I.                   SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE BASED ON 1998 MBN SURVEY

 

            The Municipality of Balete, a 5th class municipality in the Province of Aklan is made up of ten barangays, nine of which are situated in mountainous areas. These barangays are far apart from each other due to lack of barangay roads and the difficulties in maintaining the existing ones due to the nature of the terrain. As a consequence, residents in the far-flung barangays find it difficult to transport their products to the market place. Unemployment, low farm incomes and a sense of desperation pervades in these areas. This has fueled insurgency to a point that the insurgents were able to establish sanctuaries, shadow governments and political infrastructures in the Barangays of Cortes, Guanko, Oquendo and Arcangel. It was only though the deployment of the 47th Infantry Battalion in 1983 and after ceaseless counter-insurgency operations for 11 years that the footholds of the insurgents were dismantled.

 

            From July to December 1998 when the new administration assumed office, an MBN Survey was conducted under the PAF II  program. This survey has identified socio-economic concerns that has fueled the insurgency ( poverty, malnutrition, lack of basic services and a sense of isolation and desperation) that must be addressed in order to deny the insurgents from regaining their foothold in there mountainous barangays, and leap-frog the development of the community towards the new millenium.

 

            Hereunder is the summary of the results of the MBN survey showing the percentage of UNMET INDICATORS. These are the glaring deficiences that plans, programs, services and activities must address in order for the municipality to develop.

 

A.  HEALTH SERVICES

 

1) Malnutrition among children below 5 yrs. Old                                                25. 46%

2) Year-old infants not immunized                                                                     23.96%

3) Year-old infants die of preventable causes                                                     26.73%

4) Couples not practicing Family Planning                                                          25.28%

5) Couples without access to Family Planning services                                       18.38%

 

            The lack of access to health services can be attributed to the distance of household from the Municipal Health Office, the difficulties for health workers to reach the residents of far-flung barangays and the lack of funds for the purchase of medicines and supplies.

 

B.  ACCESS TO POTABLE WATER AND SANITATION

 

1) Families without access to potable water within 250 meters                           68.69%

2) Families without sanitary toilets                                                                     29.32%

 

            No where can lack of potable water be more pronounced than during the long dry months of the EL NIÑO. The whole town had to get water from sources as far as five kilometers away. The sources of water in low laying barangays easily gets contaminated every time there is flooding of the JAL-O RIVER. The incidence of water borne diseases among children below five years old is 17.73%. The whole town is dependent on shallow wells and springs as sources of potable water.

 

C.  HOUSING

 

            Due to the preponderant use of light materials for housing, 65.99% of houses are affected every time there is typhoon and flooding.

 

 

 

 

D.  UNEMPLOYMENT

 

1)      Head of families not employed                                                        77.89%

2)      Other members of family 15 yrs. And above not employed              85.97% 

3)  Family with income below subsistence level                                      83.68%

 

            Among residents of far-flung barangays, landlessness is the primary cause of low income. This is further aggravated by the lack of Farm to Market Roads; lack of capital and basic agricultural know how among the marginal farmers. Kaingin is the only alternative practice left to these farmers. Environmental degredation, erosion and denudation are the results of this practice. The construction of more farm to market roads and the rehabilitation of existing ones could help alleviate the difficulties encountered by these marginal farmers. It will also open up new areas traversed by Farm to Market Roads for cultivation.

 

E.  EDUCATION

 

1) Children 3-5 yrs. old not attending Day Care/Pre-School                              41.62%

2) Children 6-12 yrs. old not attending Elementary School                                 21.57%

3) Children 13-16 yrs. old not attending High School                                         28.21%

4) Family members 10 yrs. old and above unable to read and write

     and do simple computation                                                                           25.10%

 

            While almost all of barangays have Day care Centers, it is the lack of roads that prevents parents from sending their children to early childhood education. The average distance between households and Day Care Centers usually involves 2 hours walk.

 

F.  INVOLVEMENT IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

 

1)      Family members not involved in legitimate people organization

for community development                                                                        46.17%

2)   Children below 18 yrs. old engaged in hazardous occupation                       21.06%

 

            The sense of isolation among residents of far-flung barangays have further reinforced their lack of concern and participation on community based development programs. Capability building activities cannot be implemented because of the inaccessibility of households to concerned municipal and national agencies.

 

II – PROPOSED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

 

            Based on the results of the 1998 MBN Survey as stated, it is clearly imperative that there is a need for more infrastructures and programs in this municipality to facilitate easier lines of communications among residents and government agencies tasked to deliver basic services. It will promote production of more agricultural products and encourage other commercial activities among constituents and the nearby markets of Kalibo, Roxas City and Iloilo City. After consultations with others sectors the following projects are deemed necessary for the development of the municipality. Since the municipality has meager resources to implement these proposals, it is seeking the help of concerned government agencies, through our Governor and the Regional Development Council.

 

1)  CONSTRUCTION OF FARM TO MARKET ROAD FROM POBLACION TO SITIO MAPAIT: This project will benefit 100 households in the sitio. They will be able to transport their products to the markets faster and at a lesser cost. Some used to transport their products by pump boats through the JAL-O RIVER while others have to use trails and paddy dikes to get to the town proper. Access to the sitio will help decongest the Poblacion, particularly the cemetery. In the future, the sitio will be used as expansion area for both residential and commercial uses. Please refer to attached proposal and program of work.

 

2) IMPROVEMENT AND REHABILITATION OF FARM TO MARKET ROAD CONNECTING CORTES, GUANKO AND OQUENDO: These three barangays are among the most distant from the Poblacion proper. They are also the most threatened by insurgency. It is sparsely populated and there are about three hundred hectares of logged-over public land in these areas. The soil is fertile, however lacks of farm to market roads have discouraged people from exploiting the fertility of the soil. Abaca, piña fiber, vegetables and root crops grow luxuriantly in these areas but excessive transportation expenses have dampened the enthusiasm of farmers. These barangays have the highest incidence of unmet indicators and has the most severe lack of basic services. The improvement and rehab of 9.0 kilometers of Farm to Market Roads connecting the three barangays will dramatically open new opportunities for economic activities among residents and will help local government agencies in the delivery of basic services that has long eluded the residents for a long time. Agro-forestry programs (a combination of fruit trees and mahogany or gemelina) in the areas will help restore forest cover and safeguard the watershed areas of the river systems of the municipality. Thus the construction of this vital project will accomplish three things at the same time.

 

1)      hasten the delivery of basic services

2)      hasten the development of the area thus increasing farm incomes

3)      preserve and protect vital watershed areas and the environment in general.

Please refer to attached Program of Work.

 

3) - WATER SYSTEM

 

The Municipality has four level I water systems existing. They are located in Barangays Poblacion, Morales, Calizo, and Aranas. The Municipal Engineer has identified a source in Barangay Arcangel that could be tapped to augment the needs of the constituents in Arcangel, Morales and Poblacion. This project will benefit 250 households. A spring box will be constructed and the water will be piped to a reservoir, which will be then distributed to users in Poblacion and portions of Baranagys Arcangel and Morales. Please refer to attached Program of Work.

 

4) -  BINITINAN – MAYUBAY FARM TO MARKET ROAD

 

                  Sitio Binitinan of Barangay Oquendo is the most isolated village of the municipality. It can be accessed only through Sitio Mayubay, Libacao, Aklan. The residents consisting of 100 households are industrious and the soil is fertile. Its crops are premium varieties of upland rice, vegetables, root crops and abaca hemp. Its topography is hilly and because of its isolation, agricultural products have to be transported by porters. After the seasonal planting period, residents augment their income by engaging in handicraft productions using indigenous materials such as nito, tayok-tayok and buri for basket weaving and other woven novelty items. The construction of a Farm to Market Roads from Mayubay to Binitinan will ease the burden of transportation and provide accessibility for its residents and buyers of handicrafts, which are in demand. It will access to government agencies and non-government organizations who are willing to train residents to improve product quality and provide marketing linkages. Please refer to attached Program of Work.

 

5.      IMPROVEMENT AND REHABILITATION OF FARM TO MARKET ROAD CONNECTING FULGENCIO SUR TO FULGENCIO NORTE:

 

            The existing road is now unserviceable. The road traverses about 300 hectares of productive area. Copra, rice, vegetables and root crops are its major products. The deterioration of its entire 2.5 kms. length had brought about a drop in the productivity of the area and has set-back the plans of landowners to engage in the production of high value commercial crops. The rehabilitation of this farm to market road will bring back the advantages enjoyed by the said area because of its location. It is the area nearest to the markets of Kalibo and nearby towns of Banga and New Washington. Intensive piña-fiber production and piña weaving will augment the income of unemployed residents. Capability building programs and skills training for the residents can be easily implemented because of enhanced accessibility. Please refer to attached Program of Work.

 

6.      CONSTRUCTION OF SLAUGHTERHOUSE

 

The Municipality has no slaughterhouse. The slaughter of swine and large cattle is done in a make shift structure inside the Public Market. Waste disposal does not conform to the approved standards of the National Meat Inspection Commission and the meat sold to the general Public cannot be monitored in terms of quality and suitability for human consumption. The construction of a slaughterhouse that is up to the nationally approved standards is essential in preserving the health and nutrition requirements of the residents and the close monitoring of meat products sold to the general public.

 

                  The project can now be implemented because the municipality has already purchased an ideal and necessary site for the said slaughterhouse. Please refer to attached Program of Work.