SECTORAL

PROFILE
ANALYSIS
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

i. ABOUT THE REGION

A. SECTORAL PROBLEM ANALYSIS
1. INVESTIGATION OF THE PROBLEM
1.1. POPULATION AND HOUSING
1.2. POVERTY
1.3. NUTRITION & HEALTH
1.4. LABOR & EMPLOYMENT
1.5. EDUCATION
1.6. SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
1.7. PEACE, ORDER & PUBLIC SAFETY
1.8. VULNERABILITY OF INDIVIDUALS
1.9. REHABILITATION INTERVENTION
1.10. CULTURE & VALUES
1.11. TOURISM
1.12. ENVIRONMENT
1.13. AGRICULTURE FORESTRY & FISHERIES
1.14. INDUSTRY & SERVICES

2. JUSTIFICATION
2.1 ECONOMIC SECTOR
2.2 INSTITUTIONAL SECTOR _

B. THESIS TITLE PROPOSAL

B1a. A PROPOSED REGIONAL MARICULTURE RESEARCH

AND DEVELOPMENT WITH TRADING COMPLEX IN QUEZON
B1b. SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM
B1c. EVALUATION & ANALYSIS
B1d. PROPOSAL
B1e. LOCATION
B2a. A PROPOSED DEMO-FARMING, TRADING, RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT COMPLEX IN CAVITE
B2b. SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM
B2c. EVALUATION & ANALYSIS
B2d. PROPOSAL
B2e. LOCATION

B3a. A PROPOSED DISASTER-RESILIENT LIVING

MANAGEMENT COMPLEX FOR HYDROLOGICAL DISASTERS
B3b. SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM
B3c. EVALUATION & ANALYSIS
B3d. PROPOSAL
B3e. LOCATION
 ABOUT THE REGION

CALABARZON, officially designated as Region IV‑ A, is an

administrative region in the Philippines composed by the provinces of Cavite,
Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon; the acronym is derived from the first
two letters of every province that composes it.

The region is located in southwestern Luzon, just south and east of

Metro Manila and is the second most densely populated region.
CALABARZON and MIMAROPA were previously combined together as
Southern Tagalog, until they were separated in 2002 by virtue of Executive
Order No. 103. Executive Order No. 246, dated October 28, 2003, designated
Calamba City as the regional center of CALABARZON.

CALABARZON is a favorable option for investors because to its large

population, manufacturing industry hub, plenty of agricultural products and raw
resources, closeness to the NCR, and strategic location that acts as a gateway
from the south. Multinational corporations who want to settle outside but near
the NCR are among these investors. Bolstered by the presence of top
universities and international research institutions and the commitment of the
academe and industry to strengthen their partnerships, the region is expected
to provide the manpower skills necessary for the industries.

Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 16,195,042. This

accounted for 26.04% of the total population of the Luzon island group, or
14.85% of the total population of the Philippines. Based on these numbers, the
population density is calculated to be 977 people per square kilometer or 2,530
people per square mile.

The region’s natural features, current tourism related facilities, and

convergence of the government and the private sector in tourism development
initiatives indicate opportunities as a worldclass destination.

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 It may be recognized for its ever-expanding economy, but the region
continues to confront issues such as poverty, dwindling agriculture, climate
change , poor cultural appreciation, natural calamities and many more.
Nonetheless, opportunity emerges in many locations throughout the region
CALABARZON is made up of the following provinces:

 Cavite

A province in the Philippines situated in the CALABARZON region

occupying the central section of Luzon. Its capital is the City of Imus.
Characterized by rolling hinterlands punctuated by hills, with shoreland fronting
Manila Bay at sea level, and the rugged portion at the boundary of Batangas
where Dos Picos mountains are located.

Most densely populated province, home to sprawling suburban

bedroom communities, but filled also with history as one of the provinces that
led the Philippine Revolution. Tagaytay, one of its cities, has a cool climate,
and is an easy getaway from Metro Manila's noisy and crowded environment.
The province has a land area of 1,526.28 square kilometers or 589.30
square miles. Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was
4,344,829.

 Laguna

Laguna is a province in the Philippines situated in the CALABARZON

region occupying the central section of Luzon. Its capital is the Municipality of
Santa Cruz. Considered as an inland province that comprises the largest
portion of the Laguna de Bay Region where the Laguna Lake lies, the
country’s largest inland water and the second-largest freshwater in Southeast
Asia. It is characterized by flat and rugged terrain and its slope ranges from
level to steep slope.

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 Economic hub, with a growing economy based on industry and agriculture.
Major destinations are its hot springs in Calamba (Pansol) and Los Baños,
Mount Makiling, the Rizal mansion in Calamba, and Pagsanjan Falls.

The province has a land area of 1,928.23 square kilometers or 744.49

square miles. Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was
3,382,193.

 Batangas

Batangas is a province in the Philippines situated in the CALABARZON

region occupying the central section of Luzon. Its capital is the City of
Batangas. Considered the second largest province in the region. It has a
unique cove-like shape coastal areas lying at the south-eastern portion of the
province. It consists mostly of moderately sloping to rolling and very steep hills
with scattered mountainous areas.

Cradle of Tagalog culture, and home to resorts, Spanish-era town centers

with heritage churches and houses, and the world's smallest volcano, Taal
Volcano.

The province has a land area of 3,115.05 square kilometers or 1,202.73

square miles. Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was
2,908,494.

 Rizal

Rizal is a province in the Philippines situated in the CALABARZON region

occupying the central section of Luzon. Its capital is the City of Antipolo. Its
topography is a combination of valleys and mountains, with flat low-lying areas
on the western portion, rugged ridges and rolling hills that form part of the
Sierra Madre ranges in the eastern portion.

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 The province enjoys a natural beauty of nature and a perfect setting for
investments, business establishments and settlements. It is bounded by Sierra
Madre Mountain Ranges and Quezon Province in the east, the province
Laguna in the soutwest, the province of Bulacan in the north, Metropolitan
Manila in the west-northwest portion and by Laguna de Bay in
south/south-western portion. Rizal is a green province which is the best place
to unwind from crowded and polluted metropolis.

The province has a land area of 1,182.65 square kilometers or 456.62

square miles. Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was
3,330,143.

 Quezon

Quezon is a province in the Philippines situated in the CALABARZON

region occupying the central section of Luzon. Its topography is a combination
of valleys and mountains, with flat lohas a total land area of 870,660 hectares
or 8,706.60 square kilometres.

It is the largest province in CALABARZON having 54% of the total land

area of the region. On the other hand, it has a rugged terrain with few plains,
valleys and swamps. The undulating lowlands along the coast are well-drained.
The province is very narrow, with an average width of about 30 kilometers.
Serves as a gateway to Bicol, also a growing eco-tourism destination.

The province has a land area of 8,743.84 square kilometers or 3,376.02

square miles. Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was
1,950,459.

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Cities along the region:

 Batangas City

Largest and capital city of the Province of Batangas, Philippines.The

city is also known as the "Industrial Port City of CALABARZON" and is now
ranked as one of the Philippines' fastest urbanizing cities.

Batangas City is known for their meat products especially beef. Best
delicacy for this meat is bulalo. They also take pride of their Kapeng Barako of
its world-class quality of strong aroma.The City of Batangas gears up activities
on trade, finance, education and medical services for most part of the
province . As a center for trade and commerce, it hosts one of the largest oil
refineries in the country, Pilipinas Shell, and three natural gas power plants.

 Lipa City

A landlocked component city in the coastal province of Batangas. The city

has a land area of 209.40 square kilometers or 80.85 square miles which
constitutes 6.72% of Batangas's total area. Its population as determined by the
2020 Census was 372,931.

It is once known as the coffee center of the world. Currently, it is also

known to be “Little Rome of the Philippines. The city’s location, in a valley
between Mount Malarayat and Mount Makulot, makes it a low-risk area for
natural disasters. These two mountains serve as a windbreak during typhoons.
Mount Makulot, in the west, also served as shield during eruptions of the Taal
Volcano.

 Tanauan City

It is a landlocked component city in the coastal province of Batangas.

Since the city is located in between the two volcanoes, Mt. Makiling and Taal
Volcano, its geologic structure makes it prone to volcanic activities. Because of
this, the city is mostly composed of Piliocene to Quarternary volcanic rocks of
agglomorate, tuffs, cinders, andeside, dacite and pyroclastic layers.

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 Bacoor City

Its location makes Bacoor the gateway to Metro Manila “Cavite’s Gateway
To The Metropolis” via the Manila-Cavite Expressway, which starts in Bacoor.
The city is among the key areas and formerly one of the fastest growing
municipalities in Cavite together with Imus and Dasmariñas, mainly because of
their location. Two SM malls are located in Bacoor. During weekdays many
residents leave the district to go their places of work in the metropolitan areas
such as Manila and Makati cities.

The city has a land area of 46.17 square kilometers or 17.83 square
miles which constitutes 3.03% of Cavite's total area. Its population as
determined by the 2020 Census was 664,625.

 Cavite City

A fourth class city in the province of Cavite. The city is a hook shaped
peninsula jutting out into Manila Bay. The city is tagged as “International
Transport Hub of the Future”.

Cavite City is located on the coastal area of Cavite Province fronting

Manila Bay. Around 35 kilometers away from Manila, the city occupies a small
peninsula that is shaped like a hand stretched out into Manila Bay. It is
bounded on the north and west by Manila Bay, on the east by Bacoor and
Canacao Bay, and on the south by the towns of Kawit and Noveleta. Including
Corregidor Island, total land area is about 20 square kilometers.

 Dasmariñas City

Dasmariñas City was known to be the wealthiest local government unit in

the province of Cavite according to the 2006 Commission on Audit report. It
was also the only municipality in the entire Philippines that had both SM and
Robinsons Mall, before it became a city.

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 Dasmariñas City is about 8,234 hectares, 12 kilometers from Metro
Manila or the National Capital Region and 27 kilometers south of the center of
the City of Manila. It is bounded by the city of Imus and the municipality of
Silang, both in Cavite at the north and south respectively, at the east by the
towns of San Pedro and Biñan by the side of Laguna and Carmona and at the
west, it is bounded by General Trias, also in Cavite and a little further from this
boundary is Trece Martires City.

 Imus City

One of the most well-known cities in Cavite for encompassing history and
economic development. Moreover, Imus is also recognized as the Flag Capital
from the time when the first Philippine Flag was unfolded and raised in the
course of the Battle of Alapan. There are so many interesting narratives and
histories that Imus Cavite possesses.

With a comfortable 18 km distance from Metro Manila, Imus serves as a

favorable site for industrial establishments. Imus is also the home of the Anabu
Handmade Paper Products, a producer of handmade paper and paper
products.

 Tagaytay City

Tagaytay City is a component city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. It

is considered as one of the country’s most popular tourist destination due to its
cool climate. The city overlooks the Taal Lake in Batangas and gives one of
the iconic views of the Philippines.

Tagaytay City has a total land area of 66.1 km2 (26 sq mi) which
represents about 4.37% of the total area of the Province of Batangas. It lies
within 120° 56′ longitude and 14° 6′ latitude and overlooks Manila Bay to the
North, Taal Volcano and Lake to the south and Laguna de Bay to the east.

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 Trece Martires City

Located in the center of the Province of Cavite. Tanza town bound it in the
north and west, Amadeo and Indang in the south, and General Trias in the
east. It is about 48.3 km from Manila, which is an hour ride by a car. As of 2010,
the total population of the city is 104,559.

Evolved from an economy that features agriculture as the major source of

economy into an industrialized and commercialized. One of the city’s major
source of income comes from the real property taxes. The city is also noted for
its cleanliness and the absence of any form of gambling.

 Biñan City

A component city in the landlocked province of Laguna.The city is also

known for a type of pancake made from rice flour, topped with cheese or butter
(Puto Biñan). The best known makers of Puto in Biñan City are located in the
barangay of San Vicente, that’s why the city is renowned for as “The Home of
the Famous Puto Biñan in Laguna”. This city is also known for the shoes and
slippers manufactured in Barangay Dela Paz and Malaban. While in Barangay
Platero you will find the manufacturer of hats or the so called “Sumbrero”.

Biñan City has been popularly recognized as the trading center area
immediately south of Metro Manila. The city has the largest public market in
the province of Laguna, and in the CALABARZON Region.

 Cabuyao City

Located in the province of Laguna, Cabuyao City was known before as

the “Richest Municipality in the Philippines” and also as “Golden Bell City”.
This was due to the fact of the large imigrants who work in the city. There are
also lots of industrial estates in the city which include Nestle Philippines, Asia
Brewery, Inc., San Miguel Corporation, Tanduay Distillers, Inc., Wyeth
Philippines, Inc., Procter and Gamble Philippines, Light Industry and Science
Park of the Philippines and Malayan Colleges.

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 The city has a land area of 43.30 square kilometers or 16.72 square miles
which constitutes 2.25% of Laguna's total area.

 Calamba City

Can be found in the province of Laguna. It covers a total land area of

14,950 hectares (36,900 acres), making it is the 2nd largest city in Laguna
province in terms of land area after San Pablo City.

The city is a favorite getaway of many people from Metro Manila. It has
numerous resorts fed by hot springs. Moreover, its historical significance in
addition to its booming economy attracts many visitors both local and foreign.
The conversion of the former Canlubang sugar plantation into mixed used
locality presents opportunity for further growth of the city. Its former rice fields
have been turned into residential and commercial areas.

 San Pablo City

Surrounded by the seven lakes of San Pablo, Lake Sampaloc; Lake

Palakpakin; Lake Bunot; Lakes Pandin and Yambo; Lake Muhikap and Lake
Calibato, San Pablo City is considered as City of Seven Lakes. Located in the
landlocked province of Laguna.

The city’s main product is coconut. The city is also known for its buko pie
where the coconut used to make these are mainly products of the city. San
Pablo City is home to showrooms, marketing, and parts/servicing centers of
Honda Cars Laguna; Ford San Pablo; Isuzu San Pablo; Hyundai San Pablo;
Mitsubishi (SFM) San Pablo; Nissan Southwoods-San Pablo; and Toyota San
Pablo.

 Santa Rosa

A component city in the landlocked province of Laguna.The people in the

city mainly speaks Tagalog as their language. The western portion of the city
occupies the numerous commercial, industrial, and business establishments,

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while the northern portion is primarily composed of residential areas and
subdivisions, schools, industrial zones and various business establishments.

Santa Rosa was initially known for the Coca-Cola and Toyota
manufacturing plants in its industrial estates. Recently, it has also become
popular for being the site of Enchanted Kingdom, a local theme park, as well
as several housing developments. This city contains the 3rd largest complex in
Laguna, Paseo de Santa Rosa.

 Lucena City

The city is located in the province of Quezon. The predominant language

used is Tagalog, followed by Bicol dialect, Masbateño and other migrant’s
dialect. Lucena city is famous for its coconut crops and rice varieties.

With enough available power from Pagbilao, heavy industries like iron and
steel, metal fabrication, chemicals, shipbuilding, paper products, and
automotive and parts are recommended. Small and medium enterprises,
however, are the most viable businesses to put up in Lucena City.

 Tayabas City

Located in the province of Quezon at the southeastern foothills of Mount

Banahaw, Tayabas is bounded on the north by the town of Lucban, on the east
by Atimonan, on the south by Lucena City and Pagbilao, and on the west by
Sariaya. The city occupies a total land area of 230.95 km2 (89.17 sq mi). The
city has a total land area of 301 square kilometers, most of which are rural
areas devoted to agriculture.

Tayabas is known for its weaving industry. Other cottage industries

include production of lambanog wine, macapuno candy, furniture and
automotive shops. Agricultural products include rice, coconut, root crops, and
vegetables.

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 Antipolo City

known as “The Pilgrimage City” located at the province of Rizal. Described

as generally hilly and mountainous, the hilly portions lying in the west and the
mountainous area concentrated in the east as part of the Sierra Madre
Mountain Range.

An ideal place to build resorts, retirement subdivisions, and mass

housing. Commercial complexes are needed considering the large population
and the influx of tourists. The eastern mountainous areas can be developed as
upland demonstration farms for bamboo, fruit and vegetable plantations.

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SECTORAL PROBLEM ANALYSIS

1. INVESTIGATION OF THE PROBLEM

1.1 POPULATION AND HOUSING

 Population

The population of Region IV-A - CALABARZON as of 01 May 2020 is

16,195,042 based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing (2020 CPH).
This accounts for about 14.85 percent of the Philippine population in 2020.
The region's 2020 population is 1,780,268 more than the population of
14.41 million in 2015, and 3,585,239 more than the population of 12.61 million
in 2010. Furthermore, it is 6,874,413 more than the population of 9.32 million in
2000. (Table 1)

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 From 2015 through 2020, the population of Region IV-A rose by 2.48
percent each year. In comparison, the region's population rose at a faster pace
from 2010 to 2015, at 2.58 percent. (Table 2)

Among the five provinces comprising Region IV-A, Cavite had the
biggest population in 2020 with 4,344,829 persons, followed by Laguna with
3,382,193 persons, Rizal with 3,330,143 persons, and Batangas with
2,908,494 persons. Quezon had the smallest population with 1,950,459
persons. (Table 3)
The City of Lucena, the only highly urbanized city in the region posted a
population of 278,924 persons.

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 Cavite was the region's fastest growing province, with an annual
population growth rate (PGR) of 3.57 percent between 2015 and 2020. It was
followed by Rizal, which had a PGR of 3.07 percent, Laguna (2.30 percent),
and Batangas (2.30 percent) (1.62 percent). The province of Quezon has the
lowest provincial PGR of 1.04 percent. (Table 4)
The City of Lucena posted a PGR of 0.98 percent.

Region IV-A is composed of one highly urbanized city, 19 component

cities, 122 municipalities, and 4,019 barangays.
Among the cities (excluding the City of Lucena) and municipalities in the
region, the largest in terms of population size is the City of Antipolo, Rizal with
887,399 persons. It was followed by the City of Dasmariñas, Cavite with
703,141 persons, and the City of Bacoor, Cavite with 664,625 persons. (Table
5)

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 The Province of Quezon is home to nine of the 10 least populated
cities/municipalities in Region IV-A. Jomalig has the smallest population of
7,667 persons, followed by Plaridel with 10,129 persons and Agdangan with
12,764 persons, all of them live in the Quezon Province. The Municipality of
Famy in Laguna ranked tenth with 16,791 persons. (Table 6)

Of the 4,019 barangays in Region IV-A, the largest in terms of

population size is San Isidro in Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal with 159,612
persons. It was followed by San Jose in Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal with
141,819 persons, and Cupang in the City of Antipolo, Rizal with 135,064
persons. The rest of the top ten most populous barangays in the region are all

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located in the Province of Rizal, except San Francisco in the City of General
Trias, Cavite, which was ranked tenth with 83,629 persons. (Table 7)

Population Pyramid (CALABARZON-RDP-2017-2022-Midterm-Update)

 Fertility Rate

An average of 2.6 babies were born alive to women aged 15-49 in 2018.
According to the 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey, the total
fertility rate of women aged 15-49 years old was 2.6 percent, which is within
the target of 2.8 percent. This can be attributed to preventive measures
implemented by various agencies and local governments, such as responsible
parenting/family sessions, teen pregnancy symposiums, and film screenings,
among others.

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 More families observed family planning through the use of modern
contraceptives. More families used modern contraceptives as a means of
modern family planning as observed in the increase of prevalence rate from
37.12 percent in 2017 to 47.51 percent in 2018, meeting the 35 percent target.
The 10.4 percentage points increase in the prevalence rate can be attributed
to the implementation of the Executive Order 12, s. 2017 or Zero Unmet Need
for Modern Family Planning, increase in the advocacy to LGUs, and
multi-stakeholder engagement on the modern family planning. Quezon
Province has the highest prevalence rate on use of contraceptives while Rizal
has the least at 33.16 percent.

 Mortality Rates declined

The crude birth and death rates fell in 2018 compared to 2017. The
crude birth rate fell from 12.2 percent in 2017 to 11.16 percent in 2018,
meeting the target of 19.0 percent. Meanwhile, the crude death rate fell from
3.84 percent to 3.64 percent year on year, meeting the 6.0 percent target. This
implies that, with the help of government programs, the general population is
living in a relatively healthy environment.

There are fewer deaths among mothers during pregnancy and childbirth.
The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) decreased from 49.13 deaths per 100,000
livebirths in 2017 to 39.23 deaths in 2018, falling within the target of 70 deaths
for 2018. The reduction in MMR can be attributed to PhilHealth's Maternity
Care Package, health facility accreditation, and ongoing improvement and

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engagement of private facilities in service delivery networks. Cavite had the
highest MMR of 73.80 deaths per 100,000 livebirths, exceeding the target,
while Quezon had the lowest at 9.12 deaths. Quezon is also the province with
the highest MMR improvement, falling from 86.35 in 2017 to 9.12 in 2018. The
77.23 difference can be attributed to the maternal death review (MDR), among
other things. To address gaps in health and birthing service provision, the
MDR provided information on medical, social, and health system factors.
Furthermore, data cleaning and validation contributed to the accuracy of
Quezon's data.

In 2018, fewer children under the age of five died. The under-five mortality
rate (U5MR) decreased from 13.40 deaths per 1,000 livebirths in 2017 to
13.37 deaths per 1,000 livebirths in 2018, remaining within the target of 25.0
for 2018. Quezon contributes the most, with 22.02 deaths per 1,000 livebirths,
while Batangas contributes the least, with 7.78 deaths per 1,000 livebirths. The
decrease in the U5MR in Quezon Province can be attributed to the province's
First 1,000 Days of Life Program, which provides health interventions and
services to pregnant mothers from conception to two years old. The first 1,000
days are critical in a child's health and brain development. In addition, the
ongoing and strengthened advocacy campaign, as well as the promotion of
maternal and child health programs in communities and schools, reduced
maternal and child mortality.

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  HOUSING

- Direct Housing Assistance

Housing production for resettlement of informal settler families has
declined. From 2016 to 2018, the number of housing units completed
decreased due to delays in the release of funds and the issuance of permits,
licenses, clearances, and other documentary requirements, among other
things.

Community Mortgage Program take outs improved. From 2016 to 2019,

the number of Community Mortgage Program applications increased. The
increase could be attributed to newly developed modalities, such as the
vertical Community Mortgage Program for vertical housing, as well as the
established partnership of local government units with non-government
organization mobilizers who assist families in organizing themselves into
associations to qualify for the program and the decentralization of Social
Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) operations.

The High Density Housing Program has been implemented, though slightly
below target. The Region recorded its first high density housing program
takeouts in 2019, with 2,568 takeouts, falling short of the target of 3,368 for
2019. One of the reasons for the missed target is a delay in project
implementation and completion due to noncompliance with site development
requirements.

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 Steady increase in housing loan availment. Housing loan availment
steadily increased from 2016 to 2018. The consistent increase could be
attributed to the competitive interest rates of 3% for the Affordable Housing
Loan Program and 5.375% for the End-user Financing Program, as well as the
regular conduct of developer orientations and pre-evaluation of housing loan
documents while units are being built.

- Indirect Housing Assistance

The number of approved new guaranty enrolments has increased.
Approved new guaranty enrolments increased from 8,015 in 2016 to 16,036 in
2018 as marketing strategies improved, such as the provision of discount
premiums and rebates, which increased bank clients.

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 The license to sell was declined. Since 2016, the number of licenses to
sell issued has been decreasing as developers have been unable to comply
with the requirement to establish socialized housing projects prior to the
issuance of a license to sell.

CLUP assistance from local governments has increased. The addition

of a Comprehensive Land Use Plan as a criterion for the Seal of Good Local
Governance increased the demand for assistance in CLUP preparation.
Secured housing loan receivables have improved. The increased
number of applications for the Housing Loan Receivables Purchase Program
was influenced by the increased number of new housing development projects
and competitive market rates.

Despite the fact that the majority of housing programs performed better,
the housing sector has identified several challenges that must be addressed
immediately in order to improve its performance and meet the Region's
housing needs. Such as presence of slums increases the risk of transmission
of infectious diseases, settlements in hazard prone areas, lack of accurate and
updated data on housing, and implementation issues in the production of
housing.

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 1.2 Poverty

CALABARZON's economy grew steadily from 2015 to 2018, improving

the quality of life for its citizens. The Region met its goals for lowering the
prevalence of poverty among the general population and families in 2018.
With a 5.1 percentage point drop in poverty incidence among the
population from 12.2 percent in 2015 to 7.1 percent in 2018, CALABARZON's
overall poverty condition has significantly improved. This corresponds to
almost 700,000 people being pulled out of poverty within this time frame.
Similarly, poverty incidence among families decreased by 4.1 percentage
points from 9.1 percent in 2015 to 5.0 percent in 2018, an improvement. This
indicates that 118,900 households were lifted out of poverty as the number of
impoverished families decreased from 308,000 in 2015 to 189,100 in 2018.

Families and the population experienced poverty at a considerably

lower rate in the Region than at the national level. Despite CALABARZON

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having lower rates of poverty than NCR, the latter experienced greater
progress between 2015 and 2018. The lowest rates of poverty among people
and families were recorded in the provinces of Batangas and Quezon.

The estimated poverty line for a family of five in the Region was
PHP11,604, higher than the national average but significantly below NCR. The
highest poverty line among the provinces is PHP13,710 in Batangas, followed
by PHP12,156 in Cavite. The rise in food costs during the same time is what
caused the poverty line to rise in all provinces between 2015 and 2018.
All government and business sector initiatives to reduce poverty might
be rendered ineffective by the epidemic. The next survey is anticipated to
show a worsening of the region's poor position.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 natural disasters hurt the
income of vulnerable people and might provide a challenge to the region's
efforts to reduce poverty over time. To minimize the possible adverse impact
on people's income and standard of living and to maintain the region's
progress toward eliminating poverty, timely, appropriate, and correct support
must be provided. For the first and second tranches, the Social Amelioration
Package (SAP) was distributed to 1,919,798 and 1,085,227 households,

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respectively, to help low-income families and people in the area meet their
basic requirements during the ECQ in 2020.

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) was formalized and made
a part of the nation's plan to end poverty by the Republic Act No. 11310. A total
of 325,529 people were included in this program in 2020, up from 303,370 in
2019. In CALABARZON, this translates to an additional 22,159 household
beneficiaries. The household replacement plan is being carried out by the
Department of Social Welfare and Development to raise the number of target
beneficiaries to 325,640. The program in question has a budget of
PHP7,620.10 billion for 2020.

The Department also operates an unconditional cash transfer program

in addition to conditional cash transfers to give cash grants to low-income
families and individuals who might not be eligible for lower income tax rates. It
falls under the Tax Reform Act's "Mitigation Program for Tax Reform." For the
Act on Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN Law). The Elderly Pension
Program's destitute senior citizens, families covered by 4Ps, and other
recognized low-income households in Listahanan were among the program's
beneficiaries. Due to several 4Ps recipients graduating from the program, the
overall number of families receiving benefits from the program fell to 314,434
in 2020, an 11 percent decrease from 2019.

To encourage inclusive growth, workers in the unorganized sector also

received assistance. The Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged
Workers Program (TUPAD) of the Department of Labor and Employment
offers employment or livelihood support to informal workers whose
occupations were impacted by disasters and catastrophes. A total of 58,059
people were able to get anything from the program in 2020.

24
 Inflation

Prices in CALABARZON went up as inflation increased by 0.2

percentage points from 2.6 percent in 2019 to 2.8 percent in 2020. Although
this was greater than the national average of 2.6 percent, it was still less than
the regional goal of 5 percent. Except for Batangas, all provinces raised their
prices in 2020. Cavite came in second with a 0.6 percentage point increase,
followed by Quezon, which increased by 0.8 percentage point. On the other
hand, prices in Batangas fell from 2.9 percent in 2019 to 2.1 percent in 2020.

The average consumer price index (CPI), which tracks prices across all
product categories, rose from 118.3 in 2019 to 121.6 in 2020. Food and
non-alcoholic beverages, which carry the most weight among commodity
groups, saw price increases, owing largely to price increases for fish, fruits,
and vegetables. Alcohol and tobacco products have also grown noticeably by
36.9 index points, which may be attributed to the imposition of a higher sin tax.
All of the provinces reported higher CPIs in 2020 compared to levels in
2019. Due to a large increase in the cost of meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables,
Quezon had the highest CPI at 124.8, followed by Cavite at 124.6.

The negative effects of disasters in 2020 that influenced commodity

supply and production are to blame for the increase in food prices.
Furthermore, the Taal Volcano's ash eruption had an impact on cattle and
poultry output, as well as standing crops, in Batangas and the surrounding
districts. Finally, due to mobility restrictions and increased transportation costs,
the community quarantine, which lasted the majority of the year, had an impact
on commodity supply.

The rise in inflation rate and average CPI resulted in the lower
purchasing power of the peso (PPP) from PHP0.85 in 2019 to PHP0.82 in
2020. Similarly, PPP in all provinces fell in 2020, with Cavite and Quezon
experiencing the greatest drop. While Laguna's PPP fell from PHP0.89 in 2019
to PHP0.87 in 2020, it was still higher than the regional average due to the

25
province's lower inflation rate and average CPI in comparison to the regional
level.

1.3 Nutrition & Health

Under-five mortality rate (U5MR) improved while other mortality rates

remained within the target. Mortality rate of children under 5 years of age
decreased from 15.9 percent in 2019 to 11.67 percent in 2020, which was way
below the 2020 target of 22 percent. This was already below the SDG target of
22 percent by 2030. Strengthened implementation of child health programs
and improvement in nutrition status of children contributed to the improved
performance of children under-five mortality. Among the provinces, only Cavite
recorded a mortality rate higher than the regional U5MR with 28.47 percent
while Rizal had the lowest with only 3.25 percent.

26
 Meanwhile, maternal mortality ratio (MMR) increased from 54.93 in
2019 to 66.74 in 2020. This may be attributed to the declined utilization of
facilities for checkups and delivery due to the disruption in health services,
difficulty in commuting, and fear of contracting COVID-19. However, despite
the increase, MMR is still within the 2020 target of 70 maternal deaths per
100,000 live births. The favorable performance on MMR may be the result of
the additional health facilities accredited by PhilHealth to provide maternity
care packages (MCPs) and the improvement in the referral network and
service delivery networks, which now utilizes private facilities.

Infant mortality ratio (IMR) also increased from 10.44 in 2019 to 11.38
in 2020 but still within the 15 mortality ratio target. The highest IMR was
recorded in Laguna with 14.60 percent while the lowest was in Rizal with 2.65
percent. Likewise, neonatal mortality ratio (NMR) increased from 7.08 in 2019
to 7.66 in 2020 but still below the targeted 10 percent. Both targets were met
due to continuous conduct of advocacy activities on child health programs.
However, 2020 performance on both indicators is still far from the SDG target.
Thus, there is still a need for the implementation of more targeted programs for
infant and newborn health development.

27
 CALABARZON remained malaria-free. No cases of malaria were
recorded in the Region due to the sustained efforts of the provinces of Laguna,
Rizal and Quezon in eliminating malaria.

New Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and tuberculosis cases

decreased. New HIV cases fell by 743 in 2020, from 2,114 in 2019 to 1,372 in
2020. This is in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) goal of
reducing HIV incidence. The improved performance was attributed to an
increase in the number of HIV testing sites, hubs, and clinics, as well as
increased awareness of safe HIV prevention practices. Rizal had the highest
increase in cases, with 63 new cases, while Cavite had the highest number of
new cases, with 469.

Meanwhile, tuberculosis cases also decreased from 500 in 2019 to

266 in 2020. However, the recorded few cases may not be an indicator of
positive performance according to the Department of Health as it may be a
direct effect of COVID-19, especially on a critical disease prevention and
control program like tuberculosis.

Drug cases with completed treatment improved. Drug cases that

completed treatment increased from 94 percent in 2019 to 100 percent in 2020.
The strong support of the government and engagement of stakeholders from
all sectors accounted for the high completion rate.

Proportion of deliveries attended by skilled personnel increased

as births delivered in health facilities decreased. The proportion of births
attended by skilled health personnel reached 114.6718 percent, exceeding the
target rate of 96 percent. The 2020 accomplishment for deliveries attended by
skilled personnel was 19.68 and 18.67 percentage points higher than the
previous year’s accomplishment and the 2020 target, respectively. On the
other hand, deliveries in health facilities decreased from 94.39 to only 92.11 in
2020, but still within the 91 percent target. This may also be an effect of the
COVID-19 pandemic as less individuals go to hospitals and health facilities
due to fear of contracting the virus. Limited access to transport services may

28
have also affected deliveries in health facilities during implementation of
enhanced community quarantine. Overall, the increase in number of
accredited facilities providing MCPs, upgraded health facilities and birthing
homes, and creation of local ordinances requiring the local government units to
support maternal care contributed to the positive results.
This is also consistent with the recorded percentage of pregnant women
with 4 or more prenatal visits and percentage of women with at least 2
postpartum visits. From 50.22 in 2019, percentage of women with 4 or more
prenatal visits decreased to 15.08 in 2020 while percentage of women with at
least 2 postpartum visits declined from 58.21 in 2019 to only 20.35 in 2020.

Health manpower to population ratio improved but ratio for

medical doctors is still below standard. Nurses to population ratio
significantly improved from the ratio in previous years to 2020’s 1:3,427, which
is way lower than the targeted 1:20,000. Furthermore, midwives to population
ratio was recorded at 1:4,064, a steep decline from 2019 at 1:14,410 and
within the standard 1:5,000. The lower ratios may be attributed to mass hiring
of health care professionals to address the demand for health care services
arising from COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, doctor to population ratio improved at 1:28,552 in 2020 from
1:76,622 in 2019. However, doctors to population ratio has yet to meet the
standard 1:20,000, indicating the need for more medical doctors.

Percentage of immunized one-year-old children decreased and

still below target. The percentage of one-year-old children that are fully
immunized decreased by 40.50 percentage points from 73.96 percent in 2019
to only 36.79 percent in 2020. Consequently, the targeted 95 percent
immunized one-year-old children was not met due to loss of confidence and
trust among parents on the vaccines under the immunization program brought
about by the Dengvaxia controversy. In addition, inadequacy of staff,
disruptions in health services, and quarantine restrictions may have
contributed to the poor performance.

29
 Malnutrition in the Region is still a priority concern. Underweight,
wasting, and stunting among preschool children under five years old remain as
regional concerns.

Stunting or pagkabansot is when a child has a low height for his/her age,
usually due to malnutrition (starting from the womb until two years of age),
repeated infections, and/or poor psychosocial stimulation. This is attributed to
insufficient nutritious foods, long periods of hunger due to poor socioeconomic
conditions, and inadequate health and nutrition maintenance during the first
1,000 days (F1KD) of life (i.e., from conception up to two years old of age of
the child). The first 1,000 days is considered the “golden window of opportunity”
for a child as nutrition, social, and psychosocial deficiency during this period
will have irreversible side effects on the physical and cognitive ability of a child.

Wasting, on the other hand, can be observed by seeing a very low

weight-for-height ratio of a child. It often indicates recent and severe weight
loss, although it can also persist for a long time. It usually occurs when a
person has inadequate consumption of quality and quantity of food, and/or
they have had frequent or prolonged illnesses.
Unfortunately, official data or trends in the prevalence of underweight,
wasting, and stunting are unavailable from 2017 to 2020. National and regional
results of the Expanded National Nutrition Survey (eNNS) will be out by 2022.
Even though there are already provincial results, for 2018, the results only
pertain for the Province of Laguna, while results for 2019 only refer to the
Provinces of Rizal and Quezon.

Physical and mental development will suffer when a child is

experiencing malnutrition especially if it persists. Malnutrition results to
insufficient energy and low mental awareness to perform satisfactorily in
school. Studies have shown that failure of children to attain optimal growth due
to malnutrition is associated with high risk for impaired cognitive development,
poor school performance, and lower earnings in adulthood. (Save the Children
Philippines, 2015)

30
 Aside from physical development, proper nutrition in the first 1,000 days
is critical to the cognitive development of every child. A study from Global
Health Hub (2016) comparing brain scans of a healthy child and stunted child,
showed that the latter portrays 40 percent less brain mass particularly in the
temporal lobe. Hence, cognitive functions were affected.

Proper nutrition in the F1KD of a child produces a positive impact in

personal health and development as well as productivity and family health later
in adult life. Well-nourished children in the first 1,000 days are 10 times more
likely to overcome life-threatening diseases, complete almost five more grades
in school, earn 21 percent more in wages as adults, and are more likely to
have healthier families of their own. (Global Health Hub, 2016)

On the other hand, malnutrition also refers to being overweight and

obese. Monitoring of overweight children under five years old is also a priority
as being overweight can trigger high blood pressure and diabetes as children
get older.

1.4 Labor and Employment

The CALABARZON with a population of 16,057,299 as of July 2020 is

the most populated region. CALABARZON has the largest working-age
population in the country, with 69.11 percent of the population being of working
age.

The labor participation rate was 61.7 percent, which was lower than the
previous year's rate of 64.1 percent. The labor participation rate translates to
three out of every five people aged 15 and up actively looking for work. The
lower labor participation rate could be attributed to the pandemic, which forced
people with co-morbidities to stay at home.

Employment and unemployment targets were not achieved in 2020 as

employment rate declined to 88.4 percent in 2020 from 93.9 percent in 2019,
while unemployment rate rose to 11.6 percent in 2020 from 6.1 percent in 2019.

31
Likewise, underemployment rate increased from 11.7 percent in 2019 to 17.2
percent in 2020. Since 2009, this is the first time that employment rate was
below 90 percent. Employment levels went down as many businesses shut
down or reduced operations as a result of the community quarantine.

CALABARZON had the fourth lowest employment rate among regions,

trailing the national estimate of 89.7 percent. Similarly, CALABARZON's
employment and underemployment rates were higher than the national
averages of 10.3 percent and 16.2 percent, respectively.
Community quarantine had a significant impact on the operations of
business establishments in the Region, resulting in layoffs and closures,
particularly among micro, small, and medium enterprises. The main reasons
for retrenchment and establishment closure were economic factors such as a
lack of inputs, a decline in demand, and financial loss.
In 2020, a total of 2,341 businesses retrenched, with 293 permanently
closing. A large number of establishments retrenched in the third and fourth
quarters, with the majority of those closing in the fourth quarter despite the
lifting of quarantine restrictions on business operations. By this point, these
companies may have already suffered significant financial losses as a result of
lower consumer demand and expenditure.
Retrenchments and shutdowns resulted to the displacement of 84,397
employees. Of this, 91 percent was due to retrenchment. A higher number of
male employees were also displaced compared to female employees.
Industries with the highest number of displaced employees were in

32
manufacturing, administrative and support services, construction and
engineering, other service activities, and education sectors.

Employment Situation in CALABARZON: As of April 2021:

Of the estimated 11.35 million population 15 years old and over in

CALABARZON, about 64.8 percent or 7.36 million are persons in the labor
force (See summary statistics). It means that about 648 out of 1,000
population aged 15 years and over in the region were either employed or

33
unemployed. The labor force participation rate (LFPR) in April 2021 posted
an increase of 3.3 percentage points compared to the LFPR in January 2021;
and about 6.5 percentage points higher than the LFPR in April 2020.

Employment rate decreased by 0.3 percent

The employment rate (ER) fell by 0.3 percentage points in April 2021, from
86.9 percent in January 2021 to 86.6 percent in April 2021. It is 3.3 percentage
points higher than the ER of 83.3 percent in April 2020. In absolute terms, this
equates to 6.37 million employed people in April 2021, up from 5.36 million in
April 2020.

Underemployment rate is registered at 12.5 percent

As of April 2021, the region's underemployed population was estimated to
be 1.19 million. This figure represented 18.6 percent of the region's total
employed population. The rate of underemployment fell by 5.1 percentage
points compared to the same period last year. Underemployed people are
those who were previously employed but still express a desire for more hours
of work in their current job, a second job, or a new job with longer working
hours.

34
Employment rate by Region

For the second quarter of this year, CALABARZON's employment rate is

4.7 percentage points lower than the Philippines' employment rate of 91.3
percent. With the lowest ER for the second quarter of 2021, the region is
second only to NCR (85.6 percent). During the period, Region IX (Zamboanga
Peninsula) had the highest ER of 96.7 percent, followed by Davao Region
(Region XI) at 95.8 percent.
In April 2020, the region had an employment rate of 83.3 percent, which
was higher than the national employment rate of 82.4 percent. The lowest
employment rate was 70.2 percent in BARMM, followed by 72.7 percent in
Central Luzon (Region III). Northern Mindanao (Region X) had the highest ER
at 88.9 percent.

35
36
Highlights:

 Total labor force population in April 2021 was estimated at 7.36 million in
CALABARZON. This translates to 64.8 percent labor force participation
rate.
 Total employed persons in the region for the second quarter were
approximately 6.37 million population 15 years old and over or a regional
employment rate of 86.6 percent.
 Total unemployed persons reached 986 thousand.
 Underemployment rate was recorded at 18.6 percent or approximately
1.19 M employed persons.

1.5 Education

- Basic Education

Net enrollment and completion rate both improved. The net enrolment
rate increased from SY 2016-2017 to SY 2018-2019, with the exception of
kindergarten, which decreased in SY 2018-2019. The increased net enrolment
rate may be attributed to the implementation of early registration schedules, a
school-based feeding program, and a senior high school voucher program. It
can also be attributed to the Region's increased number of elementary and
secondary schools. Annual regional targets were met during the same time
period. There was little difference between male and female enrolees at all
levels in terms of gender disparity. Male enrollment was higher in kindergarten,
elementary, and junior high school, while female enrollment was higher in
senior high school.

Similarly, from SY 2016-2017 to SY 2017-2018, the completion rate in

elementary and junior high school increased, and annual Regional targets
were met. The reorganization of the Regional Committee on Education for All
into a Regional Committee on Quality Education for All, which monitored the

37
implementation of the K–12 program, may have aided in meeting the Regional
targets.

Higher cohort survival rate observed. The Region’s cohort survival rates
in elementary level and junior high school were among the highest in the
country for SY 2017- 2018 at 99 and 91.4 percent, respectively. Cohort
survival rates of female students in both elementary and secondary levels
were higher at 100 and 94.64 percent, respectively, compared to male
students at 98.32 and 88.57 percent. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Progrram contributed to this outcome as the condition is for children to be in
school.

Alternative Learning System (ALS) Intensified. Enrollment in ALS

increased by approximately 29.89 percent from 2017 to 2018. Male enrolment
rates were also higher in 2017 and 2019, at 56 and 57 percent, respectively.
Interest in ALS has grown as a result of increased promotion of the alternative
learning system, particularly in rural areas.

38
 School days reduced due to class suspensions. The eruption of
Taal Volcano in January 2020 suspended school classes in the Region for a
number of days but for a longer period in Batangas Province because most of
its public schools were used as temporary evacuation centers.

The declaration of ECQ for Luzon due to COVID-19 suspended classes in

public and private schools to curb the spread of the virus. In some areas,
public schools were also identified as one of the isolation areas of local
government units.

These increasing number of class suspensions affected the school

calendar days which resulted to make-up classes and/or squeezing the

39
lessons in a shorter period in order for students to acquire the minimum
requirement to complete a grade level. The shortened periods reduced the
physical contact of teachers to learners which is essential to effectively deliver
the lessons

Higher education and technical and vocational education and

training

Faculty-Student Ratio improved. In SY 2018-2019, the regional

faculty-student ratio was 1:21, compared to 1:28 for SUCs and 1:19 for private
HEIs. This was an improvement over the previous years' ratios of 1:33 and
1:20. Notably, private HEIs have a higher faculty-to-student ratio than SUCs.
Because of free tertiary education, a significant proportion of tertiary students
attended SUCs. With 338 colleges and universities, the Region ranked second
in the country in terms of the number of tertiary education institutions.

Increasing faculty staff competence continued. Approximately half

of the faculty in tertiary education hold a postgraduate degree. In line with the
national goal of improving the competence of our country's professors and
instructors, faculty members from the Region's colleges and universities
continue to pursue additional studies. For the academic year 2018-2019, 48
percent of professors and instructors in SUCs and 52 percent in private higher
education institutions (HEIs) have a postgraduate degree.

Certification rate of Technical and Vocational Education and

Training (TVET) graduates continue to increase. TVET graduates'
certification rate increased from 88.40 percent in 2016 to 92 percent in 2018.
As a result, annual regional and provincial targets were met in 2017 and 2018.
Furthermore, similar results were observed across all provinces. The
increased certification rate may be attributed to improvements in the quality
and availability of TVET programs.

Challenges encountered in UniFAST implementation. The passage

of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act expanded tertiary

40
learners' access to state universities and colleges, as well as public
technical-vocational institutions. The ongoing implementation of UniFAST has
made greater access possible. However, difficulties were encountered in
implementing the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES). There have been reports
of discrepancies between Listahanan and TES beneficiaries, with some
students included in the DSWD Listahan not being included in the list of TES
beneficiaries, while those not included in the former were able to access TES.

1.6 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Number of Promoted Technologies Increased. There was an

increase of 53.94 percent in the number of technologies promoted, from 165 in
2019 to 254 in 2020 (Table 14.1). The increase may be attributed to DOST’s
various promotional activities on diverse and locally developed R&D outputs
through different strategies like deployment, transfer agreements, promotion,
and commercialization services.

Number of Adopted Technologies Increased. In 2020, the number of

adopted technologies is 76 which is higher than the 53 targeted for the year.
However, the performance is lower than the 84 adopted technologies achieved
in 2019 (Table 14.2). The decline can be attributed to the challenge in
identifying potential adopters of publicly-funded technologies. Furthermore,
most of the identified beneficiaries were already technology adopters from the
previous years. With the challenges brought by the pandemic, the DOST
continued to strengthen its partnership with regional line agencies and
HEIs/SUCs to accelerate the transfer/deployment of technologies.

41
Provincial Science and Technology Center Quezon recorded the highest
number of adopters due to the assisted LGUs in GIDA communities. Most of
them adopted STARBOOKS, Complementary Feeding Program, and
DRRM-related technologies such as TEWS and ARG under the CEST
Program. Moreover, for sustainability and institutionalization of technologies,
Technology Transfer Agreements or Memorandum of Agreements were forged
with LGUs, RDIs, and people’s organizations.Due to the effects of the
COVID-19 Pandemic in the operations, majority of the technologies are
promoted through the online platforms adapting to new normal strategies.

42
 Number of Technology Adopters Decreased. In terms of the number
of technology adopters, there is a decrease of 10.68 percent, from 103 in 2019
to 92 in 2020 (Table 14.4). Nonetheless, even with the decrease from the
previous year, the number of technology adopters has exceeded the 2020
target of 45 technology adopters. This was made possible through mobilizing
the FOB function of the Regional Office to encourage technology transfer and
developing innovative projects and activities that showcased the
DOST-developed/funded technologies as well as the conduct of various
promotional activities for technologies. The usual adopters of the STI came
from the MSMEs, LGUs, cooperatives/association/people’s organizations, and
academe.

Performance in improving existing technologies and creating new ones

decreased. The region also measures the performance of intellectual property
rights (IPR) registrations for patents, industrial designs (ID), and utility models
(UM).
Table 14.5 shows that the number of Filipino patents granted is the same for
2019 and 2020 which is 2 patents granted per year exceeding the target of 1
granted Filipino patent per year.

43
In terms of the number of filings for Filipino IPR patents, UMs applications and
Filipino ID filings, these decreased from 43, 81, 87 in 2019 to 41, 73, and 47 in
2020 (Table 14.6), respectively. All of these indicators did not meet the targets
set for 2020. There were several factors for the non-attainment of the targets.
With the long processing time from the submission of documents and
compliance with requirements, issuance of patents takes four years from the
time of application (18 months waiting time, 6 months upon application). In
relation, industrial designs and utility models have an average waiting time of 9
months and 10 months, respectively.

Another reason on the non-attainment of the targets is that the target setting at
the regional level only started in 2019, and IPOPHIL has limited number of
intellectual property satellite offices (IPSOs) and innovation and the technology
support offices (ITSOs) to cater to the IPR applicants nationwide. In addition,
the low level of awareness on the importance of intellectual property, and
limited funding for R & D both for SUCs and private HEI also contributed the
non-achievement of target. The COVID-19 pandemic restricted normal
operations of universities, industries, and government agencies further
contributing to the decline in the IPR filing.

 Investments in STI-based start-ups, enterprises, and spin-offs

Increased

44
 Number of S&T interventions provided is within target. Despite the
pandemic, the number of S&T interventions increased in 2020 by 23.19
percent. There were 802 S&T interventions in 2019 and it increased to 988 in
2020, surpassing the latter’s year target of 693 interventions(Table 14.7).

Number of Firms Provided with S&T Services. The number of firms

provide with S&T Services also increased from 1,490 firms in 2019 to 3,823
firms in 2020 (Table 14.8). The notable increase is attributed to the
implementation of new strategies under the New Normal setting.

Number of S&T jobs generated decreased. The number of S&T

related-jobs decreased from 2,145 generated jobs in 2019 to just 688 jobs in
2020 (Table 14.9). The decrease in jobs generated is being attributed to Taal
Volcanic Eruption (first quarter of 2020), COVID-19 Pandemic (from the
second quarter of 2020), and major typhoons that struck the region during the
last quarter of 2020.

 Stimulate innovation
Creative capacity for knowledge and technology generation,
acquisition, and adoption enhanced

45
 Number of R&D Centers and Innovation hubs increased.The
increase is facilitated by the following: 1) focusing on the pressing needs,
concerns, and potentials of the region to develop solutions; 2) use of social
media as a platform to increase promotional activities; and 3) support the
implementation of the Science For Change Program to accelerate and expand
STI programs in the country and promote development and industrial
competitiveness through the establishment of R&D centers under the Niche
Centers in the Regions for R&D (NICER) program.

R&D proposals evaluated and endorsed increased. R&D proposals

submitted by SUCs are evaluated and endorsed to funding agencies through
consortia. Table 14.10 shows that 13 proposals were evaluated and endorsed
for 2020, higher than in 2019 thereby exceeding its year on target of three
R&D proposals evaluated and endorsed. Most of these proposals are from
agriculture, industry/emerging technology, DRRM, and others.

Number of in-house R&D projects maintained. There are two

in-house R&D projects conducted both in 2019 and 2020 and they are within
the yearly target (Table 14.12). They were mostly innovative solutions
ICT-Based Projects. With the continuing active participation of stakeholders
such as RLAs, DOST-attached agencies, SUCs, LGUs, and other
stakeholders, the number of in-house R&D projects is projected to increase
annually.

46
 Number of STEM enrollees in high school increased. The enrollees
in high school under Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) track increased from 87,782 in SY 2019-2020 to 94,542 in SY
2020-2021 (Table 14.13) both exceeding their 2019 and 2020 targets.

Number of STEM enrollees in HEIs decreased. In contrast, the

number of enrollees under STEM of HEIs decreased from 66,926 in AY
2016-2017 to 54,161 in AY 2017-2018. The reason is that the students have
enrolled to other non-STEM degree programs, and that some state universities
and colleges (SUCs) do not submit data on enrolment to CHED.

Number of S&T promotional activities conducted increased. Due to

strong linkages with public and private partners, S&T communities (UPLB,
HEIs, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources
Research and Development, R&D Institutes), and use of social media/online
platforms, the number of S&T promotional activities increased by 38.31
percent which is from 1,300 promotional activities in 2019 to 1,798 in 2020
thereby exceeding its target of 866 (Table 8). The conduct of online S&T
promotional activities is also expected to continue while the region is still
adjusting to the New Normal.

47
 1.7 PEACE & ORDER AND PUBLIC SAFETY

Number of cleared conflict-affected barangays decreased. The

number of barangays affected by internal armed conflict decreased from 21
barangays in 2019 to 8 barangays in 2022. The cleared barangays were
mostly from Batangas and Quezon.

Number of CTG’s violent and non-violent activities decreased. The

number of the CTG’s violent activities decreased from 9 in 2019 to 3 in
2020.the number of CTG’s non-violent activities decreased to 378 in 2020 from
564 in 2019, a 33 percent decrease. Non-violent activities monitored were
extortion, temporary encampment, recruitment and meetings, among others.

48
 CPP-NPA manpower through surrender decreased. There was a
decrease in the number of rebels surrendering to the government from 90 in
2019 to 41 in 2020. Consequently, the number of surrendered firearms also
decreased from 38 in 2019 to 31 in 2020. Mobility restrictions from the
implementation of community quarantines limited the conduct of local peace
dialogues.

- Illegal Drugs Significantly Reduced

Number of drug-affected barangays increased. The number of

drug-affected barangays increased from 1,286 barangays in 2019 to 3,704
barangays in 2020, a 188 percent increase. Among the provinces, Cavite had
the highest percentage of drug-affected barangays in 2020 with 100 percent of
its barangays affected by illegal drugs, followed by Batangas (99 percent),
Rizal (98 percent), Laguna (97 percent), and Quezon (78 percent).

Nevertheless, a total of 2,255 barangays were cleared from illegal drugs in

2020, a 9 percent increase from 2,071 barangays cleared in 2019. The
establishment of Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils and the conduct of
barangay drug clearing operations contributed to the increase in the number of
drug cleared barangays.

- All Forms of Criminality Significantly Reduced

Monthly index crime rate reduced. The average monthly index crime
rate in 2020 decreased to 2.48 percent from 3.74 percent in 2019. This means
that there were around 2.48 index crime incidents per month for every 100,000
people. Index crimes involve crimes against persons and crimes against
property. Crimes against persons include murder, homicide, physical injury,
and rape while crimes against property are robbery, theft,
carnapping/carjacking, and cattle rustling.

Homicide victims and murder cases reduced. The number of

homicide victims dropped to 108 in 2020 from 176 in 2019. Similarly, the

49
number of murder cases decreased from 851 in 2019 to 675 in 2020. The
implementation of community quarantine across the country which limited the
movement of people and the number of people on the streets contributed to
the decline in the number of crimes in the Region.

Average monthly non-index crime rate (AMNICR) reduced.

Following the trend in reduced crime rates, the average monthly non-index
crime rate slightly decreased from 22.48 percent in 2019 to 22.47 percent in
2020. Non-index crimes pertain to violations of special laws such as illegal
logging or local ordinances.

Crime clearance efficiency (CCE) and crime solution efficiency

(CSE) rate improved. The crime solution efficiency rate improved from 81.17
percent in 2019 to 86.12 percent in 2020. Consequently, crime clearance
efficiency increased to 94.9 percent in 2020 from 94.21 percent in 2019. The
improvement in crime solution and crime clearance efficiency may be
attributed to the continuous monitoring and resolution of cases.

- Public Safety Ensured

Police to population ratio improved. The police to population ratio improved

from 1
policeman to 1,402 citizens in 2019 to 1:1,379 in 2020. However, in spite of the
improvement, the national standard of 1:500 police-to-population ratio was not
yet met. Cavite province had the lowest police ratio at 1:1,688 while Laguna
province had the highest at 1:1,064.

50
 Amount of damages due to fire incidents increased. The amount of
damages due to fire went up to PHP598.09 million in 2020, a 21.6 percent
increase from PHP491.87 million in 2019. The majority of the increase came
from the provinces of Cavite and Laguna due to fire incidents in the factories.
However, the number of deaths due to fire incidents went down to 27 in 2020
from 32 in 2019.

The firefighter to population ratio worsened from 1:6,739 in 2019 to 1:6,843 in

2020. The prescribed ratio by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is
1:2,000.Meanwhile, the firetruck to firefighter ratio in CALABARZON remained
the same at 1:6 in 2020. This is better than the ideal 1:14 fire truck to firefighter
ratio prescribed by the BFP.

Casualties from natural disasters continue to decline as disaster

preparedness of LGUs and communities improved. The decrease in the
number of casualties can be attributed to better preparedness measures of the
population for natural hazards. In 2020, all 147 LGUs (5 provinces and 142
cities and municipalities) in CALABARZON have a fully operational DRRM
Office with trained individuals on DRRM.

1.8 VULNERABILITY OF INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES

Increased number of conditional cash transfer beneficiaries. The

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), institutionalized through Republic
Act 11310, is a national poverty reduction strategy and human capital
investment program that provides conditional cash transfer to poor and eligible
households to improve the health, nutrition, and education aspect of its
beneficiaries. The number of conditional cash transfer (CCT) beneficiaries
covered increased from 303,370 in 2019 to 325,529 in 2020 with largest
number of beneficiaries in the provinces of Quezon and Batangas (Table
11.1).

51
The Republic Act 11310, Section 4 states that beneficiaries will receive CCT
grants for a maximum of 7 years. In 2020, the DSWD implemented the Kilos
Unlad, a social casemanagement strategy, to guarantee that beneficiaries are
alleviated from poverty and remain non-poor even after the prescribed
maximum period for the conditional cash grants.

Increased number of victims of child labor assisted and proportion

of children removed from child labor. The number of child laborers assisted
slightly increased from 93 in 2019 to 97 individuals in 2020 as shown in Figure
11.2. This was attributed to the continuous collaboration of DSWD with the
municipal government of Catanauan, Quezon amidst the pandemic. The figure
also shows that the 2020 accomplishment is higher than the plan target of 25.

Consequently, the proportion of child laborers aged 5 to 17 removed from child

labor increased from 95.87 percent in 2019 to 96.90 percent in 2020. The
improvement resulted from having strong support by the local government in
the project implementation, awareness of the local community of the issue,

52
participation of the beneficiaries, service providers and other stakeholders, and
cooperation of the private employers not to hire children in their businesses.

Increased number of families with child laborers provided with

livelihood assistance. The families with child laborers provided with
livelihood assistance increased from 205 families in 2019 to 206 families in
2020. It is slightly higher than the 2020 target of 203 families. The increase
resulted from DOLE’s referral system of profiled child laborers to other LGUs
for necessary services.

Number of poor senior citizens covered by social pension

increased. The social pension coverage of poor senior citizens continuously
increased from 159,999 individuals in 2017 to 314,344 in 2020 (Figure 11.3).
The 2020 accomplishment even surpassed the 2022 target of 272,658
individuals, having the largest number of beneficiaries in the Provinces of
Batangas and Quezon.

Despite the increase in the number of beneficiaries, the proportion of targeted

social pension beneficiaries provided with social pension decreased from 100
percent in 2018 to 98.67 percent in 2020. This is due to difficulty in the mobility
of personnel, especially those coming from geographically challenged
provinces caused by the implementation of the community lockdowns and
quarantine protocols, and the lack of Special Disbursing Officers (SDOs) to
facilitate the cash advances for disbursement of stipend to beneficiaries, since
majority of SDOs are being utilized for the Social Amelioration Program.

53
 Sustained number of LGUs compliant to 1 percent allocation for
persons with disabilities and senior citizens sustained. Since 2017, all the
LGUs in the Region have been compliant with the required budget allocation
for persons with disabilities and senior citizens due to stronger stakeholder
participation during annual financial planning and program implementation.

Decreased cases of violence against women and cases on

children. Women in especially difficult circumstances (WEDC) include women
that were physically, emotionally, sexually abused, victims of illegal
recruitment, women in detention, and victims of trafficking and prostitution.
WEDC significantly decreased from 171 in 2019 to 56 in 2020 with the biggest
reduction reported in the province of Cavite. Meanwhile, the number of
reported cases for children decreased from 250 in 2019 to 211 in 2020. The
decrease in cases both in women and children received and served may be
due to the imposed travel restrictions under the community quarantine.

- Managing Economic Risks

Increased number of informal sector workers provided with

emergency employment and/or income augmentation thru livelihood
assistance. The workers in the informal sector provided with emergency
employment and/or income augmentation through livelihood assistance
significantly increased by 32,382 individuals in 2019 to 58,059 in 2020. The
increase in informal sector workers provided with emergency employment

54
stemmed from the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers
Program (TUPAD).

Consistent increase in number of documented and undocumented

distressed OFWs provided with social welfare services. Documented and
undocumented distressed OFWs provided with assistance consistently
increased from 502 in 2017 to 1,806 in 2020 (Table 11.3), which is already
beyond the 2022 target of 700 individuals. Since 2017, most of the
beneficiaries came from the Provinces of Cavite and Laguna. The top 10
countries with highest number of documented and undocumented distressed
OFWs provided with social welfare services are: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(386); United Arab Emirates (318); Qatar (108); Kuwait (60); Singapore (47);
Japan (47); USA (28); Hong Kong (26); Oman (22); and Taiwan (21).

Managing Environmental and Natural Risks

Decreased area distributed under CARP. Comprehensive Agrarian

Reform Program (CARP) promotes social justice and industrialization for the
welfare of the landless farmers and farm workers. The area distributed through
emancipation patent (EP) / certificate of land ownership award (CLOA)
decreased from 1,551 hectares in 2019 to 1,266 hectares in 2020 (Figure 11.4)
due to low approval in the DAR General Appropriation Act. This is in contrast
with the plan target to increase area distributed.

Eighty-one percent of the areas distributed are in Quezon Province as all

stages of land acquisition and distribution processes are timely and effectively

55
delivered prior to distribution of EP and CLOA. Meanwhile, there is a low
distribution in the Provinces of Cavite and Laguna due to slow processing of
the expected documentary requirement from partner agencies due to
COVID-19 quarantine restrictions.

To address the issues and concerns, DAR conducted a problem-solving

workshop and consultations with partner agencies, landowners,
non-government organizations, and ARBs to provide early resolutions. A close
coordination and monitoring with all key players in processing and
implementation of DAR programs, projects, and activities were conducted.

Attained number of holders of emancipation patents and

certificates of land ownership. DAR provided emancipation patents and
certificates of land ownership to 635 holders, higher than the 2020 plan target
of 509 holders. Meanwhile, the NCIP started the titling process of ancestral
domains in Polillo, Real, and Mauban in 2020.

56
 Sustained Agrarian Reform Communities and Agrarian Reform
Beneficiaries
Organization served. DAR sustained serving 123 Agrarian Reform
Communities (ARCs) and 264 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization
(ARBOs) of which are mostly from the Province of Quezon.Consequently, the
number of ARBs membership in organization in ARCs increased from 1,050 in
2019 to 2,025 in 2020. This surpassed the annual target of 888 memberships.

Relief Assistance provided to all affected families of natural

andhuman-induced calamities. In 2020, the DSWD provided relief
assistance to 100 percent of families accounted for 164,187 internally
displaced households incurred by fire, Taal Volcano Eruption, low pressure
area or southwest monsoon, and typhoons such as Pepito, Quinta, Rolly, and
Ulysses.

Decreased proportion of disaster-affected households assisted in

early recovery stage and number of households provided with
emergency shelter assistance. DSWD provided emergency shelter
assistance thru cash-for-work to the households which were affected by the
Taal Volcanic Eruption. A total of 98.94 percent were accomplished during the
cash disbursement wherein out of the 6,300 beneficiaries, 6,233 were served
amounting to PHP18.70 million.

57
 Disaster-related capability building activities organized. To ensure
readiness of the LGUs in responding to disaster-related incidents, the Office of
Civil Defense reviewed Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
(DRRM) Plan of 76 LGUs. The agency also provided technical assistance to
274 persons on DRRM and assistance to 595 persons on the preparation of
DRRM Annual Plans and Budget.

- Achieving universal and transformative social protection for all

Decreasing trend on support value released. The amount of benefits

paid over the actual charges for paid claims decreased from 40 percent in
2018 to 36 percent in 2020. This is below the 2022 target of 60 percent. The
PhilHealth data comprises benefit claims of beneficiaries from the Provinces of
Cavite, Laguna, and Quezon. Contributing factor is having a 94.80 percent
compliance on “No Balance Billing” during COVID-19 based on the January to
March 2020 survey conducted by PhilHealth Customer Assistance Relations
and Empowerment Staff (CARES) deployed in government and private health
care institutions nationwide.

Declined percentage of population covered by PhilHealth

insurance. The Universal Health Care (UHC) Act states that all Filipinos are
covered by PhilHealth Insurance. However, there was a declining trend in the
percentage of population covered by PhilHealth insurance from 103.33 percent
in 2019 to 100.67 percent in 2020 which is contrary to the actual target of the
Region to have increasing trend until 2022. This also shows a slight decline in
enrollment in Philhealth from 101 percent in 2019 to 89.45 percent in 2020.
The decline in trend was due to re-formulation which is a direct computation of
number of enrolled over number of population.

58
 Increased PhilHealth coverage. With the efficient and effective
implementation of UHC, the Region was able to attain 100 percent of Filipinos
eligible to avail of PhilHealth benefits compared to 96 percent in 2018. This
surpassed the annual target of 94 percent.

Strong private sector organization support. Private organizations in

the Region contribute in addressing concerns on hunger and the elderly. The
Sinag Kalinga Foundation Inc. Provides quality care to 30 senior citizens with
the provision of a comfortable home, daily meals and medical assistance, and
employment to 17 caregivers.

1.9 REHABILITATION INTERVENTION

- Enhancing civil, criminal, commercial and administrative justice systems

Increased percentage of favorable dispositions. In 2020, favorable

dispositions surpassed the annual target by 17.7 percent. This was also an

59
improvement from the 2019 performance of 85.8 percent to 89.2 percent in
2020. The improvement may be attributed to increase in workforce and
plantilla positions in in DOJ PAO.

Decreased number of cases granted with favorable dispositions.

While the percentage of cases with favorable disposition increased, the
number of cases granted with favorable dispositions decreased by 2,460
cases from 11,092 cases in 2019 to 8,632 cases in 2020.

- Improving sector efficiency and accountability

Decreased qualified inmates released on time. In 2020, release of

qualified inmates decreased by 4,836 inmates from 16,333 in 2019 to 11,497
inmates in 2020. However, the 2020 accomplishment is still higher than the
regional target of 1,421 inmates for 2020.

Decreased jail congestion rate. The congestion rate of jail facilities in

CALABARZON
decreased from 768 percent in 2019 to 619 percent in 2020. This is far from
the ideal jail capacity of 1:30 inmates but still lower than the region’s target at
846.7 percent set by the BJMP National Headquarters.The top five most
congested jail facilities in the region are located in Dasmariñas City, Cainta,
San Pedro City, Santa Rosa City, and Biñan City.

60
 The crude mortality rate in the Region’s jail facilities slightly increased from
0.19 percent in2019 to 0.21 in 2020. Though the crude mortality rate in the
Region increased, it is still below the critical level of more than 0.4 percent
based on the United Nations standard.

Increased percentage of human rights cases resolved within the

prescribed period. In 2020, CHR Region IV-A was able to resolve 98 percent
or 353 out of 357 human rights cases on time. This is higher than the 95
percent or 156 out of 164 cases resolved in 2019.

Decrease in reoffending rate among convicted offenders. There

was a decrease in the reoffending rate among probationers, Juvenile in
Conflict with the Law (JICL) and parolees and pardonees from 0.41 percent or
40 clients out of 9,581 convicted offenders in 2019 to 0.33 percent or 44 clients
out of 13,284 convicted offenders in 2020.

Decreased rate of probationers, parolees, pardonees and CICL

compliant to the terms and conditions of probation or parole. A total of

61
13,284 probationers, parolees/pardonees and Children in Conflict with the Law
(CICLs) were supervised in 2020. Out of 13,284, only 11,325 or 92.78 percent
has been compliant6 with the terms and conditions, a decrease of 6.2 percent
from 2019 compliance rate of 98.99 percent.

1.10 CULTURE & VALUES

- Our diverse cultures valued

IKSPs documented. Indigenous Knowledge System and Practices

(IKSP) are local knowledge developed over centuries of experimentation and
are passed orally from generation to generation.The IKSP documented was
Tuloy Po! Taka ng Paete, a video documentation featuring the traditional
practice of taka or paper mache making in Paete, Laguna.

Number of schools of living tradition increased. In 2020, NCCA is

supporting one School of Living Tradition (SLT) in Tanay Rizal. The SLT is
located in the community of the Dumagat Remontado in Brgy. Cuyambay,
Tanay, Rizal. The SLT is focused on the teaching of traditional weaving and
“Bolos” Dumagat language.

Inculcating values that foster the common good. Understanding

Filipino values is key in defining and making sense of people’s social and
behavioral patterns, and strengthening common identity towards national and
regional goals. NCCA completed the study to identify the core and sectoral
Filipino values. Results of the national study identified 19 core values. The
following are the top five core values of the CALABARZON Region: 1) health
and wellness; 2) family; 3) education; 4) work and livelihood; and 5) self.

Cities and municipalities with cultural mapping increased. Cultural

mapping is a tool to document and identify tangible and intangible assets in the
community. The number of LGUs with cultural mapping increased to 16 in
2020 from 7 in 2019.

62
Number of local festivities increased. Festivities are events which are
celebrated by a community and center some characteristic aspect of that
community and its religion or culture. In 2020, local festivities in Cavite,
Laguna, and Batangas decreased due to COVID-19 community quarantine
restrictions, while Rizal only featured their cultural activities and festivities
through online via Rizal Province’s Facebook Page. For Batangas Province,
the eruption of the Taal Volcano hampered the celebration local festivities.

- Pagkamalikhain values of creative excellence advanced

Established arts organizations and councils increased. Total

number of local culture and arts council and arts organization in the provinces
remained at 82 from 2019 to 2020. LGUs need to establish and maintain a
local culture and arts council and arts organization that would facilitate
formulation of programs, and recommend development and sustainability of
local culture and arts.

Cultural sites identified. As of 2020, there are 432 identified cultural

sites in the region from 387 in 2019. The increase was due to the additional
cultural sites declared in the Province of Laguna.

Arts academies and schools established. There were five additional

arts academies and schools which implemented a special curriculum for the
arts established in 2020 compared to three in 2019. These are: a) Batangas
Province High School for Culture and Arts; b) Calamba City School for the Arts;
c) Regional Lead School for the Arts in Angono, Rizal; d) Jose Rizal Memorial
School in Calamba City; and e) Batangas City High School for the Arts. The
establishment of arts academies and schools will aid in the improvement and
popularization of Filipino culture.

Culture-sensitive public governance and development

strengthened Number of required municipalities, cities, and provinces
with Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representation (IPMR) increased.
The IP mandatory representation will provide support in sustaining the

63
constitution and operations of the Indigenous Peoples Consultative Body at
the barangay, municipal, city, and provincial levels.

Awarding and incentives system for cultural initiatives established.

For 2020, the LGUs with institutionalized awarding and incentive system for
cultural initiatives remained the same as in 2019. These are the Province of
Batangas with the Batangas Culture and Arts Council Award and the Province
of Quezon with Galing Sining Gawad ng Quezon Award. The Cavite Province
has a plan to establish one in the province.

1.11 TOURISM

The Services Sector was affected with the closure of shopping malls and
other commercial establishments, suspension of transportation services, and
decline in the tourist arrivals.

GVA in Services Sector contracted. The services sector contracted

by 8.6 percent in 2020 compared to the 6.2 percent growth rate it achieved in
2019. Most subsectors have negative growth rate with accommodation and
food service activities as the highest at -30.7 percent, followed by real estate
and ownership of dwellings at - 17.8 percent.

The possible causes of contraction in the services subsectors are the

imposition of community quarantine and the eruption of Taal Volcano. The
quarantine imposed limited operations of business establishments. It
significantly disrupted business operation in the wholesale and retail industry,
professional and business activities, entertainment activities, and real estate. It
also restricted the transport industry and affected the tourism sector. The
education sector also suspended operations of 136 private schools for SY
2020-2021. Meanwhile, the calamity suspended business operations which
impacted business operations, especially the tourism sector in Batangas
Province and Tagaytay City in Cavite Province.

64
 The number of DOT accredited tourism establishments has decreased by
44.39 percent due to the restrictions on travel. The conduct of physical
inspection has been limited and has become a big challenge to the Regional
Office.However, virtual inspections were conducted toaccommodate
applications not only for DOT Accreditation but for the issuance of Certificate
of Authority to Operate in which health and safety protocols were included in
the inspection checklists.

The number of rooms in DOT accredited establishments increased by

84.23 percent but failed to meet the target of 10,619 rooms. Nonetheless, the
increase in the number of DOT Accredited accommodation establishments
under the Mabuhay Accommodation category played an important part for
increase in the number of rooms. On the other hand, the number of rooms for
the Hotel category also made a huge impact for the increase in the number
rooms since the number of DOT Accredited Hotels garnered an average of 83
rooms.

65
 1.12 ENVIRONMENT

Instead of establishing new plantations, increasing the forest cover in 2020

focused on improving the survival rate of previously established National
Greening Program (NGP) plantations through maintenance and protection.
While there were no new established forest plantations and no new denuded
and degraded forestlands rehabilitated, 7,381 hectares of NGP old plantations
were maintained and protected. There were 508 hectares in Batangas, 46.43
hectares in Cavite, 500 hectares in Laguna, 5,057.25 hectares in Quezon, and
968.50 hectares in Rizal old NGP plantations maintained. In addition, 131,605
hectares of conservation areas were protected through patrolling. These are
achieved despite the risks brought about by the Taal Volcano Eruption at the
beginning of the year, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, peace and
order issues, extreme weather conditions, forest fires, and diseases.

66
Despite not having new plantations in 2020, the 36,531-hectare target for the
area of forestland under effective management was surpassed as 43,156
hectares of forestland were under effective management in 2020. This was
achieved through monitoring of compliances to terms and conditions of issued
tenurial instruments.

Likewise, no new mangrove plantations were established in 2020 but a total of

1,086 hectares of mangrove plantations were maintained and protected. Table
20.1 shows the summary of forest cover changes and forestland management
in the Region as of 2020.

67
- Targets for effective management of inland waters/wetlands and caves not
met

Of the five targets for priority inland/wetland effectively managed in 2020, only
one was effectively managed as some LGUs and other stakeholders could not
push through with their coordination and data gathering activities due to the
imposed community quarantine. Only the Pansipit River Wetland Management
Plan was prepared.

- Targets on beneficiaries with secured land tenure not met

There were 1,126 beneficiaries with secured land tenure in public agricultural
alienable and disposable lands in 2019, as seen in Table 20.5. This was higher
than the 240 beneficiaries targeted for the same period.

68
- Targets on development of sustainable resource-based industries generally
met

The target for employment from ecotourism and sustainable community

resource-based enterprise was not met as employment in 2020
decreased.Meanwhile, the target for jobs generated from reforestation and
non- timber/agroforestry enterprises was met as 6,344 were employed from
NGP and community-based forest management in 2020.was achieved through
the successful collaboration of government and people’s organizations. The
same is observed with the number of biodiversity- friendly enterprises
recognized as the number increased from 12 in 2019 to 13 in 2020 with the
addition of Fish Processing: Production and Marketing of Surimi Paste Project
of the Samahan ng Mandaragat sa Sulok Fisher Association which focuses on
surimi production in Lumaniang, Lian, Batangas.

The development of 22 protected areas into ecotourism sites targeted for 2020
was not met as only 18 PAs were developed into ecotourism sites.
Meanwhile, the 10 target Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) that serve as
ecotourism destinations was achieved in 2020.

The area of the agroforestry system adopted in 2020, however, did not meet
the 2,865-hectare target as only 135 hectares were adopted. This includes the
50-hectare coffee-based agroforestry plantation in Laguna, the 35-hectare
agroforestry plantation project in Quezon, and the 50-hectare agroforestry
plantation with working animals project in Quezon. In addition, 590 hectares of
NGP plantations planted with assorted agroforestry species and 153 hectares
of plantation of assorted fruit trees were maintained and protected.

69
  Improve environmental quality
- Percentage of major urban areas with ambient air quality within guideline
value
decreased as air quality monitoring instruments remained unreliable

The target for air quality monitoring in four urban areas remains unmet in 2020.
While the Region has four air quality monitoring stations, only two, located in
the cities of Biñan in Laguna and Antipolo in Rizal, are functional. The one in
Indang, Cavite remains inactive while the station in Sta. Rosa has no reading
in 2020.

Tabel 8 shows that Annual particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5
micrometers (PM 2.5) reading for the Antipolo and Biñan stations are withing
the National Ambient Air Quality Guideline Value of 25 μg/NCM at 18.35
μg/NCM and 11.08 μg/NCM, respectively.

70
Water quality of major water bodies failed to meet Class C and SB standards

The Region’s priority river systems still failed to meet water quality guidelines
for Class C Standard or food production use in 2020. Failure to meet the target
is due to high BOD, chloride, phosphate, temperature below the acceptable
range, and very high fecal coliform content as seen in Table 20.9.

71
Likewise, the overall ambient water quality in the Manila Bay area did not meet
the Class SB water quality standard in 2020.

72
The same is also observed for the water quality of major recreational water
bodies in the Region which failed the SB Class Standard in 2020 due to high
fecal coliform content as seen in Table 20.11.

As for Laguna Lake, the average BOD level in 2020 remains at 3 mg/L, which
is well within the standard of less than 7 mg/L.

73
Laguna Lake has a total of 8,200.48 hectares of aquaculture area in 2020,
which is also within its 9,200-hectare carrying capacity. Meanwhile, the
100-hectare target of the Laguna Lake basin planted with seedlings in 2020
was not met as only 40.7 hectares were planted.

The number of closed and rehabilitated open dumpsites and controlled dump
facilities
increased from 27 in 2019 to 41 in 2020. On the other hand, the number of
sanitary landfills (SLF) in the Region increased from 43 in 2019 to 50 in 2019.

74
Likewise, LGUs with approved 10-year Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP)
increased from 98 in 2019 to 105 in 2020 with the inclusion of two SWMPs in
Batangas and Quezon and one each in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, and
Rizal.

Meanwhile, the percentage compliance of LGUs to RA 9003 and the solid

waste diversion rate
in the Region were not determined as SWM was least prioritized due to the
imposition of
Community quarantines.

75
- Disaster preparedness improves in the Region

In compliance with RA 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and

Management Act of 2010, 100 percent of the LGUs (5 provinces and 142 cities
and municipalities) in CALABARZON have fully operational DRRM Office as of
2019. Relatedly, the number of individuals trained on DRRM increased by 869
in 2020.

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 1.13 AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & FISHERIES

The AFF sector posted a decline in its 2020 performance compared to the
previous year. This was mainly a result of the series of events that affected the
region starting from the Taal Volcano Eruption in January, the COVID-19
Pandemic which caused the community quarantine restrictions from March,
and the typhoons that occurred in the last quarter of the year. Additionally, the
livestock subsector, which is a major driver of the AFF in the region, remains
threatened by the African Swine Fever (ASF). Crops and fish production was
highly affected by the Taal Volcano Eruption and the series of typhoons.

Gross Value in AFF declined

The 2020 gross value added in AFF, at constant 2018 prices, declined by 6.64
percent from PHP155.14 billion in 2019 to PHP144.84 billion in 2020. The
lower performance of the sector was due to the decline of the fisheries
subsector by 15.82
percent and the livestock sub-sector by 11.33 percent. The poultry sub-sector
also declined by 2.82 percent and crops sub-sector by 6.53 percent in 2020.

Corn Production Increased

Grains production, which includes palay, white corn and yellow corn, generally
posted a positive performance. However, despite increase in the performance
compared to the previous year, the actual yields remain short of the target for
2020.

77
Palay yield at 3.64 metric tons per hectare in 2020 is 1.31 percent below its
2019 level and is 8.52 percent short of the target for 2019. The 35.46 percent
increase in palay production in the Quezon Province, which comprises about
48.12 percent of the total palay production in the Region, was not able to offset
the decline in palay production in the Provinces of Laguna, Batangas, Cavite
and Rizal. The decrease in yield can be attributed to the Taal Volcano Eruption,
Tungro virus, and the series of typhoons that hit the country.

Similarly, white and yellow corn production was affected by the Taal Volcano
Eruption and the series of typhoons during the last quarter of the year resulting
in the failure to meet the target yield.

For white corn, the average yield in 2020 was 1.80 metric tons. This was 7.03
percent more than the yield in 2019. However, despite the increase, it was
below the target of 2.43 metric tons per hectare. The Provinces of Quezon and
Rizal were the main contributors to the positive performance with the 44.24
percent and 51.91 percent increase from the 2019 volume of production,
respectively. Quezon province is the major producer of white corn in the
Region contributing about 46.15 percent to the total corn production.

Likewise, yellow corn production recorded an average yield of 3.80 metric tons
per hectare. While this was 13.68 percent higher than the yield in 2019, it failed
to meet the target. In terms of production, all provinces posted an increase
except for Batangas which recorded a decline of 18.66 percent.

The Province of Quezon is the major producer of yellow corn in the Region
with 87.56 percent contribution to the total yellow corn production.

78
The yield of coconut declined by 8.81 percent from 3.39 metric tons per
hectare in 2019 to 3.09 metric tons per hectare in 2020 resulting to
non-achievement of the target yield.The Region is the top coconut producer in
Luzon and fourth largest is the major coconut producer with producer in the
country with Quezon province accounting for 86.95 percent of the region’s
production.

Banana, pineapple, and mango production also declined and failed to achieve
targets for 2020. In 2019, Batangas accounts for 37.45 of banana production
and 77.84 percent of mango production in the Region while Cavite produces
80.57 percent of the pineapples in the Region. Likewise, coffee, cacao, and
sugarcane are mainly produced in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite which
were heavily affected by the ashfall brought by the Taal Volcano Eruption.
Losses were aggravated with the typhoons Rolly, Ulysses, and Quinta
destroying the crops.

In response to the losses incurred by the farmers, the Department of

Agriculture (DA) provided assistance to lessen the input costs and improve the
quality of produce. DA distributed planting materials, fertilizers and other soil
ameliorants, and farm supplies.

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Likewise, vegetable production decreased by 7.13 as farmers were not able to
go to work due to travel restrictions or fear of being infected by the virus.

Chicken Egg Production Grew

Chicken egg production grew by 5.61 percent from its 2019 level achieving its
target of increasing production in 2020. The increase was brought about by the
increased demand during the quarantine and the expansion of the layer
industry as hog raisers affected by the Asian Swine Fever (ASF) shifted to
chicken egg production.

On the other hand, chicken production shrank as poultry farms temporarily

suspended their operations during the community quarantine. In response,
government distributed broilers, free range chickens and equipment such as
incubators. The DA remained pro-active in preventing and controlling diseases
such as the Avian Influenza disease.

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The ASF affected 86 out of the 142 municipalities in CALABARZON resulting
to lower hog production. The ASF outbreak prompted the DA to strictly
implement zoning and movement to prevent the spread of ASF. As ASF is
highly contagious, infected pigs were culled to prevent transmission.

Meanwhile, goat production also decreased due to unfavorable weather

conditions and susceptibility to diseases.

Fisheries Output Decreased

Fisheries production decreased by 19.10 percent from 300,391.66 metric tons

in 2019 to 243,008.54 metric tons in 2020. The biggest decline was in
Batangas with production decreasing by 29.25 percent, from 93,090.69 metric
tons in 2019 to 65,857.14 metric tons in 2020. The remaining provinces also
recorded a decline in production with Rizal at 18.21 percent, Quezon at 17.93
percent, Cavite at 15.98 percent, and Laguna at 4.10 percent decline.

The three fisheries subsectors have decreased volume of production

compared to the previous year, with the biggest decline in the aquaculture
sub-sector at 23.07 percent, followed by the commercial fisheries at 20.14
percent, then municipal fisheries at 12.08 percent.

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Aquaculture production was greatly affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano
and the
declaration of the Taal Lake as a danger zone. Fishing in Taal Lake was
stopped while aquaculture structures in the lake were damaged by the eruption
causing fish stocks to escape in open waters. The strong typhoons during the
second semester also damaged aqua farms resulting to losses in stocks.

The volume of municipal fisheries or those fishing done in inland and coastal
areas
with or without the use of a fishing boat of up to three gross tons have declined
in 2020. The highest decline recorded was in Quezon Province at 22.05
percent, followed by the Rizal and Batangas Provinces at 19.80 and 19.47
percent, respectively. There was also an observed decline in Cavite Province
at 4.25 percent reduction from the 2019 level. On the other hand, Laguna
Province posted an increase in production of about 0.64 percent. The decline
in municipal fisheries production was due to the frequent occurrence of
typhoons and gale warnings which prohibited municipal fishermen from fishing.
The COVID-19 pandemic has
also affected municipal fishing as municipal fishers have limited movement
given the stricter quarantine protocols and there are few buyers of fish and fish
products which prompted fisherfolks to limit their operation for own food
consumption.

In terms of priority fishery commodities, tiger prawns and white shrimp

production have increased by 34.45 and 48.39 percent, respectively. On the
other hand, while total bangus production declined, production in the provinces
of Cavite, Laguna, and Quezon have increased from 2019 level.

Ecological Limit Maintained

Production forest which includes tree plantation and non-timber forest products
must be increased to ensure that productivity enhancements will be attained
within the ecological limit and will sustain benefits. The area within production

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forest, for tree plantation and non-timber forest products, is equivalent to 1,430
hectares and 4,340 hectares, respectively. The area is the same since 2018
considering that the region has no more target for tree plantation starting 2019,
and Rattan and Bamboo planting in 2020.

Technical Support Services Increased

The increase in services resulted to the attainment of the target for 2020.
Production support services in fisheries include input assistance, aquaculture
programs, and techno-demo projects. Under the livestock program of the DA,
there are animal distribution and provision of biologics, drugs, and vaccine.

The number of beneficiaries provided with agricultural and fishery machineries

and equipment declined by 23.42 percent from 777 beneficiaries in 2019 to
595 beneficiaries in 2020.The increased budget allocation as well as the timely
procurement and distribution of machineries and equipment contributed to the
successful attainment of the target.

For technical support provided to AFF-enterprises, the number of enterprises

supported increased by 8.75 percent from 160 in 2019 to 174 in 2020.

The technical support services for palay, yellow corn, and white corn,
measured by the harvest area supported, declined in 2020 resulting to the
non-attainment of the target.The delivery of technical support services to the

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target program harvest area, which includes provision of seeds, fertilizers and
farm mechanization, were hindered by the Taal Volcano Eruption, COVID-19
pandemic, and the series of typhoon in the last quarter of the year.

Access to Economic Opportunities by small farmers and fisherfolks increased

In terms of access by small farmers and fisherfolks to land and water

resources, the share of registered small fisherfolks with preferential access to
municipal waters over the total number of registered small fisherfolks
increased by 1.49 percentage points from 15.43 percent in 2019 to 16.92
percent in 2020. This share also resulted to the attainment of the target 16.7
percent share for 2020. The positive performance can be attributed to the
conduct of fishery law enforcement in the municipal waters.

To increase access to technology, research and development (R&D) must be

strengthened. In 2020, the share of AFF R&D government budget increased
by 2.37 percent from PHP1.28 billion in 2019 to PHP1.31 billion in 2020. Of the
2020 budget for R&D, 94.86 percent is under the Philippine Council for
Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development while
5.14 percent is under the DA. The DA was able to implement 62 R&D projects
with focus on rice, corn, livestock, and high-value crops.

Relatedly, agricultural extension plays a crucial role in improving access to

economic

84
opportunities by farmers and fisherfolks. In 2020, the number of beneficiaries
provided with extension services declined by 52.24 percent from 9,640 in 2019
to 4,604 in 2020.

Lastly, the number of registered fisherfolks provided with livelihood projects

increased by 7.62 percent from 5,842 registered fisherfolks in 2019 to 6,287
registered fisherfolks in 2020 resulting to the attainment of the target 6,070
registered fisherfolks for 2020. The positive performance resulted from the
realigned budget in the provision of direct interventions to fish farmers and
fisherfolks, and the additional funding under the Bayanihan to Recover as One
Act (Bayanihan 2) for seaweed development projects.

Access to Innovative Financing Increased

The share of small farmers and fisherfolk with agricultural insurance to

total number of farmers and fisherfolk declined from 100 percent in 2019 to
65.23 percent in 2020. However, it is important to note that while not
increasing, the number of LGUs with established partnerships for the
implementation of agricultural insurance remains at 224, the same number in
2019.

Meanwhile, the number of small farmer and fisherfolk organizations who

participated in institutional capacity building on innovative financing declined
by 53.19 percent as travel and mass gathering were restricted brought about
by community quarantine policies which limited the conduct of on-ground
and/or organized group training and other capacity building activities.

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 1.14 INDUSTRY & SERVICES

Among the three major economic sectors, Industry had the largest share
which is 49.4 percent of the Region’s economy, followed by Services with 44.8
percent share.

Economic Opportunities in Industry and Services Expanded

The economy of CALABARZON Region contracted 10.5 percent in 2020 in

contrast to the 4.6 percent growth it posted in 2019. The biggest decline in
performance came from the industry sector at 12.5 percent, followed by
services at 8.6 percent, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing at 6.6 percent.

The industry sector contracted by 12.5 percent in 2020 erasing the 3.6 percent
growth it achieved in the previous year. All the subsectors significantly
declined except for electricity, steam and water manageement. Construction
declined by 36.0 percent, mining and quarrying by 20.6 percent, and
manufacturing by 11.6 percent.

The contraction in the Industry Sector is mainly attributed to the imposition of

strict community quarantine that limited economic activities.This resulted to
shutdown of business establishments in manufacturing and construction
subsector and the retrenchment of workers. The reduction in global and
domestic demand and the significant reduction in exports of electronic
products and machinery and transport equipment from March to June 2020
also contributed to the contraction of the Sector.

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The Region’s total approved investments continued to decline both under
Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and Board of Investments (BOI)
records. For 2020, PEZA data showed that CALABARZON achieved only
59.60 percent or PHP27.09 billion of the PHP45.45 billion target.

CALABARZON Region showed a significant decrease in approved

investments at 36.21 percent, wherein Cavite recorded the highest decrease
at 53.25 percent followed by Laguna at 37.82 percent and Batangas at 31.72
percent. Rizal recorded an increase from zero in 2019 to PHP979.24 million in
2020 while Quezon has no recorded approved investments since 2018.

The decline in investments may be attributed to the Taal Volcano Eruption, the
COVID-19 pandemic, and several major typhoons which occurred towards the
end of the year.

Direct employment decreased. PEZA and BOI recorded a decrease in

employment generated from investments. Industrial parks and economic
zones decreased their direct employment by 3.33 percent or a reduction of
17,773 individuals in 2020. The number of employment generated from
BOI-Approved Investments significantly decreased by 45.18 percent.

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 In terms of percent increase in direct employment, Rizal Province is the
only province to record a positive growth rate and the highest growth rate at
9.45 percent. On the other hand, Quezon Province has the lowest growth rate
at negative 10.38 percent.

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Export sales increased. Per PEZA, the total amount of exports slightly
increased by
US$152.95 million or 0.55 percent, achieving only 0.95 percent of the target
(pegged at a 5 percent increase from the previous year). However, BOI’s
exports significantly decreased by 54.80 percent from PHP233.32 million to
PHP105.47 million.

From the five provinces only Cavite and Rizal recorded a positive growth rate
at 17.63 percent and 2.88 percent, respectively.

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The reasons for the non-achievement of the target and reduced performance
in total investments and direct employment, and the minimal increase in
exports can be attributed to various causes. Foremost among these was the
imposed lockdowns.

On the positive side, Luzon attracted the most investments with 40 new ones,
wherein
CALABARZON attracted the most investments with 26 projects.
The data on the three indicators that measure the performance of the industry
subsector were derived from the economic zones operating in CALABARZON.
There are 57 operating ecozones (Table 9.9) and 21 are newly proclaimed
ecozones (Table 9.10) in CALABARZON.

Consumer access to safe and quality goods and services ensured

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The level of consumer awareness and satisfaction of quality goods and
services declined from 77 percent in 2019 to 69 percent in 2020 or a decrease
of 11.59 percent. The decline on consumer satisfaction level may be
associated to the rise on prices of critical food products especially meat and
fish.

Meanwhile, the percentage of consumer complaints resolved increased from

85 percent in 2019 to 96 percent in 2020 or an increase of 12.94 percent.
During the pandemic, the strategies adopted include the online or
tele-mediation, introduction of standards online complaint form, and transition
to mobile apps.

Likewise, the number of consumer awareness and advocacy initiatives

undertaken increased by 5.85 percent from 205 in 2019 to 217 in 2020. The
2020 accomplishments also exceeded the target of 200 consumer awareness
and advocacy initiatives undertaken.

The number of consumer education, information and communication materials

produced decreased by 6.47 percent but exceeded its target from 6 to 9
materials produced. The increase of these indicators is due to the collaboration
with SUCs, public schools and private schools, local radio and TV stations,
and consumer welfare desks.

In addition, the number of firms/customers provided with testing and calibration

services was not achieved and slightly decreased from 3,846 in 2019 to 3,597
in 2020.

Access to production networks maintained.The Negosyo centers

maintained still remains at 108 from 2019 to 2020. The positive results in
performance are contributed by the partnership with LGUs and implementation
of Republic Act 10644, an act on promoting job generation and inclusive
growth through the development of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.

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Productivity, efficiency, and resiliency decreased

In 2019, out of 4,494 barangay micro business enterprises (BMBE)

applications received, 99.98 percent or 4,493 certificates were issued within
the prescribed time. In 2020, 100 percent was achieved with 3,579 BMBE
applications received and issued with certificates within the prescribed time.
This is primarily attributed to the strict implementation of RA 11032 (EODB)
and RA 9178 (BMBE Act).

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2. JUSTIFICATION OF SECTOR BASED ON INVESTIGATION

2.1. ECONOMIC SECTOR

According to Ahmad Nasrudin, Economic sector refers to a collection of

various similar economic activities. Similarities vary depending on the
classification we use. It could be based on stages in the production chain,
source of income or type of product, or based on ownership.

Economic sectors are divided to in to four ; the Primary Sector,

Secondary Sector, Tertiary Sector, and the Quaternary sector.The primary
sector involves companies that participate in the extraction and harvesting of
natural products from the Earth(Mining and quarrying, Fishing, Agriculture,
Forestry and Hunting), The secondary sector produces goods from the natural
products within the primary sector (food, beverages, toy cars, cars, and
clothing).The tertiary sector is comprised of companies that provide services,
such as retailers, entertainment firms, and financial organizations.The
quaternary sector includes companies engaged in intellectual activities and
pursuits. The quaternary sector typically includes intellectual services such as
technological advancement and innovation.

Sectors are used by economists to classify economic activity by grouping

companies that are engaged in similar business activities. For example, some
sectors are engaged in activities that involve the earliest stages of the
production cycle, such as extracting raw materials. Other sectors involve the
manufacturing of goods using those raw materials. Still, other companies are
engaged in service activities.

Based on the data gathered by the researchers, the sub-sectors or topics that
could be under economic sector are: Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (AFF)
and Industry & Services (I&S).There also could be come under social sector
and it includes: demographics, poverty & housing, nutrition &
health, labor & employment, education, peace & order, rehabilitation
intervention and

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culture & values.

This conclusion was in reference to the Sectoral Problem Analysis and

Regional Sectoral Problem.

 SECTORAL PROBLEM ANALYSIS

Based on the pie chart, the economical sector has the highest of
contribution in the SPA, with 80 weakness and threats out of 211 total enlisted
regional problems. It has a total of 37.91%. Compared to the social sector that
has 63 weakness and threats/ has a 29.86% of total enlisted regional problems,
there is not much difference.

These are followed by institutional sector with only 41 (19.43 percent) and
infrastructure sector with only 28(13.27percent) respectively.

Considering the data and the statistics done by the researchers, Out of the
17 regions in the Philippines, Region IV-A is the ranked as the top to
significantly contribute to sectoral concerns in the Regional Development Plan,

94
it provides 17.5 percent (14 difficulties), out of a total of 100 problems in the
generated pie chart below.

This table illustrates the ranking of problems in each region per sector.

95
96
THESIS TITLE PROPOSAL

B1a. TITLE NO. 1 : A PROPOSED REGIONAL MARICULTURE RESEARCH

AND DEVELOPMENT WITH TRADING COMPLEX IN QUEZON

According to World Fish Center Organization, small-scale fisheries and

aquaculture make critical contributions to development in the areas of
employment, with over 41 million people worldwide, the vast majority of whom
live in developing countries, working in fish production; food security and
nutrition, with fish constituting an important source of nutrients for the poor and
often being the cheapest form of animal protein.
With most capture fisheries worldwide considered fully exploited or
over-exploited. The researchers developed the idea that aquaculture can be
the answer to meeting the country’s demand for fish.

- Expanding Economic Opportunities in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,

Chapter 8, CALABARZON-RDP-2017-2022-Midterm-Update
The eruption of the Taal Volcano and COVID-19 pandemic presented new
challenges in the performance of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries sector in
the region that required a new perspective in defining strategies and designing
programs and projects (P/Ps) on resource conservation, sustained production,
technology adoption, credit access, technical assistance and support provision,
and strong collaboration with the private sector.

- Introduction, Chapter 1,
Comprehensive-National-Fisheries-Industry-Development-Plan-CNFIDP-2021
-2025
The Comprehensive National Fisheries Industry Development Plan
(CNFIDP) was developed for the years 2006 to 2025 to provide a
comprehensive framework for promoting the optimal development and
long-term sustainability of benefits derived by the nation from its fisheries. It
aimed to provide strategic directions for the Philippine fisheries.

97
 As fish production continues to fail in meeting its target, the CNFIDP
2016-2020 has identified the following important components to attain the
vision of a sustainable and competitive fisheries industry:

 Inclusive growth within the industry

 sustainable, science based fisheries and aquatic resource
management practices
 compliance to international laws, policies and standards, and
enforcement of local laws and regulations
 strengthened capacities in infrastructure,, technologies, human
resource, and information sharing
 resilience to environmental hazards

These components then drove the identification of specific targets for the plan
(Figure 1.1).

ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM:

According to Southeast Asian Fisheries development center, with a

population of about 103 million, the Philippines had a mean per capita intake of
fish and fishery products of 40 kg per year, or 109 grams per day, with a
percentage of 12.8% in 2017.

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 However, the state of the country’s resources in municipal waters is
lightly to heavily exploited and overfished. Additionally, overfishing caused by
an increase in fishermen and open access to fisheries is a problem in both
municipal and commercial fisheries, and mangrove resources have already
started to decline. Commercial fishing vessels continue to operate in municipal
waters, resulting in disputes between users of the resource. The quick
depletion of fish stocks and the degradation of habitat were both caused by the
use of destructive fishing techniques, such as fishing with dynamite and
cyanide and using fine mesh nets. Bycatch and discard problems in trawl and
other fisheries have recently been identified as a threat to the sustainability of
the nation's fisheries.
Due to the impact of intense heat during the prolonged dry spell and the
start of El Niño Phenomenon in 2018, the production of tilapia and milkfish,
which make up the majority of the region's total fisheries output, has been
declining since 2016. The ice-ice disease and epiphytes had a significant
negative impact on seaweed production, which made planting materials
scarce.

- Expanding Economic Opportunities in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,

Chapter 8, CALABARZON-RDP-2017-2022-Midterm-Update

The AFF remains vulnerable to weather disturbances which not only affect
the volume of harvested crops and fisheries but changes in planting schedules,
shifting to other crops, decline in fish unloading and damages in fishery
paraphernalia.

In 2018, the country has been flagged by international organizations to

implement sustainable fisheries management to allow for spawning of
endangered species and reduce stunted growth of fresh water specie leading
to increased and sustained fish production.
The Taal Volcano eruption during the onset of 2020 affected the
fisheries subsector, fish cages were damaged resulting to fishes being
released into the lake. This led to the oversupply of fish and lower prices. The
misinformation on the safety of the fish caught from the Taal Lake drove prices

99
even lower as people were afraid to consume fish. Apart from income loss due
to the very low prices of fish and production losses, the eruption has also
resulted to displacement of livelihood and income of farmers and fisherfolks.

Magnitude of the Problem:

The
Comprehensive-National-Fisheries-Industry-Development-Plan-CNFIDP-2021
-2025, Chapter 2, directions for CNFIDP 2021-2025 presented the latest
information about the decreased of fisheries sector in the Philippines.
In 2018, the country's fisheries sector accounts for 1.2% of the GDP and is
ranked 8th globally in terms of production volume, with a total annual
production of 4.356 million metric tons (MT) of fisheries and aquaculture
products valued at over Php265 billion. Despite remaining higher than the
volume of 2018, production in the municipal and aquaculture subsectors
slightly increased in 2019 and then slightly decreased in 2020 (Figure 2.1).
The trend in fish prices from the same subsectors was similar. Commercial
fisheries saw a consistent, albeit very slight, increase in production volume
from 2018 to 2020. The value did not reflect this increase, but the 2020 prices
led to a lower overall value than the 2019 value.The contribution of each
subsector to the total value of production in the sector changed slightly.

Source: Fisheries Statistics of the Philippines, 2018-2020

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Source: Fisheries Statistics of the Philippines, 2018-2020

About 40% of the Philippine’s regions are self-sufficient in fish – all of

these surpassing 100% self-sufficiency, while about 24% of the regions have a
fish self-sufficiency from 70 to 95% (Table 2.1). The remaining have a very low
self-sufficiency of 7% (CAR) to 51% (Region 4a). As can be seen from the
estimates in the table, there are significant gaps between fish supply and
requirement per year in more than half of the regions in the country. This
means therefore that there is a very wide room for interventions and/or
strategies to ensure sustainability of food fish supply in the country.

Source: Fisheries Statistics of the Philippines, 2018-2020

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According to Expanding Economic Opportunities in Agriculture, Forestry &
Fisheries, Chapter 8,
CALABARZON_Regional-Development-Report-2020-Cover-Eval, the biggest
decline in the fisheries production of CALABARZON region was in Batangas
with production decreasing by 29.25 percent, from 93,090.69 metric tons in
2019 to 65,857.14 metric tons in 2020. The remaining provinces also recorded
a decline in production with Rizal at 18.21 percent, Quezon at 17.93 percent,
Cavite at 15.98 percent, and Laguna at 4.10 percent decline.

- Present Status

CALABARZON-RDP-2017-2022-Midterm-Update

The growth in the volume of fisheries continued to decline from 2016 to

2018 (Table 8.4). The commercial and aquaculture fishery production fell by 18
percent and 11.30 percent, respectively compared to 2017 performance.
Municipal fishery, on the other hand, posted 5.70 percent growth in 2017
compared to a negative performance in 2016. However, it also suffered
significant decline of 9.5 percent in 2018. The performance of the fishery
sub-sector is reflected in the priority fishery commodities (Table 8.5) in the
Region resulting to the non-attainment of the targets for 2017 and 2018.
Tilapia and Milkfish, which are the major contributors in the total fisheries
production of the Region have declining production since 2016 due to the
effect of intense heat during the prolonged dry spell and onset of El Niño
Phenomenon in 2018. Seaweeds production was highly affected by the ice-ice
disease and epiphytes resulting to scarcity of planting materials.

Source: PSA Region IV - A

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 The decline in the performance of the fisheries sub-sector, especially
aquaculture, was also attributed to strengthened implementation of regulatory
policies on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Laguna Lake1 .
Nonetheless, the government continues to provide support through the
distribution of fishing paraphernalia, provision of livelihood projects and
assistance to the marginal fisherfolk, and strengthened linkages with the Local
Government Units and other law enforcement agencies to ensure conservation
and preserved fisheries resources.
Meanwhile, white shrimps and tiger prawns that are both cultured in
marine fish cages and marine fish pens proved their potentials as their
production increased in 2017 to 2018 resulting to the attainment of their
respective targets. Such performance may be a result of the government’s
efforts to promote mariculture as an alternative source of income and
sustainable livelihood for fisherfolks.

Government Actions or Programs

- Strategies of Neda Calabarzon to Expand Opportunities in Fisheries

1. Sustainable fisheries management. International organizations have

urged the nation to step up its conservation and management efforts in the
fisheries.
Following strategies should be further pursued:
a. Complete the delineation, delimitation, and zoning of municipal waters
to guarantee that local fishermen have exclusive access to resources
and preferential use.
b. Improve coordinated law enforcement and management of coastal and
marine areas, focusing on illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing
activities.
c. Implement a closed fishing season based on a thorough scientific
analysis to permit the augmentation of fish stocks.
d. Address issues on invasive non-native/alien species
e. Improve fisheries database system

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2. Sustained production and disease prevention. It is necessary to
establish research facilities like level 2 laboratories to address emerging
diseases of fishery products like the Tilapia Lake Virus and the White Spot
Syndrome Virus for prawns and shrimp.

3. Provide non-farm livelihood options to seasonal farm and fishery

workers. To lessen the income vulnerability of farmers and fishermen, the
government will continue to implement community-based employment
programs as alternative income sources. Additionally, seasonal
employees will receive training in off-farm and non-farm activities so they
can benefit from alternative employment opportunities, such as getting
involved in the growth of agri-tourism.

4. Establishment of Database System. A local database system that can

support decision-making and validate monitoring reports, especially in
times of crisis, will be established thanks to strengthened monitoring.
These reports can be used to determine the right interventions and
estimate losses and damages.

5. Provide easy, fast, accessible, and affordable loan packages. There

will be minimal requirements and streamlined processes in place so that
farmers and fishermen can easily access government financial assistance.
Eligible borrowers may finance their production, working capital and farm
machinery requirements through these ACPC programs. Further, the
Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Assistance Program continues to
provide loan assistance to small farmers and fishers in times of calamities
and other environmental or market shocks, to help them regain their
capacity to continue their agricultural activities. Among others, SURE was
deployed through the SURE Aid Taal for small farmers and fishers affected
by the eruption of Taal Volcano, which comes in two forms: a) emergency
loan assistance up to PHP25,000 for immediate and basic needs such as
food and medicine; and b) loan recovery assistance up to P150,000 for the
rehabilitation of the agri-fishery projects of eligible small farmers and
fishers.

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6. Increase investments in R&D for production and post-harvest
technologies. With this, losses are to be decreased, food quality and
safety are maintained, and the value of agricultural and fishing
commodities is to be increased. In support of the Harmonized National
R&D Agenda for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources 2017-2022,
investments will be increased to cover direct R&D costs, build a critical
mass of human resources, and improve infrastructure. The following will
also remain R&D priorities: (a) development of climate and
disaster-responsive technologies and innovations; (b) development of
fishery culture system for species with high market potential; and (c)
improvement of fishery culture for traditional species.

7. Enhance capacity of small farmers and fisherfolk to adopt better and

new technologies. This will ensure that R&D discoveries and available
technologies are successfully implemented on the ground. Extension
workers' and farmers' capacity for information dissemination and capacity
building must be continually strengthened. Local government units,
through the OPA and MAOs, can help to engage farmers and fishermen in
regular meetings to provide updates on the government's new programs
and projects.

To address the problems in fisheries DA-BFAR (Department of

Agriculture - Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) came up with
different programs for the development of Fisheries. The programs listed are:

Aquaculture Division

“National Bangus Sufficiency Program”

Aims to produce an estimated 1.2 billion milkfish fry locally by establishing
hatcheries in strategic locations throughout the Philippines, reducing fish
farmers' reliance on imported fry by up to 85%. This program would
necessitate the establishment of 48 hatcheries, each of which would need to

105
produce 25 million fry per year. These proposed hatcheries would require
approximately 3,750 milkfish breeders: 2,500 females and 1,250 males in a 2
female to 1 male ratio. Apart from addressing the shortage of fry, the program
would also attempt to dispel the myth that captive-bred fry are inferior to
wild-caught fry in terms of growth, morphology, and survival, as DA-BFAR
would ensure that the fry produced were of the highest quality.

“Seaweed Development Program”

Seaweed has been one of the top commodities exported by the
Philippines. In spite of this, the Bureau still aims to further increase seaweed
production by distributing quality seaweed propagules through the National
Seaweed Development Programs and the Regional Seaweed Tissue Culture
Laboratories. The Bureau was able to provide 851,934 kgs of seaweed
propagules to 4,710 individual beneficiaries and 152 groups or associations as
of December 31. To that end, BFAR maintains seven seaweed tissue culture
laboratories across the country to ensure the availability of high-quality
seaweed propagules. Lucap, Alaminos, Pangasinan (Region I); Guimaras
(Region VI); Ubay, Bohol (Region VII); Guiuan, Samar (Region VIII);
Zamboanga City (Region IX); Masao, Butuan, Agusan del Norte (Region XIII);
and Sorsogon (Region XIII) (NSTDC).
From 2017 to the present, NSDP has organized and strengthened ten
viable seaweed marketing cooperatives in various seaweed producing
municipalities across the country. Seaweed farmers have been transformed
into Entrepreneurial Cooperatives, where they can earn more money by
running their seaweed nurseries as businesses and making the operations
self-sustaining.

Market Division

“Seafood Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita on Wheels”

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources developed the Seafood
Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita on Wheels program to complement the Department of
Agriculture's Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita. This program operates in close
collaboration with local government units (barangays) to facilitate the

106
transportation of fish commodities to the venue designated by the barangay.
As of May 31, 2021, the FIDSSD, led by Ms. Amor G.Diaz, had held two (2)
Seafood Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita on Wheels in Metro Manila. The first was held
on February 27, 2021 in Barangay 183-Villamor, Pasay City. On March 31,
2021, the second Seafood Kadiwa was held in Barangay South Cembo,
Makati City.

B1b. SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM

The Philippine seas and other bodies of water provide food for the
entire country and a source of income for millions of people. Fisheries are
important to all Filipinos economically, culturally, socially, and ecologically.
These resources are in crisis, as evidenced by the declining fish catch, size
and species composition around the country. Overfishing, illegal fishing, and
habitat destruction, combined with increased demand for fish and population
growth, are driving fisheries production further into the abyss.
The scope of the problem is at a national level; however, due to the
different sectors operating in each region and province, it can be limited to
provincial. Each province faces a different scale of the said problem and the
study will help the most affected area cope with the depletion of fisheries and
other related issues. It will also serve as a basis for the other provinces to
overcome the problem.

B1c. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS

The researchers evaluated and analyzed the status of fish production in

the Philippines. The growth in the volume of fisheries continued to decline from
2016 to 2018. The threats that fish production faces are exploitation of
aquatic resources and overfishing, destructive fishing, Siltation or pollution,
climate change and weather disturbances. In this study, the researchers have
gathered data that states details of the said threats as follows:

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1. Exploitation of Aquatic Resources and Overfishing
Philippines is in marine natural resources . With the said availability of
aquatic resources, the country experienced the exploitation of these assets by
people aiming to make profit from overfishing and illegal, unreported, and
unregulated fishing practices.
The municipal and commercial fishing sectors compete due to the finite
nature of marine resources combined with the "open access" principle. When
overfishing causes resource depletion, fishermen are forced to use more
efficient fishing technology, finer-meshed nets, poisons, and other destructive
fishing methods to meet their short-term needs at the expense of resource
sustainability.

2. Destructive fishing
Refers to any type of fishing technique that destroys fish habitat.
Dynamite or blast fishing, as well as fishing with poison and/or destructive gear,
are especially harmful to fisheries resources. In addition to endangering the
user's safety and causing structural damage to coral reef areas, blast fishing
kills aquatic organisms that are critical to continued marine productivity.

3. Siltation or Pollution
In many parts of the Philippines, upland deforestation has significantly
increased sediment loads in associated inland water systems. Increased
siltation and pollution from mine tailings and agricultural wastes have
particularly harmed a number of bays, lakes, and river systems.

4. Climate Change
Rich marine biodiversity is also under threat due to climate change, that
affects the biology and movement of many organisms. One of the observed
changes in climate over the past decades has been the occurrence of frequent
and extreme episodes of El Nio Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which has two
phases: the occurrence of warmer (El Nio) and cooler (La Nia) climatic
patterns, with El Nio being the more extreme (Gitay et al. 2002; Meuser et al.
2013). According to climate modeling studies, the occurrence of ENSO events

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is expected to increase in the future as a result of greenhouse warming
(Timmermann et al. 1999; Cai et al, 2014).

5. Weather disturbances
The Philippines' geographical location along the Pacific typhoon belt
makes it particularly vulnerable to a variety of natural disasters, including
tropical cyclones (typhoons), earthquakes, and volcanoes. As a low-lying
island nation dominated by coastal communities, it is also vulnerable to
tsunamis, sea-level rise, and storm surges associated with extreme weather
events.
During the rainy season between June and November, most areas of
the Philippines experience torrential rain, flooding, landslides, high winds,
thunderstorms, and related storm surges. Typhoons are one of nature's most
dangerous hazards. Every year, they cause significant loss of life and
extensive property damage. They are also notorious for being difficult to
forecast. This disturbances imposes threats to the production of fish in the
country.

These five threats are causing the ongoing decline in fisheries

production. The government is still working to resolve these issues by
establishing plans and goals for the coming years.

When it comes to legislatively, there are standards, restrictions and

regulations related to Aquaculture in the Philippines. Here are some of them:

The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. (REPUBLIC ACT No. 8550)

An act providing for the development, management and conservation of

the fisheries and aquatic resources, integrating all laws pertinent thereto, and
for other purposes.
The state shall ensure the attainment of the following objectives of the
fishery sector:

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  Conservation, protection and sustained management of the country’s
shery and aquatic resources;
 Poverty alleviation and the provision of supplementary livelihood
among municipal sherfolk;
 Improvement of productivity of aquaculture within ecological limits;
 Optimal utilization of offshore and deep-sea resources;
 Upgrading of post-harvest technology.

Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997. (REPUBLIC ACT NO.

8435)

An act prescribing urgent related measures to modernize the agriculture

and fisheries sectors of the country in order to enhance their profitability, and
prepare said sectors for the challenges of globalization through an adequate,
focused and rational delivery of necessary support services, appropriating
funds therefor and for other purposes

This Act shall have the following objectives:

 To modernize the agriculture and fisheries sectors by transforming
these sectors from a resource-based to a technology-based industry;
 To ensure the accessibility, availability and stable supply of food to all
at all times;
 To promote people empowerment by strengthening people’s
organizations, cooperatives and NGOs and by establishing and
improving mechanisms and processes for their participation in
government decision-making and implementation;
 To pursue a market-driven approach to enhance the comparative
advantage of our agriculture and fisheries sectors in the world market;
 To induce the agriculture and fisheries sectors to ascend continuously
the value-added ladder by subjecting their traditional or new products
to further processing in order to minimize the marketing of raw,
unfinished or unprocessed products;
 To adopt policies that will promote industry dispersal and rural
industrialization by providing incentives to local and foreign investors

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 to establish industries that have backward linkages to the country’s
agriculture and fisheries resource base;
 To provide social and economic adjustment measures that increase
productivity and improve market efficiency while ensuring the
protection and preservation of the environment and equity for small
farmers and fisherfolk;
 To improve the quality of life of all sectors.

Code of Practice for Aquaculture (FISHERIES ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER

NO. 214 : Series of 2001)
Pursuant to Section 47 of R.A. 8550, this code of practice for
aquaculture outlining the general principles and guidelines for environmentally
sound design and operation for the sustainable development of the industry is
hereby promulgated for the information and guidance of all concerned with
special emphasis on:
 Section 2. Site selection/evaluation,
 Section 3. Farm design and construction
 Section 4. Water usage
 Section 5. Water discharge and sludge/effluent management
 Section 6. Use of drugs, chemicals, potentially toxic pesticides and
fertilizer
 Section 7. Stock selection, stocking practices
 Section 8. Introduction of exotic and Genetically Modified Organism
(GMOs)
 Section 9. Feed, feed use and management
 Section 10. Fish health management

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B1d.PROPOSAL

The continuous growth of population, global warming, climate change,

pollution, exploitation of aquatic resources, overfishing and weather
disturbances are the problems affecting the production of fisheries in the
Philippines. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is still in
action for developing, improving, managing and conserving the country's
fisheries and aquatic resources.
BFAR developed The Comprehensive National Fisheries Industry
Development Plan (CNFIDP-2021-2025) to provide a comprehensive
framework for promoting the optimal development and long-term sustainability
of the nation's fisheries' benefits. It aimed to provide strategic directions for the
Philippine fisheries and identify priority projects for implementation.
Aquaculture can be the tool to fill in the nation's fish production gap.
Farming fish responsibly and sustainably is the solution to providing future
generations with access to healthy and environmentally friendly protein options.
Aquaculture has lower greenhouse gas emissions than other types of farming.
It can potentially improve our planet's and our population's health if done in a
manner that is environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and considers
food safety and animal welfare.
In the CALABARZON region, the province of Quezon recorded a high
decline in fisheries production due to weather disturbances and such
problems.
The proposal for an Aquaculture development and community learning
center was intended to show the fisherfolks new aquaculture methods and
introduce new technologies fisherfolks can use to sustatin the fish production.
It will also provide knowledge about aquaculture to local farmers, tourists, and
the community. The project also aims to escalate the growth of fisheries and
the economic industry in compliance with international and national laws,
policies and standards.

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B1e. LOCATION

Based on the data gathered and analyzed by the researchers, Among the
regions, CALABARZON recorded the highest rate of economic concerns,
mainly in agricultural developments and fish production. Region IV-A is one of
the regions with low sufficiency in fish, with a percentage of 51%. The region
had significant gaps between fish supply and requirement per year.
Even if the proposal was set to solve a national problem, the researchers
intentionally chose the location based on provided statistics that prove the
feasibility and significance of such a proposal to Quezon. Among the province
in CALABARZON, Quezon recorded the highest decline in fish production.
The researchers believe that the a proposed regional mariculture research and
development with trading complex in quezon will contribute to meeting the
nation's demand for fish and provide another method of producing fish for the
local community.

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B. THESIS TITLE NO. 2

B2a. A PROPOSED DEMO-FARM For Research, Training and Trading

Center INTEGRATED WITH HYDROPHONICS

According to the National Agriculture and fisheries Modernization and

Industrialization plan 2021-2030 Region IV-A accounted for 8.1% of the
country’s Gross Value Added in agriculture, forestry and fishing in 2020. This
share reflects a 6.6% decline compared to the previous year. In terms of the
country’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), Region IV-A accounted
for 14% or PHP2,535 billion in 2020. The regional share went down by 10%
compared to the previous year.The CALABARZON Regional Development
Plan 2017-2022 notes the importance of alternative income sources because
agriculture is exposed to risks such as pests and diseases, extreme weather
conditions, erratic cost of production, and regulatory measures, among others.

- Expanding Economic Opportunities in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,

Chapter 8, CALABARZON-RDP-2017-2022-Midterm-Update
The eruption of the Taal Volcano and COVID-19 pandemic presented new
challenges in the performance of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries sector in
the region that required a new perspective in defining strategies and designing
programs and projects (P/Ps) on resource conservation, sustained production,
technology adoption, credit access, technical assistance and support provision,
and strong collaboration with the private sector.

-Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Strategic Plan 2020-2022

Extension LEADS, the Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Strategic

Framework represents the blueprint of the NESAF in achieving the desired
results for the agriculture and fisheries sector in the next three years (FY
2020-2022). The enhanced strategic framework introduces a refocused set of
thematic areas coupled with innovative strategies and priority actions that will
appropriately address the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities
in the AF sector. It also anchors on the ‘new thinking’ strategy of the

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Department of Agriculture envisioned to have a food secure Philippines with
prosperous farmers and fisherfolk, as well as current policies and plans (PDP
2017-2022 and AFMP 2018- 2023) that are deemed important for extension
services to cover and address.

Extension will also contribute to the resiliency of communities being able to

respond to shocks and conditions like natural hazards, climate change
extreme events, food chain crises (plant pests and diseases, animal diseases,
and food safety), and conflicts.

Extension along with appropriate support systems in agriculture and

fisheries will accelerate the sector into becoming competitive and contribute to
the attainment of sectoral goals (PDP Chapter 8) of
(a) expanded economic opportunities for those engaged in producing
agriculture, fishery and forestry products and increased,(b) and increased
access of small and subsistence farmers and fisherfolk to economic
opportunities.

Root cause of the Problem

According to CALABARZON Regional evelopment Report 2020, the

CALABARZON has the largest population among regions with more than 16
million people based on the July 2020 estimates. With an annual growth rate of
2.58 percent, the Region’s population is expected to double by 2042. Due to
this, Agriculture is dying. Agricultural land is being developed into industrial
areas, shopping malls and subdivisions. Farmers are growing old and their
children have shifted into other careers. (De Guzman,2018).

Based on a survey of LGU agricultural extension workers (AEWs) that was

conducted by ATI, the age range of almost half of AEWs is between 43-65
years old (ATI, 2018). Moreover, since majority of these farmers are poor, the
adoption of modern technologies like the use of hybrid rice seeds pose
difficulties for they perceive this as requiring more cost in terms of inputs. The

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adoption of productivity enhancing technologies therefore is a great challenge
for extension especially with the implementation the Agricultural and Fisheries
Mechanization (AFMech) Law or R.A. 10601 where modern, appropriate, and
environmentally safe agricultural and fisheries machinery and equipment shall
be promoted to achieve food security and safety as well as increase farmers’
income.

- Expanding Economic Opportunities in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,

Chapter 8, CALABARZON-RDP-2017-2022-Midterm-Update

The AFF remains vulnerable to weather disturbances which not only affect
the volume of harvested crops and fisheries but changes in planting schedules,
shifting to other crops, decline in fish unloading and damages in fishery
paraphernalia. Likewise, the sector is highly susceptible to dry spell and El
Niño phenomena which results to damages in crop production and fish kill due
to increase in temperature.

Goverment Action and Programs

- Major Programs of Department of Agriculture; Bureau of Agricultural

Research to Improve the Agriculture

Community-based Participatory Action Research

The Community-based Participatory Action Research (CPAR) is one

of the approaches developed by DA-BAR to ensure the transfer and
adoption of technologies from research to farmers' utilization. The program
enhances the role of research and development in technology transfer and
production management, institutionalizes the active community
participation in the management of farm and coastal resources, and
develops strategies for effective integration of support services for
enterprise and agribusiness development.

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 CPAR is a location-specfic research cum extension that deals with
improved farming systems technologies for specific micro agro-climatic
environment within a province or municipality. It is designed to implement
and integrated production and postproduction management system in the
barangay or community level.

Support to Technology Commercialization

Support to Technology Commercialization research serves as a vital

tool to develop enterprises and to improve agriculture and fisheries-related
industries anchored on appropriate activties emphasizing technology
transfer; covering all activities ie. adaptive/verification stages, technology
incubation to promotion, beta-testing, and mass commercialization and
adoption.

DA-BAR gives funding support to researches that focus on:

1) development or enhancement of product, process, or service in the

form preferred by target end user/market,

2) systematic transfer of technology to deliver such product, process,

or service, and

3) establishment of enterprise.

Climate Change R4D Program

The Climate Change R&D Program of DA-BAR covers specific measures

that address challenges and threats posed by the changing weather patterns
affecting agricultural productivity. The R&D program is in support to Republic
Act 9729 or the Climate Change Act of 2009 which mandates the
mainstreaming of climate change in policy formulation.

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The program followed the policy thrust of the DA CC Program which is
anchored on two pillars: mitigation and adaptation, with adaptation as the
anchor strategy and mitigation measures as a function of adaptation. Since
2011, the bureau has undertaken several measures in understanding climate
change in relation to agriculture and fisheries productivity and has provided
both short and long term solutions through R&D initiatives.

Organic Agriculture R4D Program

The National Organic Agriculture Research for Development (R4D) Program

aims to continue and intensify collaborative and participative R4D including the
upgrading of relevant and appropriate technologies, information and
knowledge systems to ensure the expansion of the organic sector and address
health and environmental issues indirectly through applied and technology
commercialization production-related research

Research Facilities Development

The Research Facilities Development program aims to enhance the capacity

of the bureau's partner institutions through the establishment and upgrading of
research for development (R4D) facilities. Through this program, the bureau
envisions that the majority of the R4D facilities across strategic hubs and
networks in the country will be modernized to best serve the priority needs of
the agriculture and fisheries community.
DA-BAR provides support for the acquisition of scientific and information
technology equipment, as well as construction and renovation of R4D facilities
(ie. office buildings, laboratories, and experiemental farms), and basic R4D
support facilities.

Biotechnology R4D Program

The Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries Biotechnology Program was

established in 2000 to help create an enabling environment for the judicious
utilization of agricultural biotechnology as one of the options to attain

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agriculture and fisheries modernization, improved productivity, climate
resilience, and sustainable and inclusive development. The program envisions
to transform the agriculture and fisheries sector from being resource-based to
becoming technology-based while ensuring biosafety.
DA-BAR has been supporting the DA Crop, Animal, and Fisheries
Biotechnology R4D Program, through the DA-Biotechnology Program Office,
in funding priority R4D projecs and activities of various DA agencies and other
stakeholders including the National Academy of Science and Technology,
state universities and colleges, and private organizations.
As one of the components of the program, biotechnology R4D provides
support for the conduct of basic and applied agricultural biotechnology
research, and development of technologies and products which will positively
impact the farm yield, income, product quality, climate change resiliency,
environmental protection, and global competitiveness of the agricultural sector.

Human Resource Development Program

The Human Resource Development program aims to increase the number

of postgraduate degree holders to improve the conduct of agriculture and
fisheries researches that are oriented toward the betterment of the lives of
farmers and fisherfolk.
DA-BAR provides support for master's and doctorate degree scholarships for
graduates of Bachelor of Science with good academic standing in their
undergraduate studies, commendable performance in current research for
development assignment, and with high leadership potential and concrete
achievements in their area of specialization.

B2b. Scope of the Problem

The economy of the nation is heavily reliant on agriculture. This is

calculated as a percentage of GDP as the value added by the agriculture
industry.The government has acknowledged that the agricultural sector's
contribution to the GDP of the nation is declining, and this decline in
performance is attributed to the sector's vulnerability to extreme weather

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 events (drought and typhoons), infestations (coconut scale insects), and
farmers' sub standard adoption of high-yielding varieties.

The scope of the problem is at a national level, but may also be limited
to provincial due to constraints and different sectors that acts in each
region. Every region is still experiencing difficulties and working to come
up with solutions that are workable and consistent with the overall
objectives of the nation.Every Filipino, especially the farmers, will benefit
from the proposal's improvement and development of the local agricultural.
As this study/ plan would address poverty, agriculture, and many other
issues, this study also serves as a tool or a guideline that may contribute to
future issues in the Philippines.

B2c. Evaluation and Analysis

After evaluating and analyzing all the current data, the researcher analyze
and evaluate that demographics, Aging Farmers and Declining Interest of
Youth in Agriculture, Climate Change, Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods
from Shocks, and weak research-extension-farmer linkages are the massive
problems that take part in Philippine agriculture right now.

1. Demographics
-With the country’s population at 108 million in 2019 and still
increasing, the pressure on agriculture and fisheries to supply the needs of a
growing population with decreasing land area devoted to agriculture points at
productivity enhancement measures to cope up with the need for food in both
local and international markets. Since it is also a source of raw materials for
the industry, health and other sectors, this also adds up to the demands that
must be met by the agriculture and fisheries sector.

2. Aging Farmers and Declining Interest of Youth in Agriculture

-With the Philippines having the third youngest people in the Asia Pacific
Region and an average age of Filipino farmer reported to be 57 years old,

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Cielito (2018) explained that the younger generation of millennial has stepped
back from agriculture and fisheries because of relatively lower wages and
productivity compared to other industries. Apart from this, the number of
agricultural workers declined since 2011, averaging 250,000 workers leaving
the sector annually. In addition, farmers were the least educated among
workers as one-third have not even completed primary education.

3. Climate Change
- With the Philippines identified as one of the countries most vulnerable to
the effects of climate change being located in the Indo-Pacific area and
composed of 7,641 islands or 32,400 kilometers of discontinuous coastline,
climate change is becoming a major cause of concern. A World Bank (n.d.)
report stated the following impacts:

 Storm surges are projected to affect about 14 percent of the

total population and 42 percent of coastal populations. Informal
settlements, which account for 45 percent of the Philippines’ urban
population, are particularly vulnerable to floods due to less secure
infrastructure, reduced access to clean water, and lack of health
insurance.
 Climate-related impacts are expected to reduce agricultural
productivity in the Philippines. Also, warming oceans and ocean
acidification affect coral reefs which serve as feeding and spawning
10grounds for many fish species that support the livelihoods of
fisherfolk.

4. Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods from Shocks.

-Apart from the effects of natural hazards and climate-related disasters,

the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 2016) reported the need to
address different shocks threatening agricultural livelihoods. These shock
groups are food chain crises and protracted crises. Over the past years, the
human food chain is under serious threat with an increase in the number of
outbreaks of transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases, as well as

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food safety. Avian influenza, coconut pest infestation, and the recent African
swine fever are some of the cases of threats to human food chain affecting
food security, human health, livelihoods, as well as economies and
international trade.

5. Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods from Shocks.

-Apart from the effects of natural hazards and climate-related disasters,

the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 2016) reported the need to
address different shocks threatening agricultural livelihoods. These shock
groups are food chain crises and protracted crises. Over the past years, the
human food chain is under serious threat with an increase in the number of
outbreaks of transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases, as well as
food safety. Avian influenza, coconut pest infestation, and the recent African
swine fever are some of the cases of threats to human food chain affecting
food security, human health, livelihoods, as well as economies and
international trade.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10068 “AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE

DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN THE
PHILIPPINES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”

It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote, propagate, develop

further and implement the practice of organic agriculture in the Philippines that
will cumulatively condition and enrich the fertility of the soil, increase farm
productivity, reduce pollution and destruction of the environment, prevent the
depletion of natural resources, further protect the health of farmers, consumers
and the general public, and save on imported farm inputs.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11511 “AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO

10068 OR THE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE ACT OF 2010”

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 Its hereby declared the policy of the state to promote, propagate, develop
further and implement the will cumulatively condition and enrich fertility of the
soil, increase farm productivity and farmers’ income, reduce pollution and
destruction of natural resources, encourages the participant of indigenous
organic farmers in promoting their sustainable practices, further protect the
health of the farmers, consumers and the general public, save on imported
farm inputs and promote food self sufficient.

Sec. 2 section 3 of the Republic act No. 10068 is hereby amended to

read as follows:

For the purpose of this Act, the following terms shall be defined as follows:

1. Enhance biological diversity within the whole system;

2. Increase soil biological activity
3. Maintain long-term soil fertility

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 168 TRANSFERRING THE NATIONAL

IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

WHEREAS, Republic Act (RA) No. 3601 created the National Irrigation
Administration (NIA) as a body corporate, with the purpose of expanding
irrigated farmlands to support crop production, increase the productivity of our
farmers, and ensure a stable supply of farm commodities;

WHEREAS, to enhance and coordinate the efforts of government

agencies in the agricultural sector, Executive Order No. 165 (s. 2014)
transferred the NIA, among other agencies, from the Department of Agriculture
(DA) to the Office of the President (OP);

WHEREAS, due to the effects of climate change and the COVID-19

pandemic, which significantly affected the state of food security in the

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Philippines, there is a need to optimize the country’s water resources to adapt
to these challenges, and pave the way for the modernization and
industrialization of the agricultural sector;

B2d. Proposal

The researchers made the decision to conduct this study because the
economic sector is one of the primary issues in Region IV-A. Due to the recent
activities like the climatic and weather changes, COVID19 and the eruption of
Taal Volcano it greatly affects the agriculture of the said region that make the
region have a low performance product and gross value added in agriculture,
forestry and fisheries by 6.64%.

Due to the farmers lack of support, training and a moral boost. They are
lack in basic skills in farming. Many are not educated or are only elementary
graduates. So,the farmers has no idea on how will approach on the new
arising problems that occurs. In order to create high-quality products that will
help the region to gain more performance in product and gross value, this
study/project will demonstrate innovative, organic farming methods, new
farming techniques, and new crops. Participants will also get practical
knowledge on topics like farm and family finance.Since, Demonstration farms
have a long tradition and have proved to be effective means of addressing
problems and testing solutions at the farm level (Angell et al., 2004; Bailey et
al., 2006).

They are well positioned to promote learning and behavioral change by

giving farmers the chance to: discuss problems with peers and experts, work
together to solve problems, monitor experiments, observe and compare
practices in environments similar to their own, as well as engage in hands-on
activities.

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B2e. Location

With a value of 17.5 percent, Region IV-A(CALABARZON) ranks first

among the enumerated regions in terms of the percentage of economic
concerns. Followed by Region VII (CENTRAL VISAYAS) with 11.25 percent
and Region VIII(EASTERN VISAYAS) with 10 percent. Most of the top regions
in economic sector deals with low agriculture, forestry and fisheries
productivity, due to the to the disturbances of climate change, natural disaster
and COVID19 resulting to low/declination of sector’ s agricultural productivity.

Even if the proposal was set to solve the national problem, The
researchers decided to choose Cavite as a proposed site.Among the 5
provinces in region IV-A(CALABARZON), Cavite has the highest number of
populations with 4.3 million and also has the most density with 3,489 per sq.km.
With this, its agricultural land will be the most affected due to the urbanization.
This study/projects will help the farmers to learn new techniques and strategies
to develop high quality products even with limited agricultural land. The
researcher believes that that this study/project will help the region’s on its
economic sector.Since, the region is the highest or the top in economic sector
according to the data gathered.

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B. THESIS TITLE NO. 3

B1a. A PROPOSED DISASTER-RESILIENT LIVING MANAGEMENT

COMPLEX FOR HYDROLOGICAL DISASTERS

According to Aineena Hani, the Philippines is one of the world’s most

vulnerable countries to natural disasters. Natural disasters are increasing the
social and economic costs in the country as a result of population growth,
changing land-use patterns, migration, unplanned urbanization, environmental
degradation, and global climate change.

In terms of population exposure and vulnerability to hazards, the

Philippines ranks among the top three countries in the world. At least 60% of
the country’s total land area, nearly 300,000 square kilometres (116,000
square miles), is prone to natural disasters, owing in large part to the
archipelago’s location along the path of tropical storms brewing in the western
Pacific as well as the Ring of Fire.

-Chapter 1, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan

2020-2030

The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the weaknesses and gaps of

policies, systems, and structures that lack an all- hazards approach, and
makes a compelling case for the consideration of a broad range of
hazards—current, emerging, cascading, and complex — in risk reduction
and resilience-building. Hazard information is critical to identifying potential
sources of risk, and when combined with the other components of risk—
exposure, vulnerability and capacity—is integral to all activities of the four
thematic pillars and DRRM, as a whole.

-Ensuring People-Centered, Clean and Efficient Governance,Chapter 5 ,

CALABARZON-RDP-2017-2022-Midterm-Update

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 Increase LGU capacities to effectively utilize additional Internal Revenue
Allotment (IRA) for local development, disaster preparedness and
response.The implementation of Supreme Court ruling on the Mandanas case
on increasing the IRA share of the LGUs will provide more funds to LGUs for
devolved services and development programs and projects. To facilitate the
effective use of the increased IRA, NGAs shall provide capacity building
programs to LGUs on investment programming, public financial management,
and service delivery, among others. LGUs can use the additional IRA funds to:

a) upgrade community health facilities, equipment, manpower and implement

health programs;

b) establish multipurpose DRRM facilities that could be used as evacuation

area during natural disasters or can be transformed as health facility during
public health emergencies;
c) procurement of disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) equipment
such as early warning device and rescue vehicles; and

d) allocate resources for provision of social assistance during emergencies.

ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM

One of the main causes of Hydrological disasters is Climate Change,

Climate Change greatly affect the natural disasters especially the hydrological
disasters because with increasing global surface temperatures the possibility
of more droughts and increased intensity of storms will likely occur. As more
water vapor is evaporated into the atmosphere it becomes fuel for more
powerful storms to develop. More heat in the atmosphere and warmer ocean
surface temperatures can lead to increased wind speeds in tropical storms.
Rising sea levels expose higher locations not usually subjected to the power of
the sea and to the erosive forces of waves and currents.

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 According to the Philippines Disaster Management Reference handbook,
The Philippines is susceptible to many natural hazards, and commonly
experiences tropical cyclones or typhoons, earthquakes, volcano eruptions,
and other natural disasters. This is due to the country’s location straddling the
typhoon belt, an area in the western Pacific Ocean where nearly one-third of
the world’s tropical cyclones form. This area is the most active in the world and
has the most intense storms globally.

MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM

According to the Philippines Disaster Management Reference Handbook

2021, the Philippines is already being affected by climate change, to the extent
it was considered the country fourth most affected by climate change in the
world over the past two decades. The country is particularly susceptible to
being affected by climate change events, including sea level rise, increased
frequency of extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and heavy
rainfall.This is due to the archipelago’s vulnerability to natural hazards,
reliance on climate-sensitive natural resources, and extensive coastline, which
are home to the country’s main cities and most of the population.
The Philippines has primarily experienced the following natural hazards
in the past four decades (1970-2020): storm (55%), flood (25%), earthquake

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(5%), landslide (5%), and volcano (4%). In addition to these, which are
summarized below, other disasters the country deals with include epidemic,
drought, mass movement, and wildfire.The Philippines is the country most
exposed to tropical storms in the world.

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 The Perception of Disaster Resilience and Preparedness in the Philippines
states that, as natural hazards are numerous and much of the population is
vulnerable to the effects of these hazards, it is not surprising that the
Philippines government emphasizes preparedness and mitigation measures.
Disaster risk reduction rather than disaster response is the priority. The way in
which this national-level commitment is implemented at the local level across
the country varies and so a section of this survey focused on household-level
perceptions of vulnerability and preparedness.

Household members were asked how likely they were to be affected by a

variety of different natural hazards (Table 6). Ninety-three percent of the
country’s population reported experiencing at least one typhoon and 78
percent reported experiencing more than one typhoon, in the past five years.

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On a publishment released by the thinkhazard.org, Region IV-A
(CALABARZON) is highly susceptible to different hazards like Floods,
Landslides,Tsunami, and cyclones.

Tsunami
-tsunami hazard is classified as high according to the information that is
currently available. This means that there is more than a 40% chance of a
potentially-damaging tsunami occurring in the next 50 years.

Climate change impact: The areas at risk of tsunami will increase as global
mean sea level rises. According to the IPCC (2013), global
mean sea level rise depends on a variety of factors, and estimates for 2100
range from ~20 cm to nearly 1 m. However, regional changes

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in sea level are diwicult to predict. Projects in low-lying coastal areas such as
deltas, or in island states should be designed to be robust
to projected increases in global sea level.

Landslide
In the area you have selected landslide susceptibility is classified as high
according to the information that is currently available. This
means that this area has rainfall patterns, terrain slope, geology, soil, land
cover and (potentially) earthquakes that make localized
landslides a frequent hazard phenomenon.

Climate change impact: Climate change is likely to alter slope and bedrock
stability through changes in precipitation and/or temperature.
It is diwicult to determine future locations and timing of large rock avalanches,
as these depend on local geological conditions and other
non-climatic factors.

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Cyclone
Cyclone (also known as hurricane or typhoon) hazard is classified as high,This
means that there is more than a 20% chance of potentially-damaging wind
speeds in your project area in the next 10 years.

Climate change impact: Global average tropical cyclone wind speed and
rainfall is likely to increase in the future, and the global average
frequency of tropical cyclones is likely to decrease or remain unchanged. It is
possible that the frequency of the most intense tropical
cyclones will increase substantially in some ocean regions (IPCC, 2013). The
present hazard level in areas currently awected by tropical
cyclones may increase in the long-term

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Flood
-flood hazard is classified as high.Climate change impacts: Medium
confidence in more frequent and intense heavy precipitation days and an
increase in the number of
extreme rainfall events. The present hazard level may increase in the future
due to the ewects of climate change.

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 -Present status
CALABARZON-RDP-2017-2022-Midterm-Update

The number of casualties due to human-induced events, increased from

525 in 2017 to 1,135 in 2018. The casualties were caused by self-inflicted
incidents.
The emerging challenge in the Region is responding to multiple hazard
events (i.e. Taal Volcano eruption, African Swine Fever outbreak, and the
COVID-19 pandemic) occurring simultaneously. A case in point is the reported
cases of ASF in Batangas which was suspected from foodwastes in
evacuation centers of Taal Volcano eruption. In addition, social distancing is
not factored in disaster management (e.g. evacuation centers), which makes
the COVID-19 pandemic more difficult to manage due to impact to critical
lifelines (e.g. water, relief goods, etc.).

Goverment Programs/Actions

According to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan

(NDRRMP) 2020 - 2030,through the actions implemented under the NDRRMP,
it is quite clear that the country is (slowly) moving towards a strong culture of

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safety especially in terms of acting on typhoons and other related hydro
meteorological hazards and bouncing back after the disasters. However, a
resilient community is not just about bouncing back to its original state. The
overall vision was to bounce forward and improve on the actions communities
and government make before, during, and after the disasters. A resilient
community is one that focuses on risks and is conscious on how to identify,
reduce, manage them and ensure that no new risks are formed along the way.

National Disaster Preparedness Plan (NDPP) (2015-2028)

The objectives of the NDPP emanate from the NDRRMP. The NDPP helps the
national and local governments and other stakeholders contribute to the
following objectives:
• Increased awareness and enhanced capacity of communities to anticipate,
avoid, reduce, and survive the threats and impacts of all hazards
• Fully equip communities with the necessary skills and capability to face and
survive hazards and cope with the impacts of disasters
• Increased DRRM and Climate Change Adaptation capacity among
LDRRMCs, LDRRMOs and LDRRMOCs
• National and local preparedness and response policies, plans, and systems
are developed and implemented in a comprehensive way
• Strengthened partnership and coordination among all key players and
stakeholders.

Revised Operations Plan (OPLAN) “Tulong Bayanihan 2” (2019)

-The OPLAN provides systems and protocols for AFP in the conduct of
HADR operations in each disaster phase (pre, during, and after).

Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery Planning Guide (2020)

The Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery Planning Guide has been
formulated by NEDA and serves as the recovery and rehabilitation template for
national and local government to use in post-disaster (and post-conflict)
recovery planning. The guide provides templates for a recovery framework,
planning process, institutional arrangements, coordination and implementation

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mechanisms, options for funding resources, and proposed monitoring
arrangements.

-Major Programs and Projects of Neda Calabarzon to Disaster

Resilent/ Preparedness

-DRRM Multipurpose facility and evacuation centers

-Retrofitting of buildings, establishments and infrastructure according to

climate and disaster resilient building standards

- Strategies of Neda Calabarzon to Disaster Resilent/ Preparedness

Establish LGU disaster response hub to respond better to large-scale
disasters.
-As gleaned from the Taal Volcano eruption in January 2020 which
affected many LGUs, establishing a centralized disaster hub will facilitate
proper receipt, accounting, and equitable distribution of donations to the
affected communities in the case of largescale disasters or calamities.

Construction of Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure.

-Designs for proposed multipurpose buildings shall adhere to the

standards set by IATF and the DOH, to include adequate basic utilities for and
allow for conversion to quarantine facilities during health emergencies. This
will minimize use of other community infrastructure as isolation centers such
as schools and evacuation areas, which also serves other important functions.

 Goverment Policies

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act (DRRM Act, 2010)

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 Republic Act 10121 provided a legal and institutional basis for DRRM and
lays the groundwork for development of plans and policies and for
implementation of projects pertaining to DRRM. The DRRM Act outlined
provisions for the establishment of NDRRMC and laid out the Implementing
Rules and Regulations for National, Regional, and Local DRRMCs and their
respective powers and functions.

Climate Change Act (2009)

The Climate Change Act (Republic Act 10174) created the Climate
Change Commission to tackle climate change adaptation and disaster risk
reduction across the country. The Commission, in turn, cosponsored the
DRRM Act of 2010. The Climate Change Act required that the State
“systematically integrate the concept of climate change in various phases of
policy formulation, development plans, poverty reduction strategies and other
development tools and techniques by all agencies and instrumentalities of
government.”

B3b.SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM

The Philippines was identified as the most disaster-prone country in the

world by The World Risk Report 2022 due to its high risk, exposure, and
vulnerability to disasters and calamities. The emergence of a disaster is
determined not only by how severely natural hazards strike a society but also
by how vulnerable that society is to its effects. Numerous natural disaster
threats, such as typhoons, storm surges, floods, volcanic activity, earthquakes,
drought, and tsunamis, are present in the Philippines.
The problem's scope is at the national level, but it may also be restricted to
the regional level due to various restrictions and actions in various regions.
Each region is taking action to address the said problems. The study will focus
on creating safer, adaptive and disaster-resilient Filipino communities.

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B3c.EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS

The researchers evaluated and analyzed the susceptibility of the Philippines to

disasters. Disaster risks are shaped not only by the occurrence, intensity, and
duration of extreme natural events but also by social factors, political
conditions, economic structures, and whether disasters occur in the context of
extreme natural events. The researchers have gathered some reasons why
the Philippines is so Disaster Prone and its details are stated as follows:

1. Warm Ocean Waters

The Philippines, located just above the equator, faces the western Pacific
without much else to take the force of storms before they make landfall. It has
the warmest ocean temperatures in the world and was called the warm pool.
Typhoons form when temperatures rise above 28°C (82.4°F). The water
temperature in the western Pacific is usually above 28 degrees.

2. Deforestation
In past typhoons, mudslides have killed many storm survivors in the
Philippines, notes meteorologist Jeff Masters of the Weather Underground
website. Hillsides denuded of trees have fewer roots to hold them together,
which can lead to mudslides when sudden massive outbursts of rain hit them.
Deforestation has caused similar problems in places such as Haiti, where
rainstorms triggered mudslides.

3. Ring of Fire
On top of that, the Philippines is located on the Pacific's earthquake and
volcano Ring of Fire. As a result of the Pacific Ocean's crust diving beneath the
continents, earthquakes and tsunamis strike the Philippines regularly.
4. Poverty
Various social and economic factors influence disaster risk, determining
entitlements and capabilities. Access to services, political influence, and social
and economic status directly impact disaster risk and resilience. Low-quality
and insecure housing is a significant factor in underprivileged areas, limiting

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access to essential health care, public transportation, communications, and
infrastructures such as water, sanitation, drainage, and roads. Higher mortality
and morbidity rates among children, the elderly, and women are directly
related to these various poverty factors. You can't talk about disaster risk
reduction without mentioning inequality.

5. Increase Population Density

Population growth and distribution primarily increased population density and
urbanization increase vulnerability to disasters. A large part of the population in
the Philippines resides in urban areas, resulting in increasing population
concentration in coastal flood-prone communities and regions. Congestion,
limited escape routes, dense infrastructure, and poverty add to the
vulnerability. Cities and countries in other parts of the world are dealing with
similar issues. For example, researchers argue that urban earthquakes are
more dangerous in countries like China due to infrastructure density. For
example, the expansion of coastal populations raises serious concerns about
increased human vulnerability to coastal flooding, hurricanes, and tsunamis.

6. Rapid Urbanization
Poor planning and provision of safe infrastructure can be an aggravating factor
in severity of disasters. For example, rapid building construction in urbanizing
areas may cut corners on good building practices.

7. Lack of awareness or preparation for common disasters

8. Climate Change
Climate change is defined as a change in the climate that lasts for decades or
longer and is caused by either natural or human activity. Climate change is
already altering the frequency and severity of many weather-related hazards,
while also increasing the vulnerability and eroding the resilience of vulnerable
populations who rely on arable land, access to water, and stable mean
temperatures and rainfall. Weather-related hazards pose the greatest threat to
low and middle-income countries.

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Climate change can increase disaster risk in a variety of ways, including
changes in the frequency and intensity of hazard events, changes in
vulnerability to hazards, and changes in exposure patterns.

These reasons are the cause of the Philippines' susceptibility to disasters. The
government is still working to resolve these issues by establishing plans and
goals for the coming years, especially the National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council (NDRRMC).
When it comes to legislatively, there are standards, restrictions and regulations
related to disaster risk reduction and preparedness and here are some of
them:

The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010

(REPUBLIC ACT No. 10121)
An act strengthening the philippine disaster risk reduction and
management system, providing for the national disaster risk reduction and
management framework and institutionalizing the national disaster risk
reduction and management plan, appropriating funds therefor and for other
purposes.
This Act provides for the development of policies and plans and the
implementation of actions and measures pertaining to all aspects of disaster
risk reduction and management, including good governance, risk assessment
and early warning, knowledge building and awareness raising, reducing
underlying risk factors, and preparedness for effective response and early
recovery.

The Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act (REPUBLIC ACT NO.
10821)

It is hereby declared the policy of the State to protect the fundamental

rights of children before, during, and after disasters and other emergency
situations when children are gravely threatened or endangered by
circumstances that affect their survival and normal development. Guided by
the principles on survival and development, on child participation, and

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consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, as
well as the Children’s Charter for Disaster Risk and Reduction, and the
minimum standards for children in humanitarian action, the State shall
establish and implement a comprehensive and strategic program of action to
provide the children and pregnant and lactating mothers affected by disasters
and other emergency situations with utmost support and assistance necessary
for their immediate recovery and protection against all forms of violence,
cruelty, discrimination, neglect, abuse, exploitation and other acts prejudicial to
their interest, survival, development and well-being.

The Risk Reduction and Preparedness Equipment Protection Act

(REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10344)

An act penalizing the unauthorized taking, stealing, keeping or tampering

of government risk reduction and preparedness equipment, accessories and
similar facilities.
It is the policy of the State to protect the right of the people to a balanced
and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature. The
State shall continue the policy to create, develop, maintain and improve
conditions under which man and nature can thrive in productive and enjoyable
harmony with each other. Towards this end, all government agencies are
mandated to institute measures to ensure the safety of its citizens and their
properties through the installation of data and information gathering devices
and the network of national and local authorities to disseminate risk reduction
warning and advice.

Mandatory Evacuation Center Act (Senate Bill No. 1228)

An act establishing a mandatory evacuation center in all cities provinces;
and municipalities, appropriating funds therefor
It is hereby declared the policy of the State to protect the people’s right to
life and property that is rooted and embedded in our Constitution, and to
promote their general welfare. It is for this reason that the 7 establishment of
an evacuation center shall be undertaken in all cities, provinces, 8 and
municipalities to address the vulnerability of the Philippines to the impacts of 9

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climate change and other human-made disasters. This is also to strengthen
the 10 country’s institutional capacity for building the resilience of local
communities to 11 adhere and adopt the universal standards of humanitarian
assistance

B3d. PROPOSAL

With the present reasons of the Philippines' warm oceans,

deforestation, being located in the ring of fire, poverty, increase in population
density, rapid urbanization, lack of awareness or preparation for disasters and
climate change, the nation's disaster severity arises.
The NDRRMC developed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Plan (NDRRMP) for the year 2020 - 2030, which establishes the
linkage between disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), climate
change adaptation (CCA), and human security by focusing on climate and
disaster risks. It aims to achieve the shared goals of Ambisyon Natin 2040,
NDRRMP, National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP), and National
Security Strategy (NSS) in risk reduction, resilience building, human security,
and sustainable development.
Reducing disaster risks will supplement preparedness efforts and
significantly contribute to the state's sustainable development drive to
minimize disaster risk while addressing issues such as poverty, infrastructure,
and health.
Evacuation centers provide temporary shelter for displaced persons
following a disaster. These spaces should be safe and provide a standard of
living and care for disaster-affected people.
In the CALABARZON region, the Cavite province recorded a higher
hydrological disaster and calamity rate.
The proposal for A PROPOSED DISASTER-RESILIENT LIVING
MANAGEMENT COMPLEX FOR HYDROLOGICAL DISASTERS was
intended to establish a facility for disaster preparedness like drills to reduce or
avoid losses from hazards, assure prompt assistance to victims and achieve
rapid and effective recovery to affected areas. It will also promote awareness
of disasters and teach the community how to assess situations during

143
calamities. Aside from pre-activities for resilient disaster management, the
project will also provide shelter for the aftermaths of calamities and assure
safety to the people. The project aims to provide a disaster-resilient community
that will adapt to the nation's current situation.

B3e. LOCATION

Based on the data gathered and analyzed by the researchers, Among

the regions, CALABARZON recorded the highest rate of social concerns with
22.22 percent that affects the population's education, health, medical care,
water supply and sanitation, housing, etc. Due to its geographical location, the
Philippines is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to natural disasters.
The social stability of the nation encounters a threat because of disasters,
either natural or human-induced.
The proposal is expected to be erected in the province of Cavite as it is
one of the province in the region that is easily affected by disasters. The
researchers believe that the disaster-resilient living management complex will
promote the preparedness for hydrological disasters. It will also provide
immediate support in the aftermaths of disasters. The region where the facility
will be located is facing an emergence into multiple hazard events and the
project will help the region to bounce forward and improve on the actions
communities and government make before, during, and after the disasters.

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Reference list:
CALABARZON-RDP-2017-2022-Midterm-Update.pdf
CFE-DM-DMRH-Philippines2021.pdf
prc-phillippine-report-final_0.pdf (harvard.edu)
NDRRMP-Publication-v5 (Revised) 4-22 (ndrrmc.gov.ph)
Strengthening Disaster Resilience and Preparedness in the Philippines -
OpenGov Asia
Perceptions of Disaster Resilience and Preparedness in the Philippines |
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
List of Fault Lines in the Philippines | Lumina Homes
Philippines: earthquake hazards in Cavite by type | Statista
ThinkHazard - Region IV-A (Calabarzon).pdfe
How can climate change affect natural disasters? | U.S. Geological Survey
(usgs.gov)
(PDF) Enabling learning in demonstration farms: a literature review.
(researchgate.net)

06232022_NAFMIP 2021-2030.pdf - Google Drive

Home | Official Portal of the Department of Agriculture (da.gov.ph)

ATI. 2019. Enhanced Philippine AFE Strategic Plan

2020-2022-compressed.pdf

Major Programs (bar.gov.ph)

Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 Chapters - Philippine Development

Plan (neda.gov.ph)

08-06-08-2017.pdf (neda.gov.ph)

Agriculture is dying in the Philippines | Philstar.com

Regional Development Plan Midterm Updating | NEDA Region IV-A

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