Province of Agusan Del Sur's MDG Report Using CBMS Data

Province of AGUSAN DEL SUR
1
Philippines Fourth Progress Report on the Millennium Development Goals using CBMS Data - Province of Province of Marinduque

Status Report on the
Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs)
Using CBMS Data

Province of Agusan Del Sur

Foreword

The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Report of the Agusan del Sur province was
made possible through the partnership with the PEP-Community-Based Monitoring System
(CBMS) Network Coordinating Team, and with United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP). This was conceptualized because of the initiative of the Philippine government
to localize the MDG using the CBMS data.

There are at least two reasons why the UNDP supported this project. The first reason is
that while the progress of the country’s MDG is systematically measured, monitored, and
reported at the national level, there is none being done at the local level. Another is to fill
the gap in data at the regional level. According to Ms. Corazon Urquico of UNDP, there
are disparities in terms of socio-economic situation existing among provinces, municipali-
ties, and even down to barangays and CBMS data can highlight these differences and
use the information as basis for actions and policies of local governments. Because it is
the local government that is at the forefront of policy or program execution, it is crucial
for it to identify the many faces of poverty at the local level.

The province of Agusan del Sur is one of the nine pilot provinces of this technical col-
laboration. One of the criteria in choosing the pilot provinces was that the province had
conducted at least one round of the CBMS survey. This technical collaboration aims to
enable these provinces to systematically measure, monitor, and report status toward the
attainment of the MDGs.

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Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Acknowledgments

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”
— Napoleon Hill

This Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Report of the province is a product of the great
minds of those who were involved in this technical collaboration. This provides a picture of the
province’s poverty situation and the challenges that have to be addressed in the attainment
of MDG goals. This is not a mere report; in fact, what matters most is what it can contribute
to the development of our province and of our country as a whole.

This achievement was made through the efforts of the Provincial MDG Team and its supportive
partners. This shows that the Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur can work best with the
partnership of other agencies and funding donors. Thus, this achievement is not ours alone,
but also theirs. With this, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the following:

To our provincial governor, Hon. Maria Valentina G. Plaza, who supported this project on
the formulation of the Provincial MDG Report;

To Dr. Celia Reyes, PEP Co-Director and CBMS Network Leader, together with her staff who
continuously shared their time, skills, and knowledge from the beginning of the project to the
end. Thank you, team, for being our mentors and partners from the start of CBMS implementa-
tion in the province up until now;

To Ms. Corazon Urquico, Team Leader of Poverty Reduction and Support for the MDGs of
the United Nations Development Programme-Philippines;

To NEDA, which also supported this project by providing inputs in the report;

To our chief of ofﬁce, Engr. Deanna P. Fudalan, whose insights made this report better;

To everybody who had helped in the formulation of this report: every little thing you did
meant a lot to us.

MDG Team-Edna, Nep and Ofel

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Province of Agusan Del Sur Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Message
The preparation of provincial MDGs reports is a critical step that Local Government
Units (LGUs) have taken in the overall effort to localize the MDGs. As it is often said,
the MDGs will be ‘won or lost’ at the local level given the conditions of uneven
progress and disparities across regions and provinces in the country.

Beyond the national averages, one can see wide disparities on the gains in
poverty reduction, universal education, child mortality and maternal health. This
situation reinforces the notion that the progress of each province is just as important
as the achievements of the country as a whole. After all, the Philippines’ progress
towards the MDGs, is the sum of the efforts and gains of all LGUs.

By preparing provincial reports, LGUs are provided vital information on the
status of the MDGs in their areas of inﬂuence. These reports are important sources
of information for planning, resource allocation and priority setting that LGUs are tasked under their
mandate of effective local governance. Likewise, in the course of the preparation of the reports, the
capacity of LGUs to collect, monitor and use data for decision making has been greatly enhanced.
The reports also show how far the Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS) that UNDP has
supported can go in terms of its use.

Against the backdrop of renewed optimism emanating from the new political leadership, this ﬁrst
set of nine Provincial Reports on the MDGs is a timely and important milestone. The reports provide
crucial insights on how to overcome the constraints in achieving the MDGs locally as the country
gears towards the last stretch to attain the eight goals by 2015. They also emphasize the important
role of active collaboration of political leaders, stakeholders, and donors in achieving the MDGs.

I wish to commend the nine Provincial Governments that prepared their reports – the Agusan del
Norte, Agusan del Sur, Biliran, Camarines Norte, Eastern Samar, Marinduque, Romblon, Sarangani,
and Siquijor Province – the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) Network and the National
Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for working together in bringing about this important
accomplishment.

With this initiative, it is hoped that other provinces will follow suit to attain nationwide support
for the need to accelerate the pace of the achievement of the MDGs by 2015.

D J
Dr. Jacqueline B d k
li Badcock
UN Resident Coordinator and
UNDP Resident Representative
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Message
Republic of the Philippines
PROVINCE OF AGUSAN DEL SUR
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

The Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur (PGAS) continu-
ously aims to reduce its poverty incidence. I believe that we can
do so by identifying the many faces of poverty and improving the
aspects of planning, program intervention, project implementation,
and most of all, the assessment of the impact of all interventions.
I know that poverty reduction will be made more possible through
the collaboration of PGAS with its partner agencies and donors.
I am very grateful, in fact, to our partners such as the PEP-CBMS
Network Coordinating Team and the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) for choosing our province tto be part of this
technical collaboration on the preparation of status reports on the Millennium Develoment
Goals (MDGs).

The PGAS is also proud to present the provincial Status Report on the Millennium Development
Goals using CBMS Data. This report can serve as a tool to systematically measure MDG
indicators and present a provincial situationer which is the ﬁrst big step toward the attainment
of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is my sincerest hope that this report will be
used as a guide on how to link the province’s plans and programs to the national poverty
reduction strategy.

Let this report serve as an eye opener to everybody. In the words of Zig Ziglar: “When we
can identify a problem and face the problem with conﬁdence and enthusiasm, the solution
is on the way.”

MARIA VALENTINA G. PLAZA
Provincial Governor

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Table of Contents
Foreword ......................................................................................................... 3
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................. 4
Messages UN Resident Coordinator Dr. Jacqueline Badcock .......................... 5
Governor Maria Valentina G. Plaza.................................................. 6

Table of Contents .............................................................................................. 7
List of Acronyms ............................................................................................... 9
List of Tables .................................................................................................... 11
List of Figures .................................................................................................. 13

Executive Summary .................................................................................... 14
Part I. Provincial Profile
1. History ................................................................................................. 18
2. Geo-Physical Environment ................................................................... 21
3. Population & Social Environment .......................................................... 21
4. Local Economy .................................................................................... 23
5. Infrastructure/Utilities/Facilities ............................................................. 24
6. Local Institutional Capability ................................................................. 25

Part II. Status Report on the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

1. Goal 1 - Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger ............................................... 26

2. Goal 2 - Achieve Universal Primary Education .................................................. 39

3. Goal 3 - Promote Gender Equality ................................................................. 48

4. Goal 4 - Reduce a Child Mortality .................................................................. 54

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Message

5. Goal 5 - Improve Maternal Health ................................................................. 59

6. Goal 6 - Combat HIV / AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases .................................. 62

7. Goal 7 - Ensure Environmental Sustainability ................................................... 67

8. Goal 8 - Development a Global Partnership for Development ............................ 76
Part III. Meeting the 2015 Challenge
1. Priority Programs and Policy Responses ................................................ 81
2. Financing the MDG ............................................................................. 86
3. Monitoring the MDG ........................................................................... 87
4. Conclusion and Recommendation ........................................................ 87
Explanatory Text ........................................................................................ 88

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List of Acronyms

AEGP Agricultural Enhancement for Growth and Productivity
APL Adaptable Loan Program
ASELCO Agusan del Sur Electric Cooperative
BAKAS Baka Alang sa Kalamboan sa Agusan del Sur
BUGAS Boosted Utilization of Grains in Agusan del Sur
CBMS Community-Based Monitoring System
CBR Crude Birth Rate
CDP Convergence Development Program
CFAD Community Fund for Agricultural Development
DFS Diversified Farming System
ECCD Early Childhood Care and Development
FMIS Financial Management Information System
HDI Human Development Index
HHs Households
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
IPs Indigenous Peoples
IRS International Reference Standard
ISDA Integrated Sustainable Development of Aquaculture
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
MINSAD Mindanao Settlement Sustainable Area Development
MRDP Mindanao Rural Development Program
NABCOR National Agribusiness Corporation
NEDA National Economic and Development Authority
NMCIREMP Northern Mindanao Initiatives and Resource Management Project
NSCB National Statistical Coordination Board
PACAP Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program
PAHRDF Philippines-Australia Human Resource Development Facility
PEP Poverty and Economic Policy
PGAS Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur

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List of Acronyms

PLAKAT Pinagbuklod Lakas ng Kababaihan ng Trento
PMIS Personnel Management Information System
PRUTAS Program on Utilization of Trees in Agusan del Sur
RPTIS Real Property Tax Information System
SEDIS Socio-Economic Development Information System
SELAP Support to Emergency Livelihood Assistance Program
SIOPAO Systems Information of Provincial Agriculture Office
TINA Tubig Imnonon Natong Agusanon
TRANSC Transmission Company
UNDP United Nation Development Programme
4Ps Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program

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List of Tables

1 Summary of Findings of MDG Indicators, Province of Agusan del Sur, 2005
2 Proportion and Magnitude of Households/Population Living Below Poverty Threshold, by Municipality, by Sex and by
Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
3 Proportion and Magnitude of Households/Population Living Below Food Threshold, by Municipality, by Sex and by
4 Poverty Gap Ratio, by Municipality and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
5 Employment Rate, by Municipality, by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
6 Proportion and Magnitude of Households/Population who Experienced Food Shortage, by Municipality, by Sex and by
7 Prevalence of Underweight Children Under-Five Years of Age, by Municipality, by Sex and by Urban/Rural,
Agusan del Sur, 2005
8 Proportion and Magnitude of Children Aged 6-12 Years Old Enrolled in Elementary Education, by Municipality,
by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
9 Proportion and Magnitude of Children Aged 13-16 Years Old Enrolled in High School, by Municipality,
10 Number of Government Secondary Schools, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur
11 Proportion and Magnitude of Children Aged 6-16 Years Old Enrolled in School, by Municipality,
12 Literacy Rate, by Municipality, by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
13 Ratio of Girls to Boys in Primary Education, by Municipality and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
14 Ratio of Girls to Boys in Secondary Education, by Municipality and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
15 Ratio of Girls to Boys in Tertiary Education, by Municipality and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
16 Ratio of Literate Females to Literate Males Aged 15-24 Years Old, by Municipality and by Urban/Rural,
17 Proportion and Magnitude of Seats Held by Women in Municipality and Province, Agusan Del Sur
18 Proportion and Magnitude of Children Aged 0 to Less than 5 Years Old who Died, by Municipality,
19 Proportion and Magnitude of Infants who Died, by Municipality, by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
20 Proportion and Magnitude of Children Aged 1 to Less than 5 Years Old who Died, by Municipality,
21 Proportion and Magnitude of Women Deaths Due to Pregnancy-Related Causes, by Municipality and by
22 Contraceptive Prevalance Rate Among Couples, by Municipality and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
23 Proportion and Magnitude of Couples Using Condom Among those who are Practicing Contraception,
by Municipality and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005

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List of Tables

24 Death Rates Associated with Malaria, by Municipality and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
25 Prevalence and Death Rates Associated with Tuberculosis, by Municipality and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
26 Proportion and Magnitude of Households/Population with Access to Safe Water, by Municipality, by Sex and
by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
27 Proportion and Magnitude of Households/Population with Access to Sanitary Toilet Facility, by Municipality,
28 Proportion and Magnitude of Households/Population who are Informal Settlers, by Municipality,
by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur. 2005
29 Proportion and Magnitude of Households/Population Living in Makeshift Housing, by Municipality,
30 Proportion and Magnitude of Households/Population Living in Inadequate Living Conditions,
by Municipality, by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
31 Number of Botika ng Barangays, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur
32 Proportion and Magnitude of Households with Landlines/Telephone Lines, by Municipality and
by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
33 Proportion and Magnitude of Households with Cell Phones, by Municipality and by Urban/Rural,
34 Proportion and Magnitude of Households with Computers, by Municipality and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2005
35 Economic Development Programs and Projects, Cost per Year (in Millions)
36 Social Development (Education) Programs and Projects, Cost per Year (in Millions)
37 Social Development (Health) Programs and Projects, Cost per Year (in Millions)
38 Social Development (Housing and Resettlement) Programs and Projects, Cost per Year (in Millions)
39 Social Development (Social Welfare) Programs and Projects, Cost per Year (in Millions)
40 Environmental Management Programs and Projects, Cost per Year (in Millions)
41 Infrastructure Development Programs and Projects, Cost per Year (in Millions)
42 Investment Summary
43 The CBMS-MDG Indicators and their Definition
44 Poverty and Food Thresholds

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List of Figures

1 Location of the Province of Agusan del Sur
2 Map of Agusan del Sur
3 Agusan del Sur Growth Diamond
4 Proportion of Population Below Poverty Threshold, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
5 Proportion of Population Below Food Threshold, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
6 Poverty Gap, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
7 Employment Rate, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
8 Proportion of Population who Experienced Food Shortage, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
9 Prevalence of Underweight Children Under-Five Years of Age, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
10 Proportion of Children Aged 6-12 Years Old Enrolled in Elementary Education, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
11 Proportion of Children Aged 13-16 Years Old Enrolled in High School, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
12 Proportion of Children Aged 6-16 Years Old Enrolled in School, by Municipality, Agusan Del Sur, 2005
13 Literacy Rate of 15-24 Year-Olds, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
14 Ratio of Girls to Boys in Primary Education, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
15 Ratio of Girls to Boys in Secondary Education, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
16 Ratio of Girls to Boys in Tertiary Education, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
17 Literacy Rate of 15-24 Year Olds, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
18 Proportion of Children Aged 0 to Less than 5 Years Old who Died, Agusan del Sur, 2005
19 Proportion of Infants who Died, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
20 Proportion of Children Aged 1 to Less than 5 Years Old who Died, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
21 Proportion of Women Death Due to Pregnancy-Related Causes, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
22 Contraceptive Prevalence Rate, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
23 Proportion of Couples Using Condom Among those who are Practicing Contraception, by Municipality,
24 Number of Deaths Associated with Malaria, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
25 Prevalence and Death Rates Associated with Tuberculosis, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
26 Proportion of Population with Access to Safe Drinking Water, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
27 Proportion of Population with Access to Sanitary Toilet Facility, by Municipality, Agusan Del Sur, 2005
28 Proportion of Population who are Informal Settlers, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
29 Proportion of Households Living in Makeshift Housing, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
30 Proportion of Population Living in Inadequate Living Conditions, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
31 Proportion of Households with Landlines/Telephone Lines, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
32 Proportion of Households with Cell Phones, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
33 Proportion of Households with Computers, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005
34 CBMS Coverage in the Philippines (as of May 12, 2010)

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Agusan del Sur MDG Report used target of 100 percent.
the 2005 data of the Community-Based • The ratio of girls to boys in secondary and
Monitoring System (CBMS). This report tertiary education is 1.1, which is aligned with
tracked the provincial government’s perfor- the 2015 national target.
mance in the past years and the challenges • Proportion of children aged 0 to less than
the political leaders, decisionmakers, and 5 who died was 0.8 (or 574 out of 73,078
development partners would be facing, and children), which is much lower than the
the identified solutions to uplift the lives of the national target of 26.7 for 2015.
poor majority. • Proportion of infants who died was only 1.9
percent (or 263 out of 13,786 infants.
Agusan del Sur had had some good • Proportion of women deaths due to
developments or gains (Table 1), but it also pregnancy-related causes was only 0.3
had some weaknesses that need to be percent, much lower than the 2015 national
addressed by political leaders, program and target of 52.3 percent.
project implementers, and various stakehold- • No death associated with malaria was
ers. All should move toward a unified action reported.
to achieve the MDG targets by 2015. • Proportion of land area covered by forests
is 68.45 percent. This is the reason why the
Good news province has never experienced a long dry
• Proportion of underweight children under season.
five years of age was 5.8 percent, which is • Proportion of households/population living
much lower than the 2015 national target of as informal settlers was only 7.2 percent.
17.3 percent.
• Literacy rates among population aged „Not So Good‰ News
15-24, or youths, was 97.0 percent, which is • Employment rate is high at 87.10 percent, but
lower by only 3 percent than the 2015 national this is far from being good news because majority
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Table 1. Summary of Findings of MDG Indicators, Province of Agusan del Sur, 2005

15

Table 1. (Continued)

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of the employed labor force were engaged in Posing Great Challenge
agriculture, where employment is seasonal in
nature; that is, jobs are only available during • Agusan del Sur is one of the poorest
planting and harvesting seasons. provinces in the country with 69.6 percent of
• Death rates associated with tuberculosis its total population below poverty threshold,
was 6.9 percent. and 54.6 percent below the food threshold.
• Proportion of children aged 6-12 enrolled Although Agusan del Sur is an agricultural
in elementary was 73.8 percent, which is province, a high percentage of the popula-
considerably lower than the 2015 national tion lies below the food threshold because
target of 100 percent. bananas, camote and other root crops are
• Cohort survival rate in elementary was not considered as food substitutes for rice and
54.32 percent, which is way below the national corn. The challenge now to political leaders is
target of 100 percent for 2015. how to get their legislative and administra-
• Proportion of elective seats held by women tive actions to focus more on the agriculture
in municipalities and province was 20.2 sector so as to increase food production.
percent---far lower than the national target The provision of irrigation systems and other
of 50 percent by 2015. farming facilities, including inputs, must be
• Proportion of births attended by skilled given top priority.
health personnel was 54.69 percent, which • Cohort survival rate was only 54.32
is far lower than the national target of 100 percent, which is far below the national
percent by 2015. target of 100 percent by 2015. Children
• Proportion of households and population living in the farms stop schooling to help
with access to safe drinking water were 66.4 their parents. Girls will take good care of
percent and 66.2 percent, respectively, both their younger siblings, while boys help in
of which are lower than the national target of the farms.
86.5 percent by 2015. • The proportion of children aged 13-16
• Proportion of households/population with years old enrolled in high school was only 50
access to sanitary toilet facilities were 78.2 percent. This low percentage poses another
percent and 78.6 percent, respectively. challenge to the leaders and development
• Proportion of households with telephones partners. Although tuition fee is free in public
was 2.4 percent while those with cellular high schools, poor families have to still
phones comprised 20.3 percent. shoulder other schooling-related expenses.

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Part 1.
Provincial Profile

1. History become the second provincial governor. She
was again re-elected in the next 1980 local
1.1. Political History election and would have continued her term
until February 1986 had Marcos regime not
The province of Agusan del Sur was born ended abruptly. The departure of Marcos
on June 17, 1967 through Republic Act No. catapulted President Corazon C. Aquino
4979, which divides the province of Agusan as the new president of the Republic of the
into Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur. In Philippines. During this time, Atty. Ceferino
January 1970, the first set of provincial officials S. Paredes, Jr. was designated as the OIC
assumed office. The same law provided that provincial governor of Agusan del Sur on
the capital of Agusan del Sur shall be the March 3, 1986.
municipality of Prosperidad, while the govern-
ment center was set up in Barangay Patin-ay. In the first congressional election under
the Aquino Administration, Congressman
Hon. Rufino C. Otero was elected as the D.O. Plaza was re-elected as the province’s
first provincial governor while Hon. Democrito representative to Congress, while OIC
O. Plaza became the first Congressman in Governor Paredes was elected on January
the November 1969 election. Congressman 18, 1988 as the province’s governor.
Democrito Plaza would have continued his
term until December 1973 had it not been On May 11, 1992, then-Governor Ceferino
cut short after Martial Law was declared S. Paredes, Jr. became the province’s
on September 21, 1972. When the Interim Representative to Congress while D. O. Plaza
Batasang Pambansa re-convened in 1978, won as the provincial governor. They were
Hon. Edilmiro Amante represented the again re-elected on May 9, 1995.
province.
When Governor D. O. Plaza died on
In the local level, Governor Valentina G. September 2, 1995, Vice-Governor Alex G.
Plaza, wife of former Congressman D.O. Bascug, M.D. succeeded as the governor of
Plaza, won the governorship race in 1971 to the province. When Governor Bascug resigned
18

Figure 1. Location of the Province of Agusan del Sur Figure 2. Map of Agusan del Sur

from his post after ﬁling his candidacy
as Representative to Congress, Virginia
M. Getes, the number one-elected
Sangguniang Panlalawigan member,
assumed the vacated post.

O n M a y 11 , 19 9 8 , G ove r n o r
Bascug was elected as the province’s
Representative to Congress while
Former Governor Valentina G. Plaza and
Hon. Virginia M. Getes were re-elected In the May 2007 election, Congressman
as governor and vice governor, respectively. Rodolfo Rodrigo G. Plaza again was
re-elected. This would be his last term. Hon.
On May 14, 2001, Congressman Rodolfo Maria Valentina G. Plaza, the younger sister
Rodrigo G. Plaza won as the province’s of Former Governor Adolph Edward G.
Representative to Congress. Former Valentina Plaza, was elected as governor, and former
G. Plaza did not seek re-election in favor of Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Hon.
her son Adolph Edward G. Plaza, who had a Santiago B. Cane, Jr. ran as vice governor
landslide victory over his opponents. Virginia without an opponent.
M. Getes was re-elected as vice governor.
1.2. Historical Background
Three years later, on May 11, 2004,
Congressman Rodolfo Rodrigo G. Plaza, Agusan literally means “where the water
Governor Edward G. Plaza, andVice Governor ﬂows” after that great river that splits the land
,
Virginia M. Getes were re-elected through a from south to north in a 250 kilometer rush to
landslide victory. the Butuan sea.

19

Agusan’s pre-hispanic cultural history is
traced back to the great influence of the
Majapahit Empire through the discovery of
an eight-inch tall image of a woman in pure
gold at Maasam, Esperanza in the early
1920s and molten jars unearthed at Bahbah,
Prosperidad in the early 1960s. The aborigines
of Agusan were the ancestors of the present-
day Mamanwas who were driven to the
hinterlands by the waves of Malay immigrants
from nearby Borneo, Celebes and Malaysia.
These people, in turn, sought the protection
of the interior jungles because of the forays
and the constant raids of “Moro” pirates. The
“Moros,” being a sea-faring people, conﬁned
20 themselves to the coastal areas where they


started settlements, leaving the forested areas has a total land area of 8,965.50 square
to other native tribes. kilometers and is considered as the fourth
largest province in the country. It comprises
Th e co m i n g o f t h e S p a n i a rd s wa s 47.6 percent of the total land area of the
around the same time as the visit of Rajah Caraga Region. The province is situated below
Siagu, the ruler of Agusan, to his friend the typhoon belt. It has a Type II climate, where
Rajah Humabon of Bohol. Together, they there is no dry season but maximum rain
visited the ruling rajah of an island called period. Locally, theirs is affectionately called
Limasawa where a fleet of Spanish galleons the “wet and very wet” season.
commanded by a Portuguese navigator
named “Feranao Magalhao” (Fernando 3. Population and Social
Magallanes in Spanish) has just dropped Environment
anchor. Expressing fervent hospitality
characteristic of the Filipino natives, Rajah 3.1. Demography
Siagu invited Magalhao to visit his place.
On Easter Sunday, April 8, 1521, the first Based on the 2007 Census, the province
mass in Agusan - and for that matter, in the has a total population of 609,447, which is the
Philippines - was celebrated in what is now highest among the provinces in CARAGA. The
called Magallanes (formerly Masao). population is projected to reach 691,211 in
2017. It has a growth rate of 1.19 percent and
Agusan took up arms against Spain during a population density of 68 persons per square
the revolution of 1898. After the signing of kilometer. The urban population comprises 27
the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898, the percent of the total, while rural population is 73
Americans took over the civil government. percent. The population of indigenous people
Under the Americans, the dream of indepen- is 33 percent of the total population based on
dence and self-government continued the 2005 CBMS data. Children comprise half
to haunt the Filipinos, and Agusan was of the total population.
again actively campaigning to drive
away the conquerors---this time, against 3.2. Social
Americans. Bolos and spears were no
match to the Americans’ powerful guns Th e C r u d e B i r t h Ra te ( C B R ) o f t h e
and in January 1900, Agusan yielded. The province has been fluctuating from 2003
peaceful road toward self-government to 2007. The CBR in 2007 is 21.9 percent
fo l l owe d , c u t s h o r t by t h e Ja p a n e s e per 1,000 population. The incidence of
occupation in December 1941. Liberation death in the province is not alarming. The
came in 1946. Crude Death Rate in 2007 is only 1.84
percent. The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
2. Geo-Physical Environment per 1,000 live births is only 4.2 percent
and has decreased in the past five years.
The province is located in North Eastern While the under-five Mortality Rate per
Mindanao. It is a landlocked area with an 1,000 children aged 0-4 years old is only
elongated basin formation, and with mountain 1.14 percent, the Maternal Mortality Rate
ranges in the eastern and western sides. It is 0.89 percent and has also dropped
21

in the past five years because of the The education indicators of the province
maternal care and services provided. show an increasing trend during the two
Th e h e a l t h p ro g ra m o n fe e d i n g o f school years 2004-2005 and 2006-2007.
malnourished children has greatly contrib- For SY 2006-2007, note the 33 percent
uted to lowering the incidence of malnutri- enrolment under the Early Childhood Care
tion in the province. The 2007 prevalence and Development Program for aged 3-5 years
rate of malnutrition among children aged old children. The participation rate in elemen-
0-5 years old in the province dipped to tary is 74.95 percent; that in the secondary
16.46 percent from 24.44 percent in 2003. school is 44.14 percent. The achievement rate
Another health program of the province is in the elementary level is 69.49 percent while
the immunization activity, which hit 91.25 it is 55.93 percent in the secondary schools.
percent immunized children in 2007. The drop-out rate has been decreasing at both
the elementary and secondary levels, bringing
Programs such as providing access to safe about a positive impact to the province. The
drinking water and access to sanitary toilet drop-out rate in the elementary and secondary
facility also helped improve the health condition schools for SY 2006-2007 is 5.93 percent and
of the populace. The number of households 17.57 percent, respectively.
served with potable water rose from 73 percent
in 2005 to 77 percent in 2007. However, there Agusan’s social infrastructure support
are still municipalities with less access to potable includes five public hospitals, two private
water such as Loreto, La Paz, and Veruela. On hospitals, 14 rural health units, 132 barangay
the other hand, there is a remarkable improve- health stations, 203 day care centers; 3,092
ment in the access to sanitary toilet (from 72.53% classrooms in elementary schools and 1,736
in 2004 to 76% in 2007). rooms in secondary schools.

22

Figure 3. Agusan del Sur Growth Diamond
The Human Development Index (HDI) of the
province has also improved. In 2003, the HDI
stood at only 0.494, making the province hit the
69th rank among the provinces in the country.
In 2006, the HDI has increased to 0.556,
bringing the province to the 57th rank. Based
on NSCB data, the poverty incidence in 2006
is 48.7 and the poverty threshold is P14,544.
There is a disparity in the data at the regional
level because, as cited by Ms. Corazon T.
Urquico of UNDP, there are stark inequalities
between provinces in a region, municipalities
in a province, and barangays in a municipality
in terms of poverty incidence. As 2005 CBMS
data show, the highest incidence of poverty
in the province is in river towns such as San
Luis, Loreto, and La Paz. These municipalities
also show low school participation of children
6-16 years old. Only about 74.95 percent of respectively. The municipality of Trento tops the
the proportion of children aged 6-12 years old list as producer of rice in the province. Other
are enrolled in elementary schools, while only common crops produced in the province are
44.14 percent are in secondary schools. Some coconut, oil palm, and banana, while the
factors that contribute to these are the poor major forest products are falcata, mahogany,
road conditions and less access to schools gmelina, rattan, and agsam. The province is
especially for those who live in far-flung also rich in mineral resources such as gold,
barangays (villages). silver, and copper.

4. Local Economy For a more focused economic develop-
ment, the provincial government identi-
Because agricultural land comprises 46 fied the growth centers. These identi-
percent of the province’s total land area, the fied growth centers or municipalities,
people’s major economic activity is farming. when connected, will form a diamond
Agricultural land with a 0-18 percent slope is (Figure 3), which is called the “growth
suitable for inland ﬁsh, crops, and livestock. diamond” Recently, these growth centers
.
About 21 percent of the land has a slope of have also been called the Convergence
19-30 percent and is therefore suitable for Development Area (CDA), wherein each
agroforestry. CDA is composed of municipalities and
has its own functional roles.
Based on the 2005 CBMS, 63 percent of
households are engaged in crop farming The four growth centers are Bayugan, San
and gardening. Rice and corn are the major Francisco, Trento, and Talacogon. They have
crops produced. In 2007, they covered a land one corn processing plant; two palm oil
area of 29,551 hectares and 27,232 hectares, mills; one banana chip processor; one kaong
23

processing center; and nine wood processing growth centers, their households then have
plants, rattan semi-processing center, and more opportunities for employment. Other
goldsmiths. municipalities, such as San Luis, have a high
Bayugan City, the only component city of the employment rate but their poverty incidence
province, belongs to CDA 1. It assumes the role of is likewise high.
processing zone and is the major producer of rice,
corn, vegetables, coconut, fruits, and ﬂowers. San Tourism activities in the province include
Francisco is considered the primary commercial bird watching; boating and lake hopping in
center and service of the province and belongs Agusan Marsh; river cruising in Gibong River;
to CDA 2. On the other hand,Trento would serve mountain trekking at Mt. Diwata; spelunking
as the food production zone and the commercial, in Puting Buhangin and waterfalls; discovering
industrial, and service center, and belongs to the cultural heritage of the Higaonon Tribe in
CDA 3. Talacogon, which is under CDA 4, has Esperanza; and organic farming in Esperanza
managed to become the wood processing center and Trento. The province also has tourism
of the province. potentials in such activities as kayaking in
the Agusan Marsh; canopy walking at Mt.
The province has an employment rate of Diwata; and spelunking in Lucac Caves.
85.5 percent, according to the 2005 CBMS
study. Veruela and San Luis have the highest The province’s ﬁnancing institutions include
employment rate among the municipalities two government banks, two commercial
at 92 percent, followed by Talacogon at banks, and 33 rural banks. Rural banks serve
90 percent, and Bayugan at 89 percent. as lending institutions to the poor farmers in
Because both Talacogon and Bayugan are the province.

24

Technology is the main thrust of the present
5. Infrastructure/Utilities/Facilities
administration under the leadership of
Honorable Governor Maria Valentina G.
The province has 188 units of bridges in
Plaza. In fact, the province has an ICT
different barangays and municipalities. It
scholar who graduated in Australia under
has a total road length of 3,361 kilometers,
the Philippine-Australia Human Resource
of which 638.320 kilometers are provincial
Development Facility (PAHRDF) Program. The
roads. There are 12,000 hectares irrigated
newly developed system of CBMS is part of
out of 48,000 hectares irrigable area.
this development plan.
The company TRANSCO is the source of
electricity of the province, while ASELCO is
There are several employees who were
in-charge of the power distribution through-
trained on database management under the
out the province via its three substations in
PAHRDF short-term training program. As a
Bayugan, San Francisco, and Trento that
result, several databases were established
transmit a total of 20 MVA. Based on 2007
such as System Information of the Provincial
data, 95 percent of the barangays already
Agriculture Ofﬁce (SIOPAO), Socio-Economic
receive electricity while 65 percent have
Development Information System (SEDIS), and
been served with potable water.
Environment and Natural Resources Database
(ENRDB). PGAS has also maintained several
6. Local Institutional Capacity
systems such as Financial Management
Information System (FMIS), Real Property Tax
Agusan del Sur is a first-class province
Information System (RPTIS), and Personnel
with a total income of PhP729 million in 2007
Management Information System (PMIS).
(Provincial Accounting Ofﬁce, Agusan Del Sur).
It had a total Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA)
Another program in partnership with
of PhP652 million in 2007. The total number of
PAHRDF is the creation of a pool of trainers
PGAS employees for the same year was 1,859,
who will be responsible for in-house trainings.
broken down into 882 permanent staff, 454
It has already conducted several trainings such
casual employees, and 523 job orders.
as Dare2Serve, Understanding PGAS, and
Get Your Message Across.
The Provincial Government of Agusan
del Sur has eight development agenda:
The province had conducted a strategic
Peace and Order; Economic Development;
planning session in preparation for the
Health and Sanitation; Education and Sports
re-organization. Likewise, the Sangguniang
Development; Social, Cultural and Tourism
Panlalawigan members have passed
Development; Moral and Spiritual Renewal;
Ordinance No. 39-2009, the guideline
Ecological and Environment Protection; and
pertaining to its re-organization that started
Information, and Communication Technology
in June 2009.
(ICT). Information, and Communication

25

Part 2.
Status Report
on the Millennium
Development Goals

Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme
Poverty and Hunger
Target 1.A: Halve between 1990 and The ﬁrst aim of the MDG is to eradicate
2015, the proportion of people whose extreme poverty and hunger. There are six
income is less than one dollar a day. CBMS indicators used as correspondence
to MDG indicators of poverty. These are
A. Status and Trends proportion of population with income below
poverty threshold, poverty gap, proportion of
26
26
Proviince f Agusan Del Sur
Province of Agusan Dell Sur Status Report on the Millennium Development Goals Using CBMS Data

Table 2. Proportion and Magnitude of Households/Population Living Below Poverty were suffering from poverty. The
Threshold, by Municipality, by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2006 poverty gap of the province is
estimated to be 33.3 percent. This
implies that the province has high
mean shortfall from the poverty
line.

In contrast, the employment
rate of the province is a high
85.9 percent but poverty is
high, too. This is because the
people are engaged mostly in
agricultural activities that are
seasonal in nature. Moreover,
most of the populace is
working as farm laborer on
a per-day basis and earn low
income.

There are nine municipalities
with higher poverty incidence
compared to the provincial ﬁgure
of 69.4 percent. These are San
Luis, Loreto, La Paz, Sibagat,
Esperanza, Sta. Josefa, Veruela,
Talacogon and Rosario.

San Luis has the highest
incidence of poverty among its
population, followed by Loreto
and La Paz. These municipalities
are classiﬁed as river towns with
poor road conditions. Economic
population who experienced food shortage, activities are dependent on forest and farm
employment rate, and prevalence of products, and the populace has less opportu-
underweight children less than 5 years of age. nity for employment. Loreto comes in second
in terms of poverty incidence because its
Proportion of Population Living households’ main source of income is small-
Below Poverty Threshold scale farming that is rain fed. Moreover, Loreto
has inaccessible farm-to-market roads.
Based on the 2005 CBMS data, the
province’s poverty incidence is, 69.4 percent The households of La Paz are also engaged
of the population or a total of 384,409 people in small-scale farming with limited accessibility.
27

Figure 4. Proportion of Population Below Poverty Threshold, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005 On the other hand, Figure 4
shows that rural areas always
have high poverty incidence than
urban areas in all municipalities
of the province. La Paz has the
highest poverty incidence among
the urban areas, followed by
Rosario and Esperanza. Among
the rural areas, San Luis has
the highest poverty incidence,
followed by Loreto and Sibagat.

Proportion of Households/Population
Living Below Food Threshold

There remains nine munici-
palities with higher proportion
of population whose income is
below the food threshold when
compared to the provincial ﬁgure
of 54.6 percent. These are San
Luis, Loreto, La Paz, Sibagat,
Sta. Josefa, Esperanza, Rosario,
Figure 5. Proportion of Population Below Food Threshold, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005 Talacogon, and Veruela.

San Luis registered the highest
proportion of population with
income below the food threshold.
This is followed by Loreto and La
Paz. Most households in La Paz
have low income, which is not
enough to meet their basic needs,
especially food. This is because
they can hardly market their farm
products due to either poor road
condition or no existing roads.
Consequently, they are forced
to sell their products at lower
prices because the buyers experi-
ence difﬁculty in transporting their
products to urban areas.

28

Table 4. Poverty Gap Ratio

On the other hand, San Francisco has the
lowest proportion among the municipalities
considering that it is one of the growth centers
in the province. Business establishments
such as internet café, hotels and groceries,
government and private banks are present in
the municipality.

Poverty Gap Ratio

Poverty gap is the mean shortfall of popula-
tion from the poverty line, which relates with
the poverty incidence. San Luis and Loreto
continue to have the highest poverty gap of
0.5. San Francisco ranks the lowest in terms
of poverty gap. This implies that the depth of
poverty in San Francisco is lesser compared
to other municipalities.

Source: CBMS Survey 2005
29

Figure 6. Poverty Gap by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005 What’s more, poverty gap
measures the capita amount of
resources needed to eliminate
or reduce the poor’s shortfall
from the poverty line to zero,
through perfectly targeted cash
transfers. In Table 4, the poverty
gap per-capita is reflected by
municipality. In terms of income
gap per-capita per year (Table
2.), San Luis again ranks the
highest at PhP8,616.90. This is
followed by Loreto and La Paz with
PhP8,155.50 and PhP7,401.80,
respectively.

The lowest is in San Francisco
with PhP5,682.60. As a growth
center, the municipality boasts
of commercial and industrial
establishments.

Figure 7. Employment Rate, by Municipality, Agusan del Sur, 2005 Target 1.B: Achieve full and
productive employment and
decent work for all, including
women and young people

Employment Rate
There are six municipalities with
employment rates lower than the
provincial ﬁgure of 85.5 percent.
These are La Paz, Prosperidad,
Loreto, Bunawan, Esperanza,
and Sta. Josefa.

Veruela has the highest employ-
ment rate, followed by San Luis
and Talacogon. Veruela tops other
municipalities in terms of employ-
ment rate because 83 percent
of the households are engaged
in crop farming and gardening.
Most of the populace engages
30

Table 5. Employment Rate, by Municipality, by Sex and by Urban/Rural, Agusan del Sur, 2006

in seasonal activities such as planting and On the other hand, La Paz has the lowest
harvesting of palay. employment rate considering that it has no
business establishments and less economic
It is ironical that San Luis ranks second activity is done because of poor road
in terms of employment rate, but still has condition. The poor households in far-flung
the highest poverty incidence among the barangays are difficult to reach.
municipalities. It has a high employment
rate because 34 percent of the households Proportion of Households/Population
are engaged in forestry (it ranks second Who Experienced Food Shortage
in forestry among the 14 municipalities).
However, poverty remains a main problem There are five municipalities with higher
because its people are dependent on forest proportion of population who experienced
products (at the time of the conduct of this food shortage compared to the provincial
survey, it was harvest time for timber) and figure of 14 percent. These are Veruela,
are less engaged in crop farming. Also, the Esperanza, La Paz, Loreto, and Sibagat.
poor have less job opportunities due to lack
of education. These can be employed as Veruela has the highest proportion of
seasonal laborers, but only at a very low population who experience food shortage,
rate. Based on the 2005 CBMS study, 83 followed by Esperanza and La Paz. Veruela
percent of the total households in Veruela has the highest figure because its residents
are engaged in crop farming. Moreover, only consider rice or corn---not root crops such
most of the people are working as laborers as sweet potato “camote” and banana---as
in the farm, and in forestry. full meals. La Paz experiences food shortage

31

Figure 8. Proportion of Households/Population Who Experienced Food Shortage because its populace’s
average family size
of six members per
household is higher
than other municipali-
ties’ ﬁve members.

Prevalence of Under-
weight Children
Under 5 Years of Age

Subsistence
incidence (or popula-
tion living below food
threshold) in 2005
was placed at 54.60
percent., Roughly,
about 49 out of

32

every 100 households in the Figure 9. Prevalence of Underweight Children Under 5 Years of Age
province are considered as
core poor in 2005. This means
that the per capita annual
incomes of these households
are not sufﬁcient to buy their
basic food requirements
hence it is not surprising that
14 percent of population
experienced food shortage.

The prevalence of
underweight children under
ﬁve years old is estimated at
5.8 percent for the province.
Moreover, the incidence of
underweight children among
girls is higher than boys in
the province. Although the
incidence of malnutrition is
low as this is being addressed
33

children aged 0-5 years old. This is
followed by Trento and San Francisco.
La Paz also has the highest number
of underweight children based on the
Provincial Health Office data in 2006,
followed by Loreto and San Luis. The
reason for in La Paz’s high prevalence
rate of malnutrition is because
malnourished children, especially
those in far-flung barangays, are
not monitored properly. Moreover,
the poverty incidence among those
in rural areas is high, which greatly
contributes to the high prevalence of
malnutrition.

B. Current Policies and Programs

The province has implemented
Daing making is the main source of livelihood for the poor households various strategies and programs to
uplift the standard of living of the
poorest households such as giving
by the active barangay nutrition program, basic social services to those household
where scholars are given a modest honorar- whose monthly income is PhP3,500 and
ium and constantly monitored by the health below; providing livelihood project under the
personnel, the province remains steadfast on Diversified Farming System (DFS), a locally-
its aim to reduce the number to zero.. funded program for households with a monthly
income of PhP3,500 to PhP6,500. The DFS
Trainings on backyard gardening, nutrition targets 26,653 households until 2015 and will
and nutritious food preparation were conduct- cost a total of PhP1.27 billion.San Luis has the
ed in the barangay with assistance from the highest poverty incidence among the munici-
Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation- palities despite the various programs already
Integrated Development Center, Inc. and in in place: The Mindanao Rural Development
partnership with the provincial, municipal and Program (MRDP), Convergence Development
barangay officials. Program, and Diversified Farming System,
to name three. This plight persists because
There are six municipalities with higher prevalence the programs were found to not reach the
of malnutrition than the provincial figure of 5.8 poorest households in far-flung barangays
percent. These are La Paz, Trento, San Francisco, due to the bad road condition. La Paz and
Sibagat, Prosperidad, and Loreto. Loreto also have high poverty incidences but
these municipalities are not recipients of MRDP
Based on the 2005 CBMS data, La Paz has and Convergence Development Programs.
the highest prevalence rate of underweight In fact, fewer projects are poured into these
34

and corn production with corn sheller in
San Nicolas, Talacogon.

The Northern Mindanao Community
Initiatives and Resources Management Project
(NMCIREMP) is another poverty alleviation
project with an infrastructure component. The
loan assistance is provided by the International
Fund for Agricultural Development. The goal of
NMCIREMP is to reduce the vulnerability and
to enhance food security of agrarian reform
beneficiaries, upland farmers, fisher folks, and
municipalities although they had just been indigenous people.
included in the Diversified Farming System
Project. The Support to Emergency for Livelihood
Assistance Program (SELAP) under the
The province has also implemented the Department of Agriculture is a poverty
Philippine-Australia Community Assistance alleviation program with a total cost of PhP13
Program (PACAP) and its PhP78 million million, of which PhP9 million is allocated for
budget from 2005 to 2010. The program is livelihood projects and PhP4 million goes to
a poverty alleviation project with small infra infrastructure projects. Other Department
implemented through nongovernmental of Agriculture -funded programs are the
organizations of the Agusan Focus Community Boosted Utilization of Grains in Agusan del
Assistance Program (FOCAS). This project is Sur (BUGAS), Program on Utilization of
funded by the AUSAID. Trees in Agusan del Sur (PRUTAS), Integrated
Sustainable Development of Aquaculture
The MRDP is a program funded by the (ISDA), Baka Alang sa Kalamboan sa
World Bank. Adaptable Program Loan Agusan del Sur (BAKAS), and Agricultural
1 (APL 1) projects were implemented in Enhancement for Growth and Productivity
2000-2006, and APL 2 were implemented (AEGP). The assistance came in the form of
in 2007 up until 2012. It includes infrastruc- seed and fertilizer inputs, which boosted the
ture projects and the Community Fund surplus production of clean rice at 87,809
for Agricultural Development (CFAD), metric tons in 2008; packets of farm equipment
which provides livelihood projects to such as rice thresher, power tiller with engine.
small farmers. One project under the The province provided its counterpart funding
MRDP APL 1 that has been sustained is for these projects.
the cattle raising program in Cecilia, San
Luis. Projects that were sustained under As one of the poorest provinces and conflict
APL 2 were the vegetable production with areas, Agusan del Sur is also a recipient of
a marketing facility in Awao, Sta. Josefa; KALAHI Projects. As of 2009, a total of 30
corn production with draft animals in projects were implemented and undertaken by
Aurora, Sta. Josefa; post-harvest facilities the Engineering Brigade of the Philippine Army
with draft animals in Marbon, Talacogon; with a total project cost of PhP61.2 million.
35

services such as hospitals, schools, recreation
services. Most of all, the project will facilitate
the transport of agricultural crops and other
economic activities.

Another program that contributed to the
development of the province is the Mindanao
Settlement and Sustainable Area Development
(MINSSAD), which has constructed and
improved 163.64 kilometers of farm-to-market
roads amounting to PhP335 million, installed
396 units of shallow tube wells or STW irriga-
tion projects amounting to PhP70.60 million,
and constructed the Veruela Jumbo Bridge and
eight other bridges located in Prosperidad,
Projects include: Rehabilitation of roads and San Francisco, San Luis, and Talacogon in
bridges, construction/improvement of water the amount of PhP58.20 million. This program
system, construction of day care centers, and has been implemented by the Provincial
school buildings, and electrification. These Government of Agusan del Sur under the
are all based on the priority needs of the Provincial Engineering Office, together with
community. Other related projects are the the Department of Agrarian Reform and
KALAHI CIDDS, which is being implemented Department of Public Works and Highways.
by the DSWD regional office; and the KALAHI
GEM. There is an ongoing concreting of the 14,897
kilometers of NRJ Awa-Los Arcos-Lianga Road
The province, in partnership with the (connecting Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur and
Department of Agriculture and the National Lianga, Surigao del Sur), which has started
Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR), on March 7, 2009 and costs PhP396.914
established the Corn Post-Harvest Processing million. Another is the completion of the 20
and Trading Center in Pagkain ng Bayan, kilometers of Hawilian-Salug-Sinakungan
Mabuhay, Bayugan in 2009 and is expected Road of Esperanza at a total project cost of
to process production from 1,000 hectares PhP90 million.
per cropping. This will help solve the problem
on the very low buying corn price offered by The province has been continuously
private traders, and will encourage farmers implementing nutrition programs such as
to produce more, thereby increasing their feeding of malnourished children, extensive
income, and uplift their living condition. promotion of exclusive breastfeeding up to
six months, health and nutrition information
On the infrastructure side, the Tulay ng education campaign, growth monitoring and
Pangulo Project has helped ease the residents’ development of under five children; referral
access paths from the barangay to munici- of malnourished children to Nutri-hut Village,
palities and to other provinces and allowed Operation Timbang using the International
them to avail these other places’ social Reference Standard (IRS), micronutrient
36

supplementation such as iron to pregnant with the assistance from the local government
women and vitamin A to 6-71 months units (LGUs).
children, deworming of pre-schoolers
(1-6 years old), and promotion of iodized The province should also support economic
salt. These greatly contributed to lower enterprises to increase employment and job
prevalence of underweight children aged opportunities for the people.
0-4 years old in the province. There are 191
health and nutrition posts established by 2. Construction of farm-to-market roads and
the community. Parents/caregivers avail the other infra support facilities
comprehensive health and nutrition services To further increase economic activities
from trained health workers such as the within the municipality as well as the province,
barangay heath workers and the barangay Agusan del Sur should prioritize the develop-
nutrition scholars. ment of farm-to-market roads, especially in
far-ﬂung barangays. Agricultural production
C. Challenges / Priorities/Recommendations facilities and capital, including markets, should
be provided to boost agricultural production,
1. Identifying the poorest households and including continuous education to farmers.
provide basic social services and livelihood
opportunities 3. Provision of health and sanitation programs
The top three municipalities with high The province should continue to implement
poverty incidence should be given intervention feeding programs among malnourished
programs such as livelihood projects for poor children to solve the prevalence of underweight
households. Moreover, road maintenance and children.
development projects should be prioritized in
these areas so as to improve access and to On health and sanitation, LGUs should
reach the poor households. prioritize the construction of toilet facilities for
about 30 percent of total households with no
Based on the poverty gap study, the poor access to sanitary toilets. This will help solve
populace of San Luis should be given cash the problem on the spread of schistoso-
transfers worth a total of P36.4 million, while miasis, which has been affecting low-income
Loreto needs P38.0 million; and La Paz, P22.8 communities in Agusan del Sur.
million. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program (4Ps) should focus on these areas Target 2.A: Ensure that, by 2015,

37

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