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