I

LT- 4
CHMMP

.,,,.
c:~;:t~11.r0-:Jt~·

' ,,

..
"~

'h ' •
' '\

ti~1t,
\

: . .z~
, ., "': >--'Ii
. . • • •!'•"

~;~ft'
 CONTENTS

Acknowledgement
Executive Summary

I. Introduction ..................................................................................... 1-3

A. Objectives
8. Methodology
C. Sc~pe and Limitations
II. Situation~! Background ..................................................................3-8
A. Locale of the
8. N~tural Resources
C. Demography
D. Ecbnomy
E. Specific Area of the Study
Ill. PESTEL Analysis ................................................................................8-26
A. Political and Legal Situation
I. The use of municipal waters
II. The registration and use of color-coding Banca
Ill. Closed season and closed areas
IV. Registration, License, Permit and Operation
V. Penalties and Imprisonment
B. En'vironmental Situation
I. Seagrass
II. Mangroves
Ill. Environmental Protection
IV. Climate change and its effect
V. Project related to Environment
C. Socio-Economic Situation
I. Housing
11. Health
Ill. Education
IV. Employment
V. Economic
D. Technological Factors
I
Ill. SWOT An~lysis ..............................................................................26-30
A. Strengths
8. Weaknesses
'
C. O~portunities
D. T~reats
IV. Stakehol4er Analysis ..................................................................... 30-31
V. Conclusions and Recomrriendations ...........................................31-35
Annexure
Referenc,es
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Learni_ng Team 4: CHAAMP extends its deepest and warmest gratitude and appreciation to
the following people who significantly contributed to the success of this Rapid Area Assessment
Report:

Prof Emmanuel A. Leyco and AIM Faculty, for preparing us with the formalities and
requirements;

The local Government of Narra, Palawan, especially Hon. Lucena D. Demaala, Mayor; Mr.
Renaldo D. Fellizar, Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator; Mr. Antonio
A. Gammad, Municipal Agriculturist; and Mr. Noli Dieron, Municipal Aquaculturist, for the
technical expertise and assistance;

The Punong Barangays Hon. Ferdinand Zaballa, Brgy. Panacan; Hon. Reynaldo B. Dela
Rosa, Brgy. Panacan 2; Hon. Allan G. Arevalo Brgy. Burirao; Hon. Alonzo S.
Eleazar, Brgy. Aramaywan; and Hon. Julie A. Burlaos, Brgy. Calategas, for their time and effort;
All the focused group discussion participants and Association Presidents who were very
supportive and provided the team access to the crab potting and seaweeds farming;

The Vicariate of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, most especially Rev. Fr. Juan Felipe Torrecampo, St.
Joseph the Husband of Mary Parish; Rev. Fr. Arthur Alban Parochial Vicar, St. Joseph the
Husband of Mary Parish; Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Dormile, Sta. Cecilia Parish; Rev. Fr.
Anthony Almadrones, San Miguel Arkanghel Parish; Rev. Fr. Flor Manlongat, St. Ezekiel Moreno
Parish; Rev. Fr. Pepito Rollo, Immaculate Conception Cathedral; and Rev. Fr. Aristotle Aban, St.
Therese of the Child Jesus Parish, for their generosity and warm accommodation; and

Lt. Col Darwin Deluna, Commanding Officer of Marine Battalion LT 4, Brgy. Abo-
Abo, Sofronio Espanol, Palawan for ensuring the team's safety and security in the area.
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
14
Narra is a first-class municipality in the Province of Palawan. It is composed of 23 barang_aysd
of which are coastal communities. Despite this, fishermen in the municipality have remai~e to
be the poorest of the poor in the society. There is also heavy degradation of the fishery
resources that endangers both the food security and livelihood of the community members.

To address the pressing needs of the coastal communities, there had been several interventions
from the government, private sector, and civil society to mitigate and adapt to the changing
demands of the environment. One of these interventions is the provision of several alternative
livelihood programs from the national government, through the Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources, to these coastal communities.

This Rapid Area Assessment Report aimed at assessing the implementation of national
government projects in the local level. It specifically looked at the four coastal barangays
of Aramaywan, Burirao, Panacan, and Panacan 2 of the municipality of Narra, Palawan as
recipients of alternative livelihood programs particularly the distribution of crab pots and
seaweed farming. This report focused on identifying key factors in integrating multi-stakeholder
project in terms of program implementation for the fisheries sector.

Towards this end, this report has shown that alternative livelihood programs cannot replace
fishing as the primary source of livelihood in the municipality. It is further recommended that
national government adopt approaches that embody consultation, flexibility, selectivity, policy
coordination, information, and monitoring for a more effective project implementation.

'
r

Introduction

1st
The Rapid Area Assessment (RAA) is a culminating learning activity for the term of

the Master in Development Management (MDM) Program at the Asian lnS t itute of

Management. It is an immersion program, an opportunity to integrate the learning frameworks,

principles, and tools gained during the course and apply it to real-world situations.

This year, the thematic focus for the RAA are Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 13 -

Climate Action; 14 - Life below Water; and 15 - Life on Land. On this account, the Learning

Team (LT) 4 - CHAAMP focused on the effectiveness of the two alternative livelihood programs

provided by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to the municipality of Narra,

Palawan.

A. Objectives

The main objective of the study is to assess the implementation of the two alternative

livelihood programs provided by BFAR - (1) the distribution of crab pots and (2) seaweeds

farming - in Panacan, Panacan 2, Burirao and Aramaywan in Narra, Palawan from the time

of implementation in 2016 to the current.

It specifically assessed the key factors in integrating multi-stakeholder project in terms of

program implementation for the fisheries sector by discovering:

r. How do these livelihood projects impact the nature and lives of the people in

coastal communities?

II. What are the development challenges posed by the implementation of these

projects?
111. What is the municipal government's role in these projects and how do they

address the development challenges in the area?

1
8. Methodology

Initial data gathering was mainly done through advanced Google search

engines. Secondary data on the industry, existing challenges, alternative livelihood for

coastal areas particularly for the municipality of Narra in Palawan followed. Information

gathered helped in the selection of sites for the purpose of the RAA.

An advance letter of intent was sent to the municipal government of Narra addressed to
the Mayor to secure an appointment. Alongside this, prior arrangements for meetings and

engagements with selected barangay leaders were made through representatives.

On the actual site visit, the LT paid courtesy to the Mayor to brief her on the purpose of the
study and request permission for access to data about the municipality and its projects.

Primary data was gathered through a series of interviews with the Municipal Planning and

Development Officer, Municipal Agriculture Officer, Aquaculture Technician, and other key
informants.

Five days in the area were spent on focused group discussions with the community
fisherfolks and the office of the Barangay Captains of Panacan, Panacan 2, Burirao,
and Aramaywan. Each focused group discussion was followed by a site visit as assisted by
the cooperative representatives.

The 6th day was spent for synthesis and data analysis using SWOT, PESTEL, and Stakeholder

analysis tools.

Lastly, RAA was concluded with an expression of appreciation to the different units in the

municipality with the assurance of providing a copy of the report after presentation.

2
 \
C. Scope and Limitations

th
The municipality of NARRA is the Agri-Business and Eco-Tourism center of sou ern
·
Palawan. It is known as "Rice Granary of Palawan". However, for the purpose Of h' RAA '
t is

the local implementation of national government projects, through BFAR, particularly on

the distribution of crab pots and seaweed farming was the main focus of this report.

Given the limited time to conduct an extensive assessment, the LT gathered primary data

from interviews, focus group discussions and direct observations only four out of 23

municipalities and conducted secondary research from online sources and official

municipal documents. However, some data are either not available or those available are

not updated at the time of immersion. •

I. Situational Background
A. Locale of the Study
Narra is a first-class municipality in the southern part of Palawan. It was formally created as

a municipality on June 20, 1969 through Republic Act 5642. It is situated between 9°05'

north latitude and 118°30' east longitude. {See Annex 1) The place is 96 kilometers away

from the City of Puerto Princesa.

Narra has a total land area of 83,229.83 hectares. Included in the territorial jurisdiction of

Narra are 9 islands; namely, Arena, Rasa, Emelina, Linda, Gitana, Bengawan, Banking, Jorge,

and Cudil.

Narra is composed of 23 barangays, fourteen of which are coastal communities. The

remaining barangays are mostly agricultural lands (See Annex 2).

WL
B. Natural Resources

A total of 2552.94 hectares has been identified for mineral resources extraction which

represents 3.07% of the total land area of Narra. At present, three mining companies have

permits to mine a portion of its mountain range covering nearly 500 hectares.

Narra is also endowed with several big rivers that serve as sources of water for household

consumption and farm irrigation.

Mangrove forests covering 1,485.48 hectares are found

in Brgys. Tinagong Dagat, Taritien, Caguisan, Aramaywan, Tacras, Burirao, Malatgao, and B

atang-batang.

The beaches in Brgys. Taritien, Antipuluan and Caguisan form part of the municipal tourism

industry. There are modest resorts operating in these places.

There are river sand and gravel quarrying along rivers within the barangays of Aramaywan,

Calategas, Teresa, Batang-Batang, Princess Urduja, Malatgao, Tinagong Dagat, Estrella

Village and Malinao.

The forest cover of Narra is approximately 60,000 hectares of which 1,551.54 hectares are

permanent settlement of the indigenous peoples.

C. Demography

Based from the 2018 municipal survey, Narra has a total population of 81,179 with 21,039

families and 18,348 households (See Annex 3) . The average family size is composed of four
members. The current population density is approximately one person per hectare.

4
 \
. • f 96 753 based on the
It is projected that by the year 2019, Narra will have a popu 1at1on o ,

2010 growth rate of 3.19.

Majority of the residents are Catholic {80%), followed by Iglesia ni Cristo (10%), BaptiSt

{5%), and Seventh Day Adventist (2%). The rest of the population belong to Iglesia Filipina

lndependiente, Islam, Methodist, and other religious sects.

Tagalog-speaking people comprise the majority of the population (65%), followed

by Hiligaynons {13%), llocanos {10%) and Cuyunons (5%). The rest

are Cebuanos, Cagayanens, Bicolanos, and others.

Being an agricultural municipality, majority of the population are farmers and farm workers

(52%). Self-employed comprises 17% of the population, followed by fisherfolk (16%), and
laborers and construction workers (8%). The rest of the population are either government
employees or private employees.

According to the latest available data, the population of five years old and over has a
literacy rate of 97.21%.

D. Economy

In 2018, Narra has a total revenue of P 334,151,793 .67. A large portion of the annual

revenue comes from the Internal Revenue Allotment (78.29%). Real Property Tax and other
local taxes account for 9.58% of the total revenue. The rest came from non-tax revenue
(10.25%), share from national tax (0.82%), government subsidy and other funds (1.06%).

5
The average annual family income is p 82,308.27. At P 18,290.72 monthly poverty

threshold, almost 60% or 8,540 households are considered poor.

E. Specific Area of the Study

The group chose to assess the government interventions among fisherfolks in

barangays Aramaywan, Burirao, Panacan, and Panacan 2 (See Annex 4). In each of

the aforementioned barangay, focused group discussion was separately held between

barangay officials and the fisherfolks. The barangay officials invited the fisherfolks who

participated in the focused group discussions.

i. Barangay Aramaywan

Barangay Aramaywan has a population of 4,655. It has 182 registered fisherfolks.

In 2016, Aramaywan was one of the beneficiaries of the seaweeds farming

project of the local government. Also, some fisherfolks in the area received

bottom set gill nets, hook and lines, motor engine and payao from BFAR IV-8.

In 2017, Aramaywan was once again beneficiary of the BFAR IV-8 bottom set gill

nets. Also, it was one of the two barangays that received crab pots and crab trays

from BFAR IV-B.

In 2018, Aramaywan was one of the two barangays that received another set of
crab trays from BFAR IV-B.

ii. Barangay Burirao

Bgy. Burirao has a total population of 3,123. It has 48 registered fisherfolks.

6
 \
. d bottom set gill nets
In 2016, Burirao was one of the 10 barangays that receive

distributed by BFAR IV-8.

In 2017, Burirao did not receive any project from the government. In lOlB, lO

fisherfolks were beneficiaries of 200 pieces of crab pots.

iii. Barangay Panacan

Bgy. Panacan has a population of 5,074. There are 646 registered fisherfolks in

the area . In 2016, Panacan was also a recipient of bottom set gill nets distributed

by BFAR IV-B. In the same year, some of the fisherfolks were recipients of hook

and lines distributed by BFAR IV-B. Panacan was one of the 8 barangays that

received motor engine. Also, it was in 2016 that the local government introduced

seaweeds farming in Panacan.

In 2017, Panacan was one of the 4 barangays that received payao from BFAR IV-

B. In 2018, Panacan did not received any project from the government.

iv. Barangay Panacan 2

Bgy. Panacan 2 used to be part of Panacan. It has a population of s, 770 with 470

registered fisherfolk number 470. In 2016, Panacan was recipient also of the

seaweeds project initiated by the local government. In the same, some fisherfolk

were beneficiaries also of the bottom set gills nets as well as the hook and lines
distributed by BFAR IV-B.

7
 In 2017, no government project was implemented among the fisherfolk in the

area. In 2018, Panacan received 20 rolls of rope for seaweeds farming from BFAR

IV-8.

II, PESTEL Analysis

A. Political and Legal Situation

The Municipality of Narra, Palawan has been under the governance of

Atty. Clarita D. Demaala, Jr. and Lucena D. Demaala from 1986 to 2019. For the
rd
upcoming 2019 midterm elections, Mrs. Lucena is running for her 3 term as municipal

mayor, like in the 2016 election, unopposed.

During the headship of her husband as the municipal mayor, the incumbent mayor

also served as the Municipal Environment Head in charged with the overall

development and sustainability of the area.

Narra has been awarded with the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) for three
straight years. This award means the municipality is meeting the core area

requirement of governance such as financial administration, disaster preparedness,

social protection and peace and order. The SGLG caters the essential areas in terms of

business friendliness and competitiveness, environmental management and tourism.

The Municipality of Narra crafted and promulgated the special law titled

Implementation of Coastal and Fisheries Resources Management Code of the

Municipality of Narra, Province of Palawan. The following regulations are highlighted

to understand the projects of the national agencies in the coastal community of Narra.

8
 \

i. The use of municipal waters

· reserved exclusively
The utilization of fisheries, aquatic and coastal resources is
. . t' ons and cooperatives.
for municipal residents, registered assoc1at1ons, corpora 1

These individuals or groups are required to use only vessels with three gross

tonnage capacity and non-destructive fishing methods.

ii. The registration and use of color-coding Banca

For efficient administration and effective enforcement of the rules and

regulations, those who are using the municipal waters are required to register

the fishing vessels and should bear appropriate identification and color.

,. iii. Closed season and closed areas

The Municipality of Narra has planned to implement closed season on gathering

or specific species of fishes at specific time and season. Usually, these fall under

breeding, spawning and hatching seasons. This is to preserve its young or fry to

m;:iture. The months covered are based on the study conducted by Western
Philippines University and partner agencies like BFAR, DENR and DA.

There are also areas in the municipality water that are declared as marine

reserve for special and limited use like research, special projects and for
protection, conservation and propagation.

The closed season was pilot tested and evaluation report was not available as of
the time of this RAA report.

k
iv. Registration, License, Permit and Operation

The occupational status of the municipal fisherfolks and fish worker are

considered marginal. Their activities are merely for economic subsistence. All

registered fisherfolks and fish workers are exempted from occupational fee

when applying for registration.

However, on applying for a fishing license, it takes an average of 9 to 10 steps,

spending an average of P2,SOO and PG,000 for the payment of registration fee

and another mandatory tariff to get the license and are paid annually.

The cost average cost for the application excludes opportunity cost for the time
spent registering, travelling costs and other incidental costs to process the

license.

v. Penalties and Imprisonment

Generally, fisherfolks and fish workers are given verbal and written notices
before filing administrative and criminal cases, depending on the magnitude of
the offense. This is to keep all people accountable of their action in respect with
the protection of the costal and fisheries resources.

B. Environmental Situation

In general, Narra Municipality, like other municipalities in Palawan is not prone to natural
disaster such as earthquake and typhoon (the whole province of Palawan has an average of

only two typhoon per year). However, Narra is prone to rain related hazards such as floods
and landslides.

10
 \
i. Seagrass

Seagrass bed is one of the important elements of marine ecosystem Sea grasses

serve as feeding and breeding grounds to varieties of marine organisms. It also

helps in filtering the nutrients and contaminants from water that helps to lessen

the degree of soil particles reaching coral reefs. Recent data indicates that the

quality of seagrass in Narra has deteriorated. Such phenomenon may have

adverse effect to the fish and the corals.

ii. Mangroves

Mangroves play a vital role in coastal communities. It helps reduce the effect of

floods and tidal waves. Also, mangroves protect the shorelines from erosion by
acting as a buffer against wave actions. Mangrove forests serve as breeding
areas for fish. The mangrove forests of Narra is slowly increasing because of

existing rehabilitation projects.

iii. Environmental Protection

The local government of Narra has very limited capability to protect its municipal

waters from illegal fishing activities such as cyanide fishing and dynamite fishing.

Although there are volunteer fishermen who composed the Bantay-Dagat as well

as presence of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) station in the municipality, they

cannot fully implement the pertinent laws and ordinances on fishing because of

limited capability and personnel. Likewise, there is no maritime police in the

municipality that may help in protecting the municipal

waters from illegal activities.

11
 The LGU has worked for the declaration of Rasa Island as National Protected

Area. The island serves as the home for the endangered cockatoos. This

conservation project has earned Narra local and international recognitions.

iv. Climate Change and its effect

Palawan, like any province in the Philippines, is not exempt from the negative

effect of climate change. Being an island province, it will be greatly affected by

the projected rise of sea level.

In addition, Palawan ranks number 2 among 20 provinces that are vulnerable to

sea level rise. This made Narra more vulnerable to flooding and landslides.

Based on the focused group discussion with the barangay officials and fisher
folks of coastal barangays in Narra, extreme heat was affecting their livelihood.

Fishermen noticed the significant decrease in the volume of fish catch within the

municipal water. They believed that extreme heat caused fishes to move
to deeper and colder water.

Table 1. MUNICIPAL FISHERIES PRODUCTION

YEAR Production (Kg.) (%) Increase/Decrease

2019 As of March 11,040 --
2018 73,699.40 (31)

2017 107,257.65 --

This phenomenon posed a greater challenge for the fishermen because their

fishing boats were not designed and equipped to sail on deeper waters.

12
 Also, under extreme heat, the seaweeds (agar-agar ) wer
e susceptible to what
\
the fisherfolks called "ice-ice" disease.

v. Project Related to Environment

The local government of Narra is trying its best to protect and conserve the

environment. One of the notable projects of the local government is the

rehabilitation of the mangrove are.as in Barangay Dumangueiia (See Annex
4). The local government, some NGOs and fishermen replanted the 13-hectare

mangrove area which is now declared by the local government as protected

area. To support the fisherfolks who are taking care of the mangrove area, a
crab-fattening project was launched by the Rotary Club of Narra in coordination

with the local government.

C. Socio-Economic Situation

i. Housing

While there is an increasing trend in the number of households along with the

number of household population by 44% and 53% respectively from 1990 to

2018, there is also a correspondir:ig increase of 44% in the number of housing
units in the same period. The number of household units when compared to the

number of households are greater by 140 units {18,140 HU less 18,000 HH)
with a ratio of 1:1 for the number of households as to the number of occupied
housing units.

The ratio remained constant at 1:1 for the past 4 decades since 1990 to 2018. In

2018, only 0.2% of the total 18,140 housing units are vacant compared to 0.7%

13
 vacant out of the total 7,935 housing units in 1990. For the ratio of household

population to the occupied housing units, a decrease by 1 unit is noted from 5:1

in 1990 to 4:1 in 2018.

Housing Facilities and Utilities Situation

The 2018 data on housing facilities and utilities are still under process, hence,

only the 2016 data is reflected in this report.

For housing utilities, 74% (11,499) of the total number of households have water

supply while 52.75% (8,199) are powered by electricity. The housing

facilities/utilities related to sanitation, 62.27% (9,679) of the households have

water-sealed toilets while 2.45% (536) have established garbage collection

system.

According to the barangay captains in Panacan and Panacan 2, the cost of basic

commodities (e.g cost of gasoline is higher compared to Manila, PhP 54.92 per
liter vs PhP 52.04 per liter) and utilities (e.g. electricity) in Palawan are generally

higher compared to Manila. Frequent power interruptions are experienced in

most of the barangays. The high cost of electricity discourages manufacturing

industry in the municipality.

II. Health

The general health situation in the municipality have significantly improved in

terms of all age mortality and infant mortality. Based on the municipality's latest
I

data, all age mortality decreased by 18% from 44 in 2016 to 36 in 2018. Also, the

health seeking behavior of the locals have improved as manifested by an

increasing trend in consultative rate from 13,897 in 2016 to 19,073 in 2018.

14
 The local government has adopted the Department of Science and Technology-

Food and Nutrition Research lnstitute's (DOST-FNRI) malnutrition program

known as "Malnutrition Reduction Program" (MRP). Each barangay implements

the MRP with the rural health unit (RHU) taking the lead role.

There is a high level of awareness on malnutrition and its intervention. The

malnutrition reduction program is one of the best practices evident in

Barangay Panacan. Consultation with DOST-FNRI in Taguig City revealed that all

municipalities in Palawan have completed the malnutrition reduction program in

February 2019. The municipality of NARRA, at least in the 4 barangays visited, is

now implementing the MRP program.

Some of the health programs currently being implemented in the barangays

visited are related to improving survival of the zero to five age groups including
the pregnant, family planning, growth monitoring, encouraging exclusive

breastfeeding for the zero to six-month old infants and supplementation with

complementary feeding for those greater than 6 months & older, nutrition

training and mothers classes, proper nutrition for school age children, nutritional
supplementation, age-appropriate and catch up immunization, deworming,

healthy practices like handwashing, pre-natal and post-natal check-ups and

health screening for children. The type of sanitation facilities like the presence
of toilets whether latrine, water-sealed, etc. are monitored per housing unit.

Implementation of the above-mentioned health standards have resulted to zero

infant mortality in all of the 23 barangays, however, one maternal mortality was
recorded.

15
Hospitalization rates are recorded at an increasing manner from 2,341 in 2016

then 2,582 in 2017 and 2,687 in 2018.

Medical Health Facilities and Personnel

There is only one public municipal hospital in NARRA, located in Panacan2,

serving all the residents of 23 barangays. The municipal hospital is a secondary

hospital with 10 bed capacity and 26 operating beds. The total number of

hospital personnel is 25 divided into 3 medical doctors, 6 registered nurses, 5

midwives, and 11 others serving as pharmacists, medical technologists, dietician,
etc.

Each barangay has one rural health unit (RHU) except for Poblacion which
provides primary care to the residents. Each RHU is usually composed of a

medical doctor, at least 2 nurses, 13 midwives, 1 sanitary inspector, 1 dentist, 1

medical technologist or microscopist and 2 administrative aides. In cases where
there is no available doctor to regularly report to the RHU, the local government
contracts one private doctor for scheduled health check-ups as in the case
of Panacan . .

Top Ten leading Causes of Morbidity for the Last Three Years

The leading cause of morbidity for the past 3 years in the municipality is kidney-
related illnesses combined at 13,793. The next leading cause of morbidity is

influenza with 3,187 cases followed. by hypertension at 2,086, then malaria at

1,156 and acute gastroenteritis at 714 cases recorded.

Other causes of morbidity are trauma mostly wound lacerations and / or

fractured wounds, urinary tract infections, skin diseases, intestinal parasitism,

16
acute peptic diseases, conjunctivitis, tuberculosis as part of respiratory illness

and dog bites.

Apparently, we expect poverty related disease such as respiratory tract

infections and gastroenteritis or dental caries to top the list of all cause

morbidity, but the top cause is most likely related to the environment and

available food sources. Kidney related illnesses in this case is number one

cause. A large percentage of the people are in coastal areas where salty foods

are the most likely available food sources.

A high salt diet can alter the sodium balance which can alter or reduce the

kidney function . One of the effects of salt is to attract the water favoring water
retention, hence, higher blood volume that leads to hypertension. We can now
understand why hypertension is also on the top three causes. This burdens the

kidneys and eventually leads to kidney disease when not corrected at an early

stage. The correlation of the incidence with the type of food intake in the
municipality still needs validation.

Top Ten Leading Causes of Mortality for the Last Three Years

For the past three years, Pneumonia is the leading cause of mortality among the

older population with a total of 2,403 cases. This is followed by 61 cases of

cerebrovascular accident (CVA or stroke) then 55 cases of acute myocardial

infarction .(AMI or heart attack), 52 cases of electrocution due to lightning with

52 cases and 35 cases of trauma.

The other leading causes of mortality cancer (all types), acute re nal failure,
diabetes mellitus type 2, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, congestive

17
heart failure, drowning, bleeding peptic ulcer disease, acute hemorrhagic

pancreatitis and asphyxia secondary to self-strangulation.

The top two causes namely, CVA and AMI, may also be related to hypertension

as a secondary cause which could have been triggered by an excessive salt

intake. Lifestyle modification can have a significant impact in altering these non-

communicable diseases as leading causes of mortality in the municipality.

For the number one cause of death, Pneumonia, this follows the same trend

globally and nationally, especially in the context of poverty. The elderly will need

extra care to strengthen their immune system and ensure strict implementation
of complete immunization against Pneumonia and Influenza.

Malnutrition Situation for the Last Three Years

There are different classifications of malnutrition, underweight which measures

the weight for age {WAZ), stunted which measures the height for age (HAZ) and

wasted which measures the weight for height {WHZ). Wasted is a form of acute
malnutrition while stunted expresses chronic malnutrition. Stunted will have an
impact on the quality of brain and physical development of the
child. Underweight will neither indicate malnutrition as acute nor chronic.

Prior to 2018, only underweight status was monitored closely to give the status
of malnourished children in the barangay. But effective 2018, the other types of

malnutrition are also emphasized which is now the reason for inclusion of data
of the stunted and wasted children. No data were reflected on these two forms

of malnutrition from 2015 to 2017. Only underweight data were reflected since

2015. The LGUs have a good analysis skill in terms of interpreting the
malnutrition data.

18
 \

The inclusion of all malnutrition standards in the monitoring may probably be an

indication of an increased level of understanding of malnutrition.

All underweight data, from mild to severely underweight, have increased and

can most likely be attributed to a better monitoring and interpretative

skills. This holds true for at least the two barangays, Panacan and Panacan 2,

whose malnutrition cases are on declining trend .

iii. Education

Elementary Schools Facilities and Condition

Each barangay provides elementary education to its community. Each barangay

offers elementary education to its community through the presence of a school

infrastructure complete with basic facilities such as library, sanitary and other

facilities like sports (toilets, stage/covered court) and playground.

There is a total of 32 public elementary schools in the municipality. The

following needs improvement in its condition: 19 of the public school's

playgrounds, 16 of the public schools' comfort rooms, 15 school clinics, 16 school

libraries. All elementary schools lack in laboratories and shops except

for Antipulunan but in critical condition.

Secondary Schools Facilities and Condition

A total of 8 secondary schools are present in the municipality. These are located

in the following barangays: Panacan 2, Panacan, Bagong

19
 Sikat, Calategas, Dumanguena, Sandoval, Princess Urduja and Aramaywan.

iv. Employment

Major and Minor Agricultural Occupations/Groups in Urban and Rural Areas

The municipality has a record of 22,075 agricultural workers subdivided into

16,373 farm workers, 4,395 farmers and 1,307 fishermen. Of the 23 barangays,

14 are in the coastal areas.

Out of the 22,075 agricultural groups, majority come from the rural at 18,582

while 3,493 from the urban areas.

Table 2. Major and Minor Agricultural Occupations/ Groups in Urban and Rural

Areas Year 2018

Major and Minor Location Urban Rural Total

Occupation Groups

Farmers 23 Barangays 510 3,885 4,395

Farm Workers 23 Barangays 2,733 13,640 16,373

Fishermen 14 Barangays 250 1,057 1,307

TOTAL 3,493 18,582 22,075
..
Source: Mumc,pal Agrtculture Office
v. Economic

Majority of the households in the four barangays depend on fishing, aquaculture and

other coastal resources for their livelihood. Fisherfolks have an average income
of PhP 2,000.00 per month.

The fishermen in these 4 barangays are limited to the nearest water zone within 15 km
(municipal waters) from the shore line, for their fishing activities based on the capacity

of their banca and fishing license. The municipal water has a total surface area of

105,000 hectares and with a distance of 65 kilometers from Abo-abo to Aborlan.

Comparative Fishing Ground and Aquaculture Production

Based on the published data available done in 2010, the volume production of fish
products in 2009 was 8,466.05 and decreased in volume in 2010 to 5,963.30. Although

the value increased from PhP 253,981,500.00 to PhP 357,798,150.00. Fishpond or caged

fish production increased in volum~ from 404.41 tons amounting to PhP 28,309,050.00 in

2009 to 755.45 tons amounting to PhP 75,496,272.00 in 2010.

compared with the recent data from 2017 up to 2019, a significant downward trend in

terms of fish production volume is noted. In 2017, the volume has declined to 107.25

tons from 755.45 ton~ in 2010. In 2018, a further decline to 73.69 tons was recorded. For

the first quarter of 2019, 11.04 tons was recorded for the fish production volume and

should this volume remain constant, the yield will still be the lowest volume (See Table

below).

21