mandatory fortification of staples, e.g. fortification of rice with iron, flour with vitamin A and iron, & cooking oil with vitamin A, and voluntary fortification of processed foods with vitamin A and iron as well as salt iodization will still be pursued.

To increase the coverage of the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) managed by PhilHealth, particularly among the poor as identified in the National Household Targeting System (NHTS) and by the LGUs, the region shall intensify advocacy activities for enrolment under the Individually Paying Program. The region, through the PhilHealth shall also study the possibility of introducing more health packages which can be availed of by all PhilHealth- covered members and their dependents.

With regard to the implementation of housing programs, the LGUs in the region shall fast-track the implementation of socialized housing projects by intensifying the identification and proclamation of idle government lands as well as those idle private lands in their localities suitable for housing sites.

On social protection and provision of safety nets, the RDC shall endorse the recommendation of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) to extend the coverage of 4Ps beneficiaries until their children reach the age of 16 to 18 years. It was found out that the 4Ps has a strong impact in school enrollment, since one of its conditionalities was for the beneficiary families to enroll their 6 to 14 years old children in school. Considering that the more pressing concern in the region is the low enrollment and completion in the secondary level, the 4Ps could help improve this situation when the conditionality of sending children to school would be extended up to the age when they would complete secondary education.

8-21 Chapter 8 6 . Continue to adopt the convergence framework and engage the private sector in the implementation of social programs, asset reform and in the provision of social protection and safety nets

The government, with its limited budget, has to seek the help of other stakeholders through new partnerships with the private sector and other non- government organization to complement the programs that it already has. Within the government, agencies must also consolidate their efforts towards common social outcomes. Hence, the region shall continue to adopt the convergence framework in the implementation of social programs. As a strategy within the convergence framework, the region shall strengthen its linkages with the private sector in the implementation of social programs.

For the education sector, the region shall continue to engage and strengthen multi-stakeholder partnerships to improve access to quality of education in Central Visayas. Under the Adopt-A-School Program, the private sector shall be tapped for assistance in the form of facilities, development, scholarships, feeding programs, provision of library and laboratory materials.

For the health sector, the region shall also i nvolve the continuous engagement with all stakeholders in the delivery of health programs and services at all levels specifically tapping the resources of the private sector especially in the underperforming localities in the region.

To fasttrack the implementation of housing projects, there is a need to create alternative funds and mobilize resources by reviving the SSS, GSIS and GFIs' contribution in the housing sector pool. The strategy involves rural banks, cooperatives and microfinance institutions in the implementation of a housing micro-finance program that will focus on the marginalized sector and rural homebuyers.

For asset reform, the region shall pursue the synchronization of target beneficiaries on land acquisition and distribution among concerned agencies (DAR, DA and DENR). The provision of military support to farmer beneficiaries in the installation in the identified CARP areas shall continue to be strengthened. To address the needs of IPs, the region shall also adopt a convergence approach with NCIP taking the lead.

For social protection, the region shall set up convergence mechanisms at all levels. This shall require the identification of specific activities that need cooperation and define the roles among agencies and stakeholders. Another important component is the establishment of mechanisms or venues where convergence will be done. The framework for convergence shall depict the multi-level and multi-focus convergence where various types of convergence will be implemented depending on the social protection needs of the target areas or sectors.

8-22 Chapter 8 Once convergence mechanisms are in place and implementing units at the national up to the local levels are capacitated, the identified convergent programs and their corresponding budget allocation, including the mechanism, need to be institutionalized. This is to ensure that SP programs and projects become part of the regular program and budget of the government at different levels. LGUs implementing SP convergent programs should already start including them in their own plans and budgets as this will initially synchronize and harmonize program implementation/operations across sectors and institutions. The menu of bottom-up budgeting shall be the take-off for this convergence.

To institutionalize the social protection programs, it will require a systemic review of how the various objectives and indicators are being achieved. A unified and user-friendly M&E system based on agreed common data sets must be designed and used by agencies implementing social protection programs.

To strengthen convergence the region shall operationalize the Social Protection Framework. With the approval and adoption of the Social Protection Operational Framework in 2012, the Sub-Committee on Social Protection spearheaded the formulation of various tools to assist social protection stakeholders in realizing the social protection strategy of the country. The SP Plan shall serve as blueprint for policymakers, planners and program implementers on what specific approaches and strategic interventions are best suited to be carried out by responsible agencies on SP to cover specific target groups and vulnerabilities. To empower and capacitate local government units, civil society organizations, and government agencies implementing SP programs and projects, a Social Protection (SP) Handbook will also be developed to serve as primary reference in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating social protection interventions. Lastly, the Vulnerability and Adaptation Manual for SP, which is part of the SP Handbook focusing on risk and vulnerability assessment, will be formulated as a guide for local development workers from the LGUs, government agencies and non-governmental organizations in assessing risks and vulnerabilities and identifying adaptive strategies for social protection in the communities.

7 . Strengthen capacities of IPs to manage their ancestral domain

The region, through the NCIP 7, shall set up mechanisms to enhance the involvement of IPs in the planning for the ancestral domain and in the delivery of basic services to the IPs especially that of education.

DepEd Order 62 shall be implemented in areas in the region where Indigenous Peoples are located. DepEd will make education of the Indigenous Peoples in the region more responsive to the culture of the particular IP by revising the curriculum to suit the existing culture thereat. DepEd will also undertake training of teachers assigned in the localities where the IPs are

8-23 Chapter 8 located to make them more responsive to the culture of the community. Scholarships will also be offered to IP students who will pursue teacher education courses for them to be assigned as teachers in IP areas when they graduate.

8 . Expand and enhance the system for targeting of beneficiaries of social programs

A national targeting system that identifies the poor is not sufficient to effectively implement SP programs and projects at the national and local level. There is a need to expand this database to cover the identification of those who are vulnerable disaggregated by types of risks and shocks as well as by geographical area. C. Major Programs, Activities, and Projects

1. School Building Programs 2. Establishment of Rural and Health Centers 3. Universal Health Care or Kalusugan Pangkalahatan 4. Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Services (RNHEALS) 5. Advocacy on PHILHEALTH enrolment under Individually Paying Program 6. Establishment of assessment and certification system for technical- vocational courses 7. Establishment of database on employment of graduates of HEIs 8. Review of Study Now, Pay Later Program implementation 9. Review of effectiveness of Full and Half Merit Scholarship and Tulong Dunon 10. Health Facilities Enhancement Program D. Policy and Legislative Agenda

1. Creation of Urban Poor Offices or Local Housing Offices 2. Establishment of Department of Housing and Urban Development (DHUD) 3. National Land Use Act 4. Forestland Bill

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