a political economy analysis of the bicol region

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ABC+: Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines

A POLITICAL ECONOMY ANALYSIS OF THE BICOL REGION

Final Report Ateneo Social Science Research Center September 30, 2020

ABC+ Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines

A Political Economy Analysis of the Bicol Region Ateneo Social Science Research Center Final Report | September 30, 2020

Published by:

Ateneo de Naga University - Ateneo Social Science Research Center

Author/ Project lead: Marlyn Lee-Tejada Co-author: Frances Michelle C. Nubla Research Associate: Mary Grace Joyce Alis-Besenio Research Assistants: Jesabe S.J. Agor and Jenly P. Balaquiao

The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government, the Department of Education, the RTI International, and The Asia Foundation.

Table of Contents

ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................... v

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ 1

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 5

Methodology .................................................................................................................... 6

Sampling Design .............................................................................................................. 6

Data Collection ................................................................................................................. 7

Data Analysis ................................................................................................................... 10

BICOL REGION’S POLITICAL ECONOMY ................................................................ 11

Geography and Socio-Demographic Profile .................................................... 11

Bicol Region’s Competitiveness and Dominant Industries .............................. 12

Tourism ........................................................................................... 12

Agriculture and Fisheries ................................................................. 12

Mining ............................................................................................. 13

Political Subdivisions and LGUs’ Fiscal Performance ..................................... 13

Priorities of the Region ................................................................................. 18

LGU Dynamics ............................................................................................. 20

Leadership Change and Decision-Making ...................................................... 22

Important Events that Affected the Region ..................................................... 24

Opportunities and Constraints of LGU Support to Education ........................... 25

LGU Strategizing to Get More Funds ................................................. 25

LGU’s Support for Education ............................................................. 25

LGU Management of SEF .............................................................................. 30

BICOL REGION’S PUBLIC BASIC EDUCATION SECTOR ......................................... 31

The Dynamics of Leadership and Administration in the Region’s Education Sector ................................................................... 31

Institutionalization of Mother Tongue as Medium of Instruction in K to 3 .......... 33

Worldviews on MT Development .................................................................... 34

The Level of Bikol Language Contextualization of LMs .................................... 36

Orthography Development and Standardization Effort ..................................... 37

The Challenge of Bikol Language Nuances on LM Development ...................... 39

The Status of Early Grade Literacy, Numeracy, and SEL in the Bicol Region ........................................................................................

40

Challenges, Efforts Undertaken, and On-Going Interventions in Early Grade Literacy .....................................................................

42

Challenges, Efforts Undertaken, and On-Going Interventions in Early Grade Numeracy ..................................................................

47

Challenges, Efforts Undertaken, and On-Going Interventions in Early Grade Socio-Emotional Learning ...........................................

48

Covid-19 Pandemic Opportunities and Constraints on MTB-MLE Implementation ............................................................................................

49

STAKEHOLDER MAPPING AND ANALYSIS ............................................................. 52

Stakeholders’ Capacity, Influence, and Support ............................................. 54

Stakeholder engagement .............................................................................. 57

Limitations, turn-offs, and disincentives ......................................................... 57

Motivation and interest .................................................................................. 58

Avenues to engage stakeholders ................................................................... 59

RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................... 60

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 67

ANNEXES .................................................................................................................. 74

LIST of TABLES

TABLE 1. Number of completed interviews per respondent type 7

TABLE 2. List of sampled municipalities according to income classification

8

TABLE 3. FGD schedule and its respective number of participants 9

TABLE 4. Average Annual Regular Income and IRA-Dependency of Bicol Region’s Municipalities by Province, FY 2009-2018

14

TABLE 5. Average Annual Regular Income and IRA-Dependency of Bicol Region’s Municipalities by Province, FY 2009-2018

15

TABLE 6. Statement of Income by LGU Classification of the Bicol Region, Total for the Philippines, and Percent Share, FY 2018

16

TABLE 7. Top 3 Priority Programs of Sampled Municipalities and Provinces, 2020

18

TABLE 8.

Top 10 Programs and Projects Funded by the Local School Board by City and Municipal Class, Selected Areas, Bicol Region, 2020

29

TABLE 9. Type of organizations present in the sampled municipalities and their distribution by sector, 2020

53

TABLE 10. Type of organizations present in the sampled municipalities and their distribution per income class, 2020

54

TABLE 11. Brief Profile of Sampled Municipalities 74

TABLE 12. Average SEF of Sampled Municipalities, Cities, and Province, 2009-2016

87

TABLE 13. Detailed Programs and Projects Financed by SEF in Sampled Municipalities and Cities by Income Class, 2020

89

TABLE 14. Sample Schools and their Respective Languages 95

TABLE 15. Challenges, Efforts Undertaken, and Ongoing Interventions in Literacy by Classification of Languages

98

TABLE 16. Challenges, Efforts Undertaken, and Ongoing Interventions in Numeracy by Classification of Languages

102

TABLE 17. Support by Type of Organization and Municipal Class 104

LIST of FigurES

FIGURE 1. Average SEF of Sampled Municipalities by Municipal Class, 2009-2016, in million pesos

28

FIGURE 2. Enrollment Figures of the Public EGE in SY 2012-2013 to 2019-2020

41

FIGURE 3. Frequency of Stakeholders in Albay and their Organization Classifications

109

FIGURE 4. Frequency of Stakeholders in Camarines Norte and their Organization Classifications

109

FIGURE 5. Frequency of Stakeholders in Camarines Sur and their Organization Classifications

110

FIGURE 6. Frequency of Stakeholders in Catanduanes and their Organization Classifications

110

FIGURE 7. Frequency of Stakeholders in Masbate and their Organization Classifications

111

FIGURE 8. Frequency of Stakeholders in Sorsogon and their Organization Classifications

111

Acronyms

ADNU Ateneo de Naga University

ALS Alternative Learning System

ASDS Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

BCCD Bicol Center for Child Development

BE-LCP Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan

BLGF Bureau of Local Government Finance

BuB Bottom-up Budgeting

CHED Commission on Higher Education

CMCI Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index

CMGP Conditional Matching Grant for Provinces

CN Camarines Norte

CS Camarines Sur

CSB City School Board

CSO Civil Society Organization

DBM Department of Budget and Management

DepEd Department of Education

DILG Department of Interior and Local Government

DLP Dynamic Learning Program

DPWH Department of Public Works and Highways

DRRM Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

ECCD Early Childhood Care and Development

ECEd Early Childhood Education

ECG Electrocardiography

EGE Early Grade Education

EGP English for General Purposes

EPS Education Program Supervisor

FGD Focus Group Discussion

FY Fiscal Year

v A POLITICAL ECONOMY ANALYSIS OF THE BICOL REGION

ICT Information and Communications Technology

IMs Instructional Materials

IRA Internal Revenue Allotment

KALAHI-CIDSS Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services

K to 3 Kindergarten to Grade 3

K to 12 Kindergarten to Grade 12

LACs Learning Action Cells

LCE Local Chief Executive

LGSF-AM Local Government Support Fund-Assistance to Municipalities

LGU Local Government Unit

LM Learning Materials

LOI Language of Instruction

LR Learning Resources

LRMDS Learning Resources Management and Development System

LSB Local School Board

MELCs Most Essential Learning Competencies

MLGU Municipal Local Government Unit

MOOE Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses

MPDO Municipal Planning and Development Officer

MRF Material Recovery Facility

MSB Municipal School Board

MSWDO Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office

MT Mother Tongue

MTB-MLE Mother Tongue Based-Multilingual Education

NCPC Naga City People’s Council

NCR National Capital Region

NEDA National Economic and Development Authority

NGO Non-Government Organization

NPA New People’s Army

OPAPP Office of the Presidential Advisory for Peace Process

vi A POLITICAL ECONOMY ANALYSIS OF THE BICOL REGION

OSY Out of School Youth

PAMANA PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn

PDPFP Provincial Development Physical Framework Plan

PED Provincial Education Department

PLGU Provincial Local Government Unit

PNP Philippine National Police

PPAs Programs, Projects, and Activities

PPDO Provincial Planning and Development Officer

Prin Principal

PSA Philippine Statistics Authority

PSDS Public Schools District Supervisor

PTA Parent-Teacher Association

RA Republic Act

RHU Rural Health Unit

SDGs Sustainable Development Goals

SDO Schools Division Office

SDS Schools Division Superintendent

SEF Special Education Fund

SEL Socio-emotional Learning

SMEs Small and Micro-Entrepreneurs

SPED Special Education

SSI Semi-Structured Interview

SY School Year

TAF The Asia Foundation

TD Tropical depressions

TY Typhoons

UN United Nations

USAID United States Agency for International Development

WASH Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

WinS WASH in Schools

vii A POLITICAL ECONOMY ANALYSIS OF THE BICOL REGION

1 A POLITICAL ECONOMY ANALYSIS OF THE BICOL REGION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Bicol Region was selected as one of the areas for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported ABC+ Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines project, which aims to support the Department of Education (DepEd) in improving basic life skills for children in the early grades in this linguistically diverse region. This Political Economy Analysis of the Bicol Region hopes to provide The Asia Foundation with an understanding of the overall political-economic context of the region. This analysis identifies entry points at the regional scale for the project, provides a deeper analysis of the region’s early grade, basic education focused on literacy and numeracy, and illustrates the status of network support specific to Kindergarten to Grade 3 with an emphasis on key decision-makers and actors, the scope of influence, and their behavior towards the achievement of the ABC+ project objectives.

This qualitative study used document review, semi-structured interviews (SSI), and focus group discussions (FGDs) to collect data. Sampling was mainly purposive. The interviews were conducted mostly in Filipino. This study has a total of 31 municipalities and three cities. Six online FGDs were conducted with representatives from NGOs, businesses, and civic, church-based, and professional organizations. Data were analyzed using the factors outlined in the USAID’s Applied Political Economy Analysis Field Guide, with a focus on foundational factors, rules of the game, and the here and now. This analytical methodology applied to the three sections of the report—regional level, education sector, and stakeholders’ mapping.


The Bicol Region, a peninsula in the southeastern part of Luzon, has six provinces with a population of 5.8 million. The Region’s poverty incidence in 2018 was 26.8%, higher than the country’s rate of 16.6%. Its dominant industries are tourism, agriculture and fisheries, and mining. The region’s economic performance is negatively affected by El Niño, La Niña, volcanic eruptions, and the frequent typhoons, including the year’s global health pandemic. Politically, the Region is subdivided into 16 congressional districts, seven cities, 107 municipalities, and 3,471 barangays. The majority of the region’s municipalities are classified as third to fifth-income classes, which shows the low level of their financial capacity. The top priority programs of the sampled local government units (LGUs) include providing social services, particularly education and health, infrastructure development, and livelihood and employment. Most of these programs are said to be aligned with the province. However, LGU dynamics, such as leadership change, the interplay of the LGU’s budget and the elected officials’ terms, political clouts, networking, and differences, and the leaders’ priorities and management styles can affect the pursuit and sustainability of the LGU’s programs.

One of LGU’s usual programs is its support to education, usually channeled through the Special Education Fund (SEF). LGUs generally observe the law and several guidelines in its SEF spending. LGUs made use of the SEF in coordination with DepEd through the local school board. In general, LGUs provide little support to early grade education (EGE). LGU’s attitude of relatively lesser support toward EGE is brought about by the issued guidelines on SEF spending, as well as the notion that EGE is already the concern of DepEd. Looking deeper into the EGE’s concern leads to its implementation of the mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE). Bicolano linguists and DepEd teachers, principals, supervisors, and superintendents related many concerns and challenges on its implementation, such as Bikol language contextualization of learning materials (LMs), orthography and standardization effort, Bikol language nuances on LM development, and the status of early grade literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional learning including the ongoing interventions that LGUs and each level of the Region’s DepEd administration and personnel have done.

The Region’s education sectors’ stakeholders operate at the school and community levels and at different magnitudes and frequencies. Those closest to the learners were the most frequent supporters, but those with a vision focused on education made a dent through a more tangible and lasting contribution. Stakeholders’ engagements with schools were initiated mainly by these types of organizations,


which offer potential future partnerships. Too much bureaucracy and the presence of conflict and disagreements are major turnoffs and disincentives that limit stakeholders’ engagement. These results led to the study’s recommendations: 1. tap the support of LGU with high concentration in the industries of tourism,

agriculture and fisheries, and mining; 2. re-inform the local school boards (LSBs) of their governance and decision making

functions highlighting their power to enact changes and deliberate on creative ways to maximize and make the SEF responsive to the current needs of the local schools;

3. inform the LGUs of the multiplier effect of creating contextualized modules to the cultural tourism industry of the region;

4. for DepEd to provide constant and continuous education sector updates delivery to propel LGU’s sustained interest to the sector;

5. revisit the implementation of the MTB-MLE curriculum in terms of issues on early exit and the role of orthography in instruction delivery;

6. deliver on-time, sufficient, and appropriate and resilient EGE materials ; 7. update language mapping at the barangay level; 8. make the Learning Resources (LR) portal user-friendly; and 9. re-orient parents of the purpose of MTB-MLE; 10. harness the broad stakeholder base and engage them.

4 LCP CITIES’ SYSTEM CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT (CI-CAP) PROJECT

Title of Project ABC+ Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines: A Political Economy Analysis of the Bicol Region

The objectives of the project

The study aims to provide a political-economic context of Region V at three levels: regional level, education sector, and stakeholder mapping. Specifically, it aims to:

1. Understand the overall political-economic context of

the region in general, and concerning early grade education;

2. Understand the political economy in the basic education focused on early grade literacy and numeracy; and

3. Illustrate the status of network support specific to Kindergarten to Grade 3 with particular emphasis on key decision-makers and actors and their scope of influence and behavior towards the achievement of ABC+ project objectives.

Grantee

Ateneo de Naga University—Ateneo Social Science Research Center

Grant Period

March 9, 2020, to August 24, 2020, with an extension until October 2020


0

INTRODUCTION

Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 directs the DepEd to adhere to the principles and framework of MTB-MLE in the curriculum development of kindergarten and Grades 1 to 3 (DepEd, 2020 February). DepEd had earlier institutionalized MTB-MLE through its Order 74 series of 2009. This curricular enhancement resulted from DepEd’s recognition of various local and international research on children being able to learn faster in their first language, which can be the base for them to learn additional languages more easily (ACDP 2014; Educo 2018; Llaneta 2018). Children also acquire other academic competencies more quickly and develop appropriate cognitive and reasoning skills.

In the initial stage of implementation of MTB-MLE in the 2012–13 school year (SY), eight major languages, including Bicol, were offered as a learning area for its utilization as a language of instruction (LOI) (DepEd 2012). However, the Bicol Region is one of the most diverse languages areas in the country with four main branches, 12 dialects, and 22 area variants (Lobel & Tria 2000). The official LOI has not encompassed many of the language variants spoken in the region. With this perspective, the Bicol Region was selected as one of the areas for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported ABC+ Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines project, which aims to support DepEd in improving basic life skills for children in the early grades in this linguistically diverse region.

The Political Economy Analysis of the Bicol Region hopes to provide The Asia Foundation with an understanding of the overall political-economic context of the region. This aimed to identify entry points at the regional scale for the project, provide a


deeper analysis of the region’s early grade basic education focused on literacy and numeracy, and illustrate the status of network support specific to Kindergarten to Grade 3 with emphasis on key decision-makers and actors, the scope of influence, and their behavior towards the achievement of the ABC+ project objectives.

Methodology

This qualitative study used document review, SSIs, and FGDs to collect data. Sampling was mainly purposive. The interviews were mostly conducted in Filipino.

Sampling Design

The subgroup sampling design was used to compare different sub-groups in terms of municipal class and dialect. The stratification by municipal class hoped to segment LGUs based on their financial capacity and the extent or narrowness of its networks, while the stratification by language hoped to depict the availability of mother-tongue based materials as well as strengths and weakness of its use as a medium of instruction.

A matrix of all municipalities in the Bicol Region, their respective income class, and their language was created. From this list, purposive samples were selected of municipality per income class for each province and all 12 languages for the region. For two or more municipalities with the same municipal and language profile, a random sample was drawn. Replacements of original target LGUs were based on the municipal class.

The schools were identified by randomly drawing a barangay (district) from the sampled municipality. A random sample was also drawn from the list of all public primary and elementary schools in the barangay . The principal/school head and teacher came from the sampled school. Teachers from each level (Kindergarten to Grade 3) and subject (numeracy and literacy) were sought. However, some target respondents were unavailable or unresponsive mainly due to their duties related to the global health situation. Replacements in the education sector were taken from the nearby municipality with similar income classes based on the recommendation of public school district supervisors.

The parent-teacher association (PTA) President or his/her representative was targeted by school division and would come from any of the identified schools recommended by the principal, school head, or teacher. The PTA President has to have a child enrolled in Kindergarten to Grade 3. Unavailable PTA presidents


were replaced by other officers or another school’s representatives based on the recommendation of the principal or the teacher.

Data Collection

A document review, SSIs, and FGDs were utilized to collect data. The document review provided data that described the socio-economic context of the region and the project, programs, and activities of the LGU supporting the education of Kindergarten to Grade 3 pupils. FGDs and SSIs were conducted to gain perspective from the education sector, stakeholders, and provincial and municipal LGUs.

A total of 168 interviews were planned for the study. These should have included the Regional Director of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and DepEd, who hoped to serve as key informants for this study. Ninety-six interviews were to be conducted with the governor, mayor or MPDO, and LSB head or member to capture regional context, and 70 interviews were planned with the principal, teacher, PTA president, and DepEd superintendent to capture the education context. Six FGDs were planned with stakeholders for stakeholder mapping.

Due to the global pandemic and forced home/locality quarantine in most of the data collection period, the data collection procedure was revised from face-to-face interviews to phone interviews conducted from May 4, 2020, to August 17, 2020. Several target respondents were not reached mainly due to the study’s timing, which falls when respondents are engaged with their primary work to resolve community/ sectoral issues caused by the pandemic. Although the research team tried to replace interview areas, the number of respondents fell from 168 to 130. The provinces and the sectors of the respondents are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Number of Completed Interviews per Respondent Type

PROVINCE/ CITY

REGIONAL CONTEXT (SSI) EDUCATION (SSI)

GOVERNOR/

MAYOR

PPDO/ MPDO

CSB/ MSB

PRINCIPAL/ SCHOOL HEAD

TEACHER

PTA

PRESIDENT

SDS/ EPS/ PSDS/ ASST. PSDS

Albay 2 1 - 1 1 1 2

Camarines Norte

1 3 2 4 3 - 2


PROVINCE/ CITY

REGIONAL CONTEXT (SSI) EDUCATION (SSI)

GOVERNOR/

MAYOR

PPDO/ MPDO

CSB/ MSB

PRINCIPAL/ SCHOOL HEAD

TEACHER

PTA

PRESIDENT

SDS/ EPS/ PSDS/ ASST. PSDS

Camarines Sur

1 1 1 5 2 - 2

Rinconada Areas

2 3 3 4 4 1 1

Catanduanes 3 2 3 1 1 - 1

Masbate - 4 2 4 2 1 2

Sorsogon 2 6 3 5 5 2 -

TOTAL 11 20 14 24 19 5 10

This study has a total of 31 municipalities and three cities. The lists of the sampled areas and their respective income classes are presented in Table 2.

Table 2. List of Sampled Municipalities According to Income Classification

1ST CLASS 2ND CLASS 3RD CLASS 4TH CLASS 5TH CLASS

Aroroy Bula Baao Balud Batuan

Buhi Caramoan (Principal) Caramoran Casiguran Bombon

Daet (Capital) Cataingan Castilla Iriga City Prieto Diaz

Pilar Goa (Principal) Santa Elena Manito San Lorenzo Ruiz

Polangui (PTA) Irosin Tigaon Pandan San Miguel


1ST CLASS 2ND CLASS 3RD CLASS 4TH CLASS 5TH CLASS

Virac (Capital)

Jose Panganiban Uson Talisay San Vicente

Legazpi City

Santa Magdalena

Naga City (EPS) Luzon Placer Mindanao

Meanwhile, the online FGDs were conducted from August 19 to September 3, 2020 (Table 3). These were participated by representatives from various sectors such as NGOs (with 13 representatives), businesses (5), civic organizations (4), church- based organizations (5), and professional organizations (1).

Table 3. FGD Schedule and Its Respective Number of Participants

SESSION NUMBER

FGD DATE

NUMBER OF FGD PARTICIPANTS TOTAL

MALE FEMALE

1 August 19, 2020 3 5 8

2 August 21, 2020* 0 1 1

3 August 28, 2020 2 4 6

4 September 1, 2020 3 2 5

5 September 2, 2020 2 1 3

6 September 3, 2020 0 3 3

TOTAL 27

* This FGD was supposed to be attended by three participants; however, two backed out on the day of the FGD.


Data Analysis

Data were analyzed using the factors outlined in the USAID’s Applied Political Economy Analysis Field Guide, with a focus on foundational factors, rules of the game, and the here and now. This analytical methodology applies to three sections of the report—regional level, education sector, and stakeholders’ mapping. The following explains each category and describes the study’s approach.

Foundational factors are those conditions that can change slowly. At the regional level, these factors refer to geography, socio-demographic, economic profile, political profile, priorities of the region, and LGUs’ capacity and level of support in improving the education sector.

Rules of the game refer to formal and informal institutions that shape the region’s interactions and relations. This level of analysis focuses on the scope of influence and capabilities of LGUs, the relationship and decision making of political leaders, and the linkages of the government units at the national, regional, provincial, and municipal levels.

The here and now discusses the importance of recent events in the region and how these affect constraints and opportunities in improving early grade education.

In the education sector, foundational factors describe the sector’s early grade education and its position in the overall agenda of the region. Rules of the game include the importance of mother tongue, its effectiveness on child learning, and challenges encountered. The here and now discuss how important recent events, including Covid-19, affect the opportunities and constraints on early grade education and the prospects of USAID support through the TAF.

The foundational factors of stakeholders’ mapping include a description of key stakeholders present in the region, their capacity and influence, and their support to the education sector. Rules of the game outline how stakeholder engagement is formed, what turns them off, and their limitations. The here and now describe how they can be motivated to invest in basic education and avenues for engaging them.


02

BICOL REGION’S POLITICAL ECONOMY

Geography and Socio-Demographic Profile

Bicol Region lies at 11030’ to 14020’ north latitude and 122020’ to 124030’ east latitude or the midsection of the Philippines (NEDA-Region V n.d.). It is a peninsula in the southeastern part of Luzon and has a total land area of 18,114 square kilometers, comprising 6% of the Philippine land area. It is bounded on the north by Lamon Bay, the Pacific Ocean on the east, and the Sibuyan Sea and Ragay Gulf on the west. The northernmost province, Camarines Norte, is bordered on the north by the Province of Quezon, which connects the region to the rest of Luzon. The Region has six provinces—Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon. Camarines Sur is the largest province in the region, with 5,266.8 square kilometers occupying about 29% of its total land area. Catanduanes is the smallest, with 1,511.5 square kilometers covering 8.3% of the total regional area. The Region recorded a population of 5.8 million, which accounted for about 5.7 percent of the Philippine population. Camarines Sur also recorded as the region’s largest province in terms of population with 1.95 million people, while Catanduanes had the smallest population of 261 thousand people (Philippine Statistics Authority [PSA] 2016).


Bicol Region’s Competitiveness and Dominant Industries

The region has a few cities and municipalities classified as “competitive” in the national Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) survey, including Legazpi City, ranked in fourth place. Naga City ranked eighth among the most competitive component cities. Tigaon ranked ninth among the 3rd and 6th class municipalities of the country in 2019. The ranking was based on economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency. The Region’s top three industries are tourism, agriculture, and fisheries, and mining.

Tourism

Tourism serves as a major growth driver in the region. Based on partial data from the Department of Tourism, tourist arrivals reached 1.28 million in 2019, mostly domestic tourists (86 percent). Legazpi City had the highest number of tourists during the year at 576,600, accounting for 51 percent of total tourist arrivals. The holding of festivals, national events, activities, and improvements to regional tourist destinations created opportunities for increasing tourist arrivals and investments and potential avenues for employment. The tourism industry has created jobs for more Bicolanos as more tourism-related establishments operate (hotels and restaurants, resorts, wellness, and eco-parks).

Tourism is one of the most affected industries in the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the enhanced community quarantine declaration in Luzon on March 16, 2020, travel was restricted, and domestic flights were canceled, which affected both foreign and domestic tourist arrivals. This has affected at least 7 million direct and indirect employees in the region’s tourism industry, including workers and owners of micro, small, and medium enterprises (Mier-Manjares 2020).

Albay alone lost PHP0.5 billion during the first half of the year due to the government-declared community quarantine (Serrano 2020).

Agriculture and Fisheries Agriculture and fisheries provide employment to about 40 percent of Bicolanos, especially in rural areas. It is also a major contributor to exports, particularly abaca, coconut, and marine products. The manufacturing industry and the household sector are dependent on the agriculture and fisheries industry for raw materials and personal consumption.


Despite being a major industry, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has recorded a contraction in the production of palay and corn by 11.7% and 11.3%, respectively, in 2019. The decline in production was brought about by the dry spell, which occurred in the second quarter until the third quarter of 2019 that affected 28,177 hectares of rice areas and 7,987 hectares of corn areas. The higher temperature also caused a reduction in fisheries production by 7.8 percent in 2019. The hot weather condition also reduced hog, chicken, and cattle production by a range of 0.31 percent to 5.78 percent. Livestock and chicken production declined also due to higher prices of animal feeds, antibiotics, and other production inputs.

Production of two major crops—coconut and abaca—increased by 5 percent and 0.44 percent, respectively, in the same year. The expansion in abaca production was brought by the mass production of high-yielding and disease-free abaca suckers and expansion of abaca areas in Sorsogon, utilization of specialized farm equipment, and continued rehabilitation of typhoon-damaged abaca areas in Catanduanes.

Mining

In 2019, the Masbate Gold Project of Philippine Gold Processing & Refining Corporation produced 6,291 kilograms of gold, 1.34 percent more than in 2018. Silver production decreased by 4.11 percent to 4,533 kilograms, valued at PHP121.15 million. Metallic minerals reached a total value of PHP13.64 billion. The non-metallic minerals produced are limestone and perlite weighing 52,506 metric tons and 8,736 metric tons, respectively, with a total value of PHP8.17 million. Total taxes paid by large scale mining companies, which comprised 99.32 percent of total taxes collected from mining in the region increased by 15.34 percent to PHP2.47 billion in 2019.

To promote sustainable and responsible mining, the Minahang Bayan, or People’s Small Scale Mining Area, was established in the provinces of Camarines Norte and Masbate in 2018 (PH-EITI 2017) through the People’s Small-Scale Mining Act (Republic Act [RA] 7076). This program drove some large-scale mines to close shop and resulted in the “transfer of technology” from the mine employees to small-scale miners. However, from 2017 to 2019, the number of small-scale mining sites in Camarines Norte and Masbate declined.

Political Subdivisions and LGUs’ Fiscal Performance The Region is politically subdivided into 16 congressional districts, seven cities, 107 municipalities, and 3,471 barangays. The cities are composed of one independent component city, Naga City, and six component cities—Iriga, Legazpi, Ligao, Masbate City, Sorsogon City, and Tabaco City (NEDA-Region V n.d.). The local government


units are further classified according to income class to be used as the basis for fixing the maximum tax ceilings, for determining administrative and statutory aids, financial grants, other forms of assistance, and for the implementation of salary laws and the like, among others (Office of the President 1987).

An analysis of data produced by the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) on LGUs’ regular income and internal revenue allotment (IRA)-dependency in 2009–18 shows the income class and the fiscal capacity of the Region’s municipalities (Table 4). The average annual regular income includes IRA, taxes, charges, which are regularly collected and accrued to the general fund of the LGUs. In 2009–18, about a third of the region’s municipalities (32.1%) were classified as first and second-income classes and received an average annual income of 22% to 70% more than the Region’s average income of PHP90.5 million. The majority (68.1%), however, were classified among the third, fourth, and fifth-income classes whose average annual income was between PHP45.1 million to PHP89.4 million, which was lower than the average annual regular income of the region of PHP90.5 million. This is telling of the low level of the financial capacity of most of the municipalities in the region as well as their ability to finance their expenditures. Most municipalities classified at a lower income category level have a lower IRA, uncompetitive salaries for officials and personnel, and a low credit standing for availing loans.

Table 4 shows that the 4th and 5th-income-class municipalities were on average 93% to 96% IRA-dependent, above the 91% IRA-dependency average in the region and 86% in the Philippines in 2018.

Table 4. Average Annual Regular Income and IRA-Dependency of Bicol Region’s Municipalities by

Municipal Income Class, FY 2009–18

MUNICIPALITY'S INCOME CLASS

NUMBER OF MUNICIPALITIES

% OF TOTAL NUMBER OF

MUNICIPALITIES

AVERAGE ANNUAL REGULAR

INCOME ( PHP, MILLIONS)

% OF AVERAGE

BICOL ANNUAL

REGULAR INCOME

AVERAGE

% IRA- DEPENDENT

1 22 20.8 154.070 170.2 83

2 12 11.3 110.949 122.6 90

3 25 23.6 89.433 98.8 91

4 30 28.3 63.725 70.4 93


MUNICIPALITY'S INCOME CLASS



MUNICIPALITIES

AVERAGE ANNUAL REGULAR

INCOME ( PHP, MILLIONS)

% OF AVERAGE

BICOL ANNUAL

REGULAR INCOME

AVERAGE

% IRA- DEPENDENT

5 18 16.0 45.121 49.9 96

All 107 100.0 90.502 100.0 91

Table 5 further shows that municipalities whose above-average IRA-dependencies of 92–94% were found in the provinces of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Masbate. Incidentally, Camarines Sur and Masbate were the provinces with the highest- recorded poverty incidence at 28.1% and 33%, respectively, in 2018. In the same period, the Bicol Region’s poverty incidence was 26.8%, and 16.6% in the Philippines (NEDA-Region V 2020).

Table 5. Average Annual Regular Income and IRA-Dependency of

Bicol Region’s Municipalities by Province, FY 2009–18

PROVINCE



MUNICIPALITIES

AVERAGE ANNUAL REGULAR INCOME

( PHP, MILLIONS)

% OF AVERAGE

BICOL ANNUAL

REGULAR INCOME

AVERAGE

% IRA- DEPENDENT

Albay 15 14.0 114.250 126.2 84

Camarines Norte 12 11.2 100.003 110.5 91

Camarines Sur 35 32.7 87.672 96.9 92

Catanduanes 11 10.3 64.395 71.2 94

Masbate 20 18.7 88.073 97.3 92

Sorsogon 14 13.1 87.968 97.2 91

All 107 100.0 90.502 100.0 91


Table 6 shows that Bicol’s contribution to the national government income was 2.3%, as exhibited by the statement of income and expenditures of the LGUs in 2018. This proportion was almost equivalently contributed by the three levels of LGUs in the region. Among the local sources is the real property tax where SEF was taken. In 2018, SEF in all LGU levels of the region totaled PHP9.57 million. The Region took a 6% share from the total distributed IRA of PHP418 billion in 2018. Bicol Region’s IRA increased by 58.4% to PHP39.7 billion in 2020. The largest share of the Region’s IRA allocation in 2020 is distributed to the municipalities (40.1%). The provinces get a share of 25.5%, the cities 12.1%, and the barangays 22.3% (DBM 2019).

Table 6. Statement of Income by LGU Classification of the Bicol Region, Total

for the Philippines, and Percent Share, FY 2018 (PHP, millions)

PARTICULARS

BICOL REGION NATIONAL

PROVINCES MUNICIPALITIES CITIES ALL

LOCAL SOURCES 1,570.50 1,860.62 1,731.77 5,162.88 227,619.11

% Share 30.4% 36.0% 33.5% 2.3% 100%

TAX REVENUE 477.89 923.28 1,136.28 2,537.45 163,499.08

% Share 18.8% 36.4% 44.8% 1.6% 100%

Real Property Tax

296.62 315.16 344.92 956.69 64,473.97

% Share 31.0% 32.9% 36.1% 1.5% 100%

Tax on Business 161.13 549.02 725.82 1,435.97 88,938.76

Other Taxes 20.15 59.11 65.54 144.79 10,086.35

NON-TAX REVENUE

1,092.61 937.33 595.48 2,625.43 64,120.04

% Share 41.6% 35.7% 22.7% 4.1% 100%

Regulatory Fees (Permit and Licenses)

4.41 182.16 130.28 316.85 14,612.74


PARTICULARS

BICOL REGION NATIONAL

PROVINCES MUNICIPALITIES CITIES ALL

Service/User Charges (Service Income)

683.03 204.27 92.01 979.31 20,123.52

Income from Economic Enterprises (Business Income)

78.52 458.54 283.19 820.25 23,886.62

Other Receipts (Other General Income)

326.65 92.36 90.01 509.02 5,497.16

EXTERNAL SOURCES

8,680.12 13,230.77 3,869.24 25,780.13 458,263.88

% Share 33.7% 51.3% 15.0% 5.6% 100%

Internal Revenue Allotment

8,296.63 12,916.54 3,847.10 25,060.27 418,165.33

% Share 33.1% 51.5% 15.4% 6.0% 100%

Other Shares from National Tax Collections

28.53 69.71 15.69 113.93 32,041.42

Inter-Local Transfer

353.77 141.19 0.00 494.96 4,827.72

Extraordinary Receipts/ Grants/ Donations/ Aids

1.19 103.33 6.46 110.98 3,229.41

TOTAL CURRENT OPERATING INCOME

10,250.62 15,091.39 5,601.01 30,943.02 685,883.00


Priorities of the Region

The municipalities and provinces’ programs exhibited alignment with the regional development plan for 2017–22 albeit incomprehensive, i.e., no specified programs for all targeted areas by the region. These priorities are also consistent with the local chief executives’ vision on economic development and good governance for their respective municipalities. Topping municipalities’ programs is the one-stop-shop daycare provision of social services (Table 7), particularly on increased investments in health, nutrition, and education of children and youth.

Table 7. Top 3 Priority Programs of Sampled Municipalities and Provinces, 2020

PRIORITY

PROGRAMS

DETAILS

LGUS

Provision of Social Services

Education, health

Legazpi City, Manito, Daet, Jose Panganiban, San Lorenzo Ruiz, Buhi, Bula, Caramoran, Pandan, Aroroy, Castilla, Pilar, Province of Sorsogon, Sta. Magdalena

Infrastructure Development

Farm to market road construction and repairs, disaster-resilient infrastructure, tourism sites, seaport, water system, LGU complex, public market, barangay centers

Legazpi City, Manito, San Lorenzo Ruiz, Talisay, Buhi, Bula, Caramoan, Pandan, San Miguel, Aroroy, Castilla, Pilar, Province of Sorsogon, Sta. Magdalena

Livelihood and Employment

SME support, enhancement of farmers and fisherfolks, daycare livelihood

Legazpi City, Bula, Pandan, Aroroy, Castilla

Health programs are more focused on the establishment of functional service delivery, such as improvement of rural health units (RHUs) including the provision of necessary equipment (such as ECG machines, x-ray, and ambulances), meeting the need for doctors, improving provincial hospital services, and strengthening health programs, particularly against dengue and typhoid fever. On the other hand,


education focuses on strengthening early childhood care, developing programs (such as reading enhancement), tracking learners and school-age children, and expanding access to higher education as targeted by the regional planners. Most LGUs prioritized the needs of the daycare centers, such as the purchase of lots/land, standardization of daycare centers, and the provision of outdoor play areas, audio- visual learning materials, and supplemental feeding and vitamins.

Programs for basic education include the provision of physical infrastructure (such as school buildings, classrooms, repairs, IT equipment, and beautification); providing children access to education through transportation services, ensuring school attendance, and providing school supplies; ensuring adequate nutrition for children through the municipal nutrition program; and establishing special education (SPED) classes. Programs for higher education are centered on scholarships, aid to colleges and universities, and the establishment of community colleges.

The second topmost LGUs’ priority program, infrastructure development, aligns with the national government’s centerpiece program. Most infrastructure projects include road and bridge construction and repairs to improve connectivity among barangays, farms to markets, upland and coastal barangays with the town center, and lower transportation costs. A number of the projects are dedicated to economic infrastructure, a response to the regional strategy of the continued expansion of convergence programs on tourism, agriculture, and industry. These projects include agriculture-support and post-harvest facilities, slaughterhouses, municipal markets, terminals, social infrastructure such as water systems, electrification including street lighting, daycare centers, and parks; and vulnerability reduction, such as disaster-resilient infrastructure including the PHP2 billion valued flood control-pumping station in Legazpi City which is said to be the best flood control system in the Philippines; and tourism site development like the bamboo eco-tourism site in Bula, Camarines Sur, known as the bamboo village of the south. Bula’s project hopes to integrate agricultural and ecological development alongside boosting tourism, livelihood, and employment opportunities.

The third top programmed projects are on livelihoods and employment centered on providing farm and fishing implements to farmers and fishermen, especially for highly agricultural-based areas (Pilar). Cottage industries are also reliant on the main agricultural products, like woven agas (seagrass) in Pilar, Sorsogon. Livelihood projects also centered on support to SMEs through the Department of Trade and Industry.


Other scheduled projects in the region include ensuring efficient governance through International Standardization Office certification and rationalization and right-sizing of personnel (Pilar, Province of Sorsogon), putting up of Tabang Center (Castilla) and one-stop-shop (Pilar), Philippine National Police (PNP) support (Tigaon), full sectoral participation in development council (Buhi, Pilar), and updating of comprehensive land use, zoning, executive-legislative agenda, and peace and order plans (Aroroy, Buhi, San Lorenzo Ruiz). Programs on youth and sports development (Castilla) and environmental protection (Castilla) through solid waste management (San Lorenzo Ruiz, Tigaon), planting, and gardening (Tigaon) are also among the identified priorities.

LGU Dynamics

Local government unit (LGU) dynamics pertain to the LGU key players’ interplay, and the LGU’s existing structures, processes, and relationships. The city and municipal LGUs operate based on development plans, of which priorities are expected to be aligned with the provincial, regional, and national government (Aroroy, Bula, Casiguran, Pandan). The DILG defines alignment as “not in conflict or neutral with at the minimum and compatible, supportive, and complementary at the desired level (DILG 2017). In crafting their plans, LGUs are guided by their respective province’s Provincial Development Physical Framework Plan (PDPFP), which is supposed to be anchored on the regional development plan and subsequently anchored on the medium-term Philippine national development plan, currently covering the period from 2017 to 2022 (NEDA-Region V, personal communication, August 27, 2020). In general, these plans are further anchored on the long-term vision of the country called AmBisyon Natin 2040 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on which the Philippines, along with 192 other United Nations (UN) member states, committed to attaining its 169 targets by 2030 (United Nations n.d.).

Municipalities’ programs and priorities are said to be aligned with the province if it is pursuing similar economic priorities. For instance, Manito’s program on food sufficiency in agriculture, the creation of a tourism hub, and road accessibility are in line with the Province of Albay’s priorities. They call for the provision of social services, such as learning-conducive facilities and updated equipment for education, upgrading of daycare centers, and professional development of barangay health workers. Cost-sharing is also a form of alignment; for instance, in Daet and Jose Panganiban, all levels of government—province, municipality, and the barangay— share the cost of the honorarium of the daycare workers. Similar cost-sharing of the honorarium for Alternative Learning System (ALS) coordinators also occurs in


Bula. Bula LGU also cost-shared in several provincial government projects, such as barangay road projects under the Conditional Matching Grant for Provinces (CMGP) and barangay facilities, multipurpose buildings, and covered courts. The CMGP, formerly the KALSADA program during the Aquino administration, is a partnership between the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for provincial LGUs in response to the need for infrastructure support, as well as reforms in local roads management and public financial management.

The key to the province-municipality alignment of programs is clear communication by the province to the municipalities through regular conferences (Sorsogon), allowing municipalities to plan their support to the provincial government. This is lacking in municipalities where political differences prevail over service to constituents.

The disconnection of municipal programs and priorities with the provincial government is mainly attributed to the leaders’ political differences observed in Buhi, Caramoran, and Jose Panganiban. The provincial government does not provide the PDPFP where municipalities can use the priority areas of the provincial government as a reference. The provincial LGU does not comment on the submitted Comprehensive Development Plan, Executive-Legislative Agenda, or the Zoning Ordinance. According to the DILG-mandated process, these documents should have been reviewed by the Provincial Development Council (DILG 2017). In the case of Caramoran, the provincial board member is the spouse of the defeated candidate for the mayoralty post in the 2019 election. This political difference caused the intentional delays of disapproval of submitted municipal resolutions and the non- inclusion of Caramoran as KALAHI-CIDSS recipient.

These political differences frustrate the municipal development planners because they are caught in the middle. Being uninvited in the provincial meetings, they are restrained from knowing provincial government plans and undertakings.

A significant change in LGU processes was the removal of the bottom-up budgeting (BuB) in 2017 (Cruz, September 2016). With the BuB out of the picture, avenues for civil society organization (CSO) participation dwindled (Aroroy). Because of this change in the planning system, it took two years before the national plan was rolled out to the municipality (Cataingan). Municipal Local Government Units (MLGUs) are provided with road projects and other allowed construction projects through the Local Government Support Fund-Assistance to Municipalities, which started in 2017. Such projects are submitted by the MLGUs through the Local Development


Investment Programs and provided allocations in the General Appropriations Act. These construction projects have to be certified by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). This requirement sometimes creates coordination issues between the said national agency and the MLGU on identifying road projects. The Municipality of Bula twice experienced being bypassed by DPWH. Initially, MLGU felt that its freedom to decide and act for its constituents was undermined when DPWH insisted on pursuing a road project based on its appraisal different from the one they identified. The project resulted in a mismatch of identified beneficiaries. However, the second time DPWH insisted on a road project on its validated area, the MLGU had to negotiate with the Office of the Presidential Advisory for Peace Process (OPAPP) because the identified road project was an intervention under the PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Program. The MLGU-identified area, which DPWH would not allow, led to a conflict area. Only when the OPAPP intervened did DPWH agree to pursue the project in the MLGU-identified area.

Whether the LGU’s priorities are aligned with the provincial government, revenue generation and fund sourcing have been a challenge in pushing for the priority agenda especially to third, fourth, and fifth-class municipalities (Jose Panganiban, Manito, Pandan). They cannot increase the LGU’s funds because some loan requirements, such as updating of revenue code and other legislative measures, were not observed by the Municipal Council (Manito). These LGUs are pressed to select programs to prioritize when mid-year funds become available. These municipalities could not also assist the barangay in their development projects. Fortunately, they are funded by national agencies from time to time (Jose Panganiban). Recently, the MGLU’s programs and projects have to be re-programmed and re-aligned to observe the directives of the national Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force (Castilla, Daet).

Leadership change and decision-making

Government leadership change in the Philippine occurs in two ways: election and appointment. At the national level, the election of president and vice-president occurs every six years, and both serve for a maximum of six years. Members of the senate also served for six years; however, half of the senate members may be replaced in the mid-term election. Congressman, mayor, municipal councilors, barangay captains, and barangay councilors, once elected, can serve for one term (three years), and are allowed to serve for a total of three consecutive terms (except for senators who may serve for only two consecutive terms). Congressmen, senators, and barangay captains may be re-elected. Officials of line agencies are appointed.


In Philippine politics, development priorities change when there is a newly elected leader, except when the new leader is closely related to the past LGU head (Pilar). An example of this was when Salceda was no longer governor; the recognition of outstanding principals, teachers, students, and LGUs also ended (Albay). However, despite these differences in program implementation, the thrust for development is still there. For instance, while there is a lesser budget allocated for the construction of school buildings, there are certain programs that can still be pursued that are congruent to the development of the children (Legazpi). Moreover, when a program has already been approved, the next set of leaders would have to pursue it (Castilla, Legazpi, Pilar). A case in point was the continuous operation of the Provincial Education Department of Albay (PED) that was created during the time of Salceda (Albay). Programs are also continued if the previous local chief executive is closely related to the newly elected Local Chief Executive (Pilar). Still, a different political party affiliation may also mean that some programs might receive a lower budget allocation or might not receive funding at all (Caramoran, Daet, Tigaon). This happens mostly at the municipal level.

The governor lobbies priority programs with the national government. However, the MLGU program might not be supported by the governor if it is not in line with the governor’s (Pandan). When the MLGU is not assured of support from the province, it must make do with its budget (Tigaon) or find other means to deliver (Daet), as the MLGU is subject to the priorities of the Provincial Local Government Unit). As one respondent said, “You will definitely ask for assistance. If you do not get a positive response, you have to reach out to other agencies. You cannot just depend on the support of these agencies. You have to move on, find a way to deliver to your constituents” (Virac).

Another general observation is that new leadership leads to staffing changes, especially if the new leader’s political party is different from those of the LGU staff (Daet). While there are exemptions to this, such practices are observed even at the barangay level (San Lorenzo Ruiz). A respondent noted that new staff requires technical training, which could last for roughly three months (San Lorenzo Ruiz). Replacing staff means spending time and money.

In the case of DepEd, changes in administration are constant. But because policies come from the central office, and the overall goal is education, a respondent noted that the difference only lies in the administrator’s creativity in implementing programs effectively. One problem regarding a change of school administrator occurred when a former principal does not leave any documents. As such, the new principal does not know what happened in the previous administration (Sta. Elena).


Sustaining programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) amid changes in leadership and development priorities is a continuing challenge to political and administrative units. The tendency to suspend existing PPAs, including good ones, still prevails. While the NEDA V region and the LGUs are guided by the long-term vision of AmBisyon Natin 2040 and the SDGs, these are translated into six-year medium-term and comprehensive development plans bound by the term of office of the political administration. However, inclusive growth and significant development cannot be fully achieved in such a short time. Adaptable units can only take the opportunity of a leadership change to assess the gaps and challenges in implementing PPAs of the previous administration and address these during the time of the incumbent administration.

Important events that affected the region

Several natural phenomena and man-made events affected the performance of the region economically. In 2015, a strong typhoon (Nona or TS Melor) made landfall in Sorsogon in the Bicol Region and moved to Burias Island in Masbate. El Niño, an atypical weather pattern caused by the warming of the Pacific Ocean that affects currents, decreased Bicol’s palay (unhusked rice) yield from 3.82 to 3.69 metric tons per hectare. Damage caused by Nona in all sectors was estimated at PHP2.4 billion. Nona’s effects were felt until the latter part of 2016, when the agriculture, hunting, fisheries, and forestry sector registered a negative 0.2 percent growth. The Department of Agriculture implemented several programs that mitigated the disastrous impact of the typhoons and El Niño. These included the deployment of harvesters for immediate harvesting before the typhoon, implementation of projects under the action plan Roadmap to Address the Impact of El Niño, the shift of irrigation projects from large-scale to small-scale (such as the provision of pump irrigation and small farm reservoirs), and subsidies of insurance coverage to about 30,000 farmers, which provided security on their investments.

From 2016 to 2019, Bicol Region was not spared from typhoons (TY), tropical depressions (TD), and tropical storms (TS). The frequent occurrence of tropical cyclones and volcanic eruptions, such as Bulusan in 2017 and Mayon in 2018 and 2019, disrupted the socio-economic activities of the Bicolanos resulting in a slowdown of the regional economy and negatively affecting the socio-economic condition of communities. These natural calamities caused moderate to severe damage to agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, housing, physical infrastructure, and the livelihoods of many Bicolanos.


Opportunities and constraints of LGU support to education

Another factor contributing to LGU dynamics is the interplay of MLGU’s budget and the term of office of elected local officials. The municipal budget is bound by the mandated allocation for personnel services, the community development fund, child protection, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), which means 66% of the municipal budget is already obligated. On the other hand, elected officials have only three years to push for their priority projects promised during election campaigns. The list of desired projects is narrowed down by these factors, even though MLGU priorities are affected by the change of its leadership despite this list of priorities being documented in the municipal comprehensive development plan. With lesser room to access funding, MLGUs appreciate any downloaded projects (Buhi, Bula).

Political clout and coalitions are ambiguous when it comes to project support from the bureaucracies of the sampled respondents. Some MLGUs experienced a lack of support even when the governor and the mayor come from the same political party (Aroroy). Other local chief executives felt left out due to political differences with their superiors (San Miguel), while others felt that political differences might not matter in accessing funds.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the ABC+ project opened up opportunities for the municipal local chief executive to examine the EGE situation and its needs and determine the possible MLGU contributions for its improvement (Buhi). Conventionally, the SEF is allocated to the schools’ sports activities in the municipality, and EGE has never been the topic of concern of LSBs.

LGUs strategizing to get more funds

MLGUs recognize that the budget is lacking relative to planned projects for the community (Daet). This makes the project prioritization a challenge. To accommodate each sector’s proposed projects, MLGUs must prioritize matters that are urgent considering the magnitude of the beneficiary (Daet) or implement the projects in phases (Bula). However, not all projects can be implemented in a staggered manner; some projects need proper timing, especially in agriculture. Inflation is another consideration; once the timing of the project meets up with inflationary pressure, the full worth of the project can no longer be utilized (Bula).


LGUs’ support for education

MLGUs have many priorities of their own and have not examined DepEd’s needs in detail. Fifth- class municipalities, in particular, admitted that being IRA-dependent, their focus is more on the LGU’s direct concerns. It is a common understanding among the MLGUs that DepEd has its own budget for personnel, learning materials, and facilities needed by the education sector. The LGUs provide supplementary funding support to basic public education through the Special Education Fund (SEF), which comes from an additional one percent tax on real property that LGUs are mandated to impose and collect under Republic Act 7160, also known as the Local Government Code of 1991 (Manasan, Celestino, & Cuenca 2011). SEF support is further limited by the provisions stated in the revised guidelines on the use of the SEF issued in 2017.

Data show that LGUs subscribe to this policy. SEF is used for the supplemental budget for the improvement of school facilities. These include WASH in Schools (WinS) facilities, which address water, sanitation, and hygiene (Bula, Caramoran, Legazpi, San Miguel); the purchase of equipment such as photocopying machines; and ICT support, including internet connections and desktop computers, printers, and other necessary equipment (San Miguel) which are mostly in response to the education sectors’ needs arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The second-highest SEF expense is for sports development activities, such as zone, district, cluster, and provincial meets, as well as the Palarong Bicol (athletic event in the Philippines). Maintenance and repairs of school buildings and facilities like painting, beautification, and payment for school utilities were allocated equal subsidies to be released depending on existing school needs (Castilla, San Miguel). SEF also funded the purchase of supplemental books, printing, and reproduction of instructional and learning materials. The SEF also allocated funds for the needs of the pre-school education run by the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), which is subordinate to the MLGU, as provided by RA No. 10410 or the Early Years Act of 2013.

Before the Local Government Support Fund-Assistance to Municipalities (LGSF- AM) was established, LGUs were open to providing support, provided that requests were articulated (Buhi, San Miguel). For example, the MLGU realigned its budget allocation when urgent needs required funding. A case in point is the budget provision outside of the SEF budget to improve a constantly-flooded playground in a school in San Miguel, Catanduanes.


Since 2017, LGUs’ support for education has been limited by the current provisions of LGSF-AM. Projects in this national assistance to LGUs explicitly exclude sports equipment, school buildings, and other public elementary and secondary facilities, including repairs and maintenance.

Recently, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, LGUs were instructed to direct SEF support for health needs related to the pandemic, such as the purchase of alcohol and personal protective equipment for the teachers (Casiguran; Castilla). The LSB of Casiguran became active in advocating for precautionary measures against Covid-19 to protect children’s health and help teachers disseminate information about the class schedules and the distribution of LMs. The mayor of Polangui set up a local radio station within the municipality to respond to the education sector’s need for a platform for remote blended learning (Albay SDS). The recent Joint DepEd, Department of Budget and Management, and Department of Interior Local Government Circular No. 1, s. 2017 on revised guidelines on the use of SEF called for convening the local school board to determine and allocate annual supplementary budgetary needs for the operation of public schools for localized implementation of the basic education learning continuity plan (BE-LCP).

The Bicol Region’s annual SEF of the municipalities in 2009–16 averaged PHP 0.430 million, which comprised only 19% of the national average for the same period. It reflects the relatively lower capacity of the Region’s municipalities to provide support to education. Figure 1 exhibits the average annual SEF of the sampled municipalities from 2009 to 2016 arranged by income class (BLGF n.d.). The figure highlights the names of municipalities with average annual SEF exceeding the average for each specific class. The detailed list is found in Table 12. These data show the wide discrepancy of the capacity of the municipalities to fund education through the SEF, which is determined by the municipality’s capacity to earn revenues. For instance, sampled first-class municipalities averaged PHP1.825 million, with Aroroy in Masbate. This municipality housed one of the country’s biggest mining companies, having an SEF allocation as high as PHP 7.98 million. This figure is higher by PHP2.56 million than the SEF of fifth-class municipalities, on average.


Figure 1. Average SEF of Sampled Municipalities by Municipal Class, 2009–16 (PHP, millions)

The two sampled second-income class-cities, Naga and Legazpi, have the highest average SEF in 2009–16 at PHP68.76 million and PHP36.99 million, respectively (BLGF n.d.). In 2020, Legazpi City reported having a SEF of PHP70 million.

While the cities and municipalities’ SEF show a wide variation of financial figures, expenditure types under the SEF do not show much distinction. Table 8 presents the top ten programs and projects on SEF allocation by city and municipal classification. Data show that whether the municipality is high-earning or low-earning, there is no distinction in the choice of programs and projects that SEF funds. It further shows that municipalities and cities’ SEF spending adhered to those prescribed by laws and guidelines concerning the use of SEF, such as R. A. 5447, R. A. 10410, DepEd, DBM, and DILG joint circular no.1 s. 2017 and 096 s. 2020.

The cities of Naga and Legazpi, however, have some unique SEF spending. Both cities are classified as second-class cities and claimed to be regional education centers. Each of these cities has allocated SEF funds for the strengthening of literacy, numeracy, as well as science and technology. Naga City has implemented these by developing the Division Local Heritage Matrix and the Division Contextualized Competencies Matrix that will aid and facilitate teachers in enhancing their contextualized instructional materials.


Table 8. Top 11 Programs and Projects Funded by the Local School Board by City and Municipal Class, Selected Areas, Bicol Region, 2020

PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

NUMBER OF CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES BY CLASS

1ST CLASS

2ND CLASS

3RD CLASS

4TH CLASS

5TH CLASS

Improvement of facilities and purchase of equipment

3 3 3 3 1

Sports development activities

3 4 1 2 3

Maintenance and repair of school buildings and facilities

3 3 2 2 2

Procurement of learning materials

3 2 2 2 1

Purchase of supplies and materials

3 2 2 - 3

ECCD program 1 3 1 1 2

Academic and non-academic contests, gatherings, and students' training

- 3 1 1 2

Alternative Learning System 1 2 1 1 -

New construction of buildings and facilities

2 - - - 2

Feeding/nutrition program 1 - 1 - 2

School and Teachers' rewards and incentives & teachers' training

1 3 - 1 -

Aside from the top SEF spending programs and projects, the selected cities and municipalities also provided SEF for the honoraria of non-DepEd personnel, such as Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) teaching assistants and teachers


of Madrasah subjects (Daet), college scholarship, research, special education, and Brigada Eskwela (National Schools Maintenance Week).

LGU management of SEF

SEF budget allocation is usually discussed during an LSB meeting before December of a fiscal year ends (San Miguel). It is expected that the agreed allocation would start to be delivered in January of the following year. The efficient management of SEF can be attributed to the dedication and commitment of the DepEd’s representative. The Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) monitors schools’ supplemental budget requests to verify if there is no duplication of requests in the respective school’s maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE). Its inefficiency, on the other hand, can be attributed to the relatively fast rotation of assignments of Schools Division Superintendents (SDS) or Public Schools District Supervisors (PSDS) who sit in the LSB, as this leads to poor foresight of what the schools need. It also limits SDS/PSDS immersion to the LGU, limiting their conversations and expressions of the education sector’s need to the LGU (Buhi). It was observed that being an outsider of the LGU, SDS and PSDS are not as forceful as department heads in pushing for their agenda (Bula).

The Covid-19 pandemic delayed the processes of the LSB because both the LGU and the education sector became preoccupied with addressing this issue (San Miguel). It also provided opportunities to LGUs to realign the budget allocation of SEF to purchase laptops for the students instead of repairs and maintenance of classrooms (San Miguel). The SEF budget for sports development was realigned to purchase an internet modem.


03

BICOL REGION’S PUBLIC BASIC EDUCATION SECTOR

The dynamics of leadership and administration in the Region’s education sector

At the level of DepEd, staff and administrators are hired and appointed. The DepEd order no. 7 s. 1999 which was amended by DepEd order no. 16 s. 2019, states that SDS and ASDS have to be transferred or reassigned once after every three years. The earlier order also states that SDSs are in charge of the selection and appointment to positions of district supervisors and principals once every five years. The reassignment is being done to avoid “too much familiarity” among personnel in a certain school or district that lead them to complacency with their work [Albay SDS]. The movement to another area by a public education leader is not, however, strict in terms of term duration. This may be shortened or extended depending on exceptional circumstances.

The reappointment apparently responds to the negative feedback by the teachers to the education leader and rebuilds the former’s morale and rejuvenates their energies with the new leadership. Reappointment may disrupt operations initially, particularly in the transition process, but the general direction does not change because every personnel is guided by the goal of quality education and the central office’s guidelines [Bula Prin; Casiguran Prin; CN EPS; CN SDS; Iriga


SDS; Masbate EPS]. The difference lies in the leadership style [Sta. Elena Prin]. SDS devised a creative way of proceeding with the implementation of existing programs to make these more effective; nevertheless emphatically to avoid conflicts [Bula Prin; Iriga Prin]. However, for others, a new PSDS means program modifications that entail intensified work in terms of instructional monitoring [Prieto Diaz Prin]. When principals are re-assigned, they just proceed with their work in the new school of assignment.

The change of national leadership somehow affected the programs and projects of the education sector [Naga EPS]. With nine education secretaries in 19 years (2001-2020), where each has his/her own management style and priority programs in perfecting the education sector [Masbate SDS], it would seem that the continuity of programs was sacrificed and time and effort were wasted [Casiguran Prin]. Some of these programs and projects were effective but were replaced or overshadowed by the new ones, e.g., the 1999 Reading Education Training Program [Naga EPS]. On the positive side, some of the new programs and projects may be interventions to long-standing challenges and could make education efficient and effective. One significant change in early grade education is the institutionalization of the K to 12 program in 2012. All slated projects for K to 3 were stopped but it was, hopefully, for the better as it meant standardization of the basic education curriculum internationally [CS SDS].

At the local level, programs and projects are transitioned smoothly if the new leadership supports the previous administration’s started projects [Castilla Prin; Irosin Prin]. For instance, the school flood control project was conceptualized in the previous administration but was carried out in the current administration in Sogoy Elementary School in Castilla, Sorsogon. The feeding program as well as the distribution of school supplies and slippers twice a year continued even with the change of the MLGU leadership [Irosin Prin].

When local leadership changes, the education sector, or any sector for that matter, extends courtesies to the new leader of the area of school operations to ensure a smooth transition and continued support (Bula Prin). This coordination with the LGU sector is where political motivation blends in. Solicitation of LGU support has sometimes been difficult to obtain (Naga EPS), and the school heads have to be persistent in following-up on these (Bula Prin). One principal felt that the support provided by the LGU seems dependent on the number of votes that the incumbent receives rather than on the actual need of the school. They remain flexible with the new leadership and administration styles and craft creative ways to adapt to the locality’s ongoing programs (Bula Prin, Naga EPS). The sociable and persistent


nature of most of the SDS and other administrators in the education sector effectively links them to the LGU sector. For instance, Sto. Niño Elementary School won the Best Brigada Eskwela implementer in the Medium Category at the District level in 2019 because the mayor had contributed PHP800 thousand of his own money to build a Grade 1 classroom. A few inconveniences similar to other levels of LGU occurred during changes in barangay LGU, but in general, barangay LGUs are supportive.

Institutionalization of mother tongue as the medium of instruction in K to 3

DepEd Order No. 74 s. 2009 institutionalized the use of the mother tongue (MT) as the primary medium of instruction in Kindergarten through Grade 3. This move was adopted by the House of Representatives when it passed the Republic Act No. 10533, or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, which directed the Department of Education (DepEd) into law. In the initial stage of implementation of MTB-MLE in SY 2012–13, eight major languages, including Bicol, were offered as a learning area for its utilization as LOI. Currently, DepEd has produced teaching and learning resources for 19 languages of the country, which covered almost 80% of the learners’ population (DepEd 2020).

At the onset of its implementation, there was an initial orientation and advocacy on MT use, such as parents’ and other stakeholders’ orientation vis-à-vis advocacy on the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum. Packages of training were also provided to teachers, including curriculum development workshops at the regional level, local training on curriculum orientation, and mass training of Kindergarten to Grade 3 teachers. Detailed lesson plans were also provided.

Language mapping was conducted, but different levels of the DepEd structure perceived it differently. The process of determining MT is clear for those in the administrative and supervisory levels of the DepEd structure, such as school division superintendents and education program supervisors. The DepEd Regional Office released a questionnaire on the dialects spoken, which was distributed to the schools through the MT-MLE Coordinator (Albay EPS, Camarines Norte (CN) SDS, Masbate EPS, Masbate SDS). The results were consolidated, with the greatest number becoming the basis for the MT (Naga EPS, Camarines Sur (CS) SDS, Masbate SDS). For instance, Tagalog is the Lingua Franca in Camarines Norte (CN EPS), Iriga-based Bikol in Iriga (Iriga SDS), and Minasbate in Masbate (Masbate EPS).


The selected MT came from the mapping and interviews of parents conducted by the teacher (CS SDS, Masbate SDS). The teacher asked parents to identify the child’s dialect used at home (Naga EPS). The school division offices (SDOs) also conducted field monitoring and verified the MT from the school head, teachers, and the community (CN EPS). The database was lodged at the Planning and Research Office at the Schools Division Office (Naga EPS). The DepEd Regional and Central Offices were provided with the data.

The principals and teachers, however, were unsure of the process. Some teachers remembered that the mapping was done only once at the start of MTB-MLE implementation. In contrast, others reported that it was conducted in every enrollment period through class advisers. Schools adopt one MT even if pupils speak several variations. For instance, Bikol-Naga is the prescribed MT by the DepEd Regional Office and Schools Division Offices (Pilar Principal, Prin; Tigaon Prin). Nevertheless, schools were given leeway to modify depending on the Lingua Franca of the pupils (Pilar Prin), as in the case of students in Pilar who speak various languages Bikol- Legazpi, Bikol-Pilar, Bikol-Daraga, and Miraya (a Visayan-sounding dialect). Teachers then determine which MT is the most appropriate for their students (Pilar Prin).

The implementation of MTB-MLE created another uncertainty among the teachers and principals. While the use of MT as a medium of instruction is reasonable for early grade educators, making it a subject and including orthography (grammar) in the curriculum are perceived as inappropriate for pupils. The inclusion of orthography in teaching early grade pupils was only mentioned in Albay.

Worldviews on MT development

DepEd sees that using the vernacular in instruction helps learners learn Filipino and English languages quicker and improves their cognitive and other lifelong skills faster (DepEd 2009). Teaching primary grade (K to 3) in the MT is part of the perspective that education should be learner-oriented and responsive to their cognitive and cultural capacity as well as circumstances (DepEd 2019). The K to 12 curricula espoused contextualization but must consider the demands of the national and global communities. This last principle of K to 12, the MTB-MLE curriculum, and the choice of English as the language of instruction in Grades 4 to 12 supports the more popular worldview of the need for proficiency in English to be globally competitive. English proficiency was cited as a reason that made the Philippines the top voice outsourcing destination globally in 2012, surpassing India (Cabigon 2015). Some government agencies, including the Board of Investment, also believe that English proficiency


gives Filipino workers an edge over other countries’ migrant workers, leading to the former’s relatively higher demand abroad (Hernandez 2015).

Despite the importance of using a native language to improve the cognitive skills of learners, there remains hesitation among some parents because the use of MT is deemed “backward.” Rosero, linguist and author of “An Garamiton na Ortograpiya,” noted that this comes from the general Filipino belief that Filipinos must learn to speak and use English to be globally competitive (personal communication, September 2020). He said that while learners use proper pronunciation and diction, English speaking skills remain superficial because of poor comprehension. This is commonly observed among senior high school students. Rosero explained that comprehension and critical thinking skills should be developed at a young age, and using MT allows learners to master this skill because this is the language they use at home or in the market rather than English.

Aside from improving cognitive skills, Nierva, a Bicolano linguist, believes that learning the mother tongue can contribute to the region’s overall development (personal communication, August 2020). For him, MT is a pathway for the Bicolano youth to be grounded with their own identity, culture, and heritage, which can be a springboard for becoming globally competitive. Using MT nurtures the learners’ deeper appreciation of their language, leading them to a deeper understanding of the world and opening the door to other languages and cultures. This is because of a language’s characteristic as an agent of empowerment. Nierva explained that globalization is not so much related to which language is used but rather to the inhabitants’ worldview and their capacity to broaden their perspectives. Rosero supported this by explaining that using MT allows speakers to become aware of their language’s value—its importance as a tool of communication and not simply a medium of instruction in the classroom. Nierva mentions international evidence showing that using the vernacular is not a hindrance to a nation’s development, such as in Japan, China, and Korea—rich countries that use their languages as their official business language. Japan, in particular, whose children are well- versed in Japanese, is globally competitive, especially in electronics and robotics. Japan has also initiated a pop culture, Anime, in Japanese, which became a global phenomenon. Children and young adults globally embraced this Japanese culture, translated into different languages of the receiving countries. Japan’s case demonstrates that the use of the vernacular is not a hindrance to globalization.

Some parents expressed that using the vernacular is limiting, and for Nierva, this viewpoint could be traced from the Filipinos’ nurtured parochial mentality due to centuries of colonization. For Mr. Nierva, the use of one’s language need not end


with merely reading simple stories for the purpose of reading in the vernacular. There must be ideation and enhancement of learning materials into higher levels of thinking based on contemporary experiences for children to find LMs interesting, and, at the same time, be able to initiate and participate in a discourse on current world issues. Rosero elaborates on this by saying that teachers should develop contextualized materials and not simply translate (personal communication, September 2020). According to Rosero:

The context of small or big books has to be inspired by what exists in the locality, for example, folklore or local stories. So the books should not have stories about elevators or Ferris wheels if these are not something that the child sees in his or her surroundings. Inspirations for stories could be about utensils in the kitchen, about local fiestas, or the direction to someone’s home.

This means that there is a desire for quality materials. To create one, teacher education has to advance in using MT in the discourse, ideation, and all forms of arts. At present, teachers trained in early-child education are scarce and graduated from higher education institutions when MTB-MLE was not yet a professional course. Recognizing that teacher education has to adapt to the demands of RA 10533, among others, the Commission on Higher Education issued the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order no. 74 s. 2017 prescribing the new policies, standards, and guidelines for Bachelor of Elementary Education, which include MTB-MLE as one of the major/specialization courses and elective/cognate courses. However, most colleges and universities will start implementing the said CHED order in the current school year 2020–21 as the schools were given three years to comply with this new requirement. A Naga City university received the recommended syllabus from the Research Center for Teacher Quality, a CHED- commissioned institution for the curriculum revision of teacher education (Permale, personal communication, August 19, 2020).

The level of Bikol language contextualization of LMs

Initially, the MTB-MLE was viewed as an unwelcome and drastic curriculum revision by teachers and parents (Nierva, personal communication, August 2020). While Bicolano teachers speak the Bikol language, they are not used to reading or writing in Bikol. Bicolanos, in general, are accustomed to using the vernacular for everyday conversation and not for academic purposes. It is a natural consequence that this curriculum change placed an additional burden on teachers who need to contextualize the materials.


In the Bicol Region, DepEd commissioned linguists as consultants in MT material development. In the initial evaluation of learning materials, linguists found that the materials developed contained many factual errors that could not be resolved by translation or contextualization. This was documented in DepEd’s Commission on Audit Report in 2018, which highlighted various errors on Grade 3 learning materials that cost more than PHP254 million. For example, in Araling Panlipunan, volcanology is defined as “pag-aaral tungkol sa pagputok ng bulkan,” (the study of volcano eruption), which is conceptually wrong. It is being proposed that the development of local learning materials should not only be limited to contextualization only but involve its whole production, including its idea concepts and contents.

In Albay the uploaded materials on MT in the DepEd LRMDS were mostly in Bicol Naga, so the District under the Division of Albay conducted several workshop sessions on contextualization of the materials to Bicol Daraga—North and South districts (SDS Albay). The Division of Albay observed localization and allowed the native teacher to use the dialect of his/her locality. Their contextualization efforts include documenting 15 town songs as part of their Division Local Heritage Matrix. However, they were only able to focus on a limited number of towns (SDS Albay). Iriga took a year to produce a book in Bikol-Iriga, but it is still being validated for quality assurance (Iriga SDS). However, time is of the essence; hence, they are already using these books even if their quantity is still insufficient to cover all schools and children.

Camarines Norte has the same instructional materials used as those from NCR and Region 4A. This is because their province’s medium of instruction is more similar to Tagalog than Bikol Sentral (CN EPS). However, the province has two major dialects— Bikol and Tagalog—which differ from the Tagalog spoken in Manila. The dialects are also changing even among the barangays in one municipality. In Bikol-speaking areas, they are using Tagalog materials, but teachers and students converse in Bikol. Moreover, because they are using the reference materials assigned for NCR and Region 4A, the information in their Araling Panlipunan books are not appropriate for the province (CN EPS).

Orthography development and standardization effort

The diversity of the Bikol language makes teaching MT complicated (Nierva, personal communication, August 2020). Since the Bikol language is too diversified, it contains language used further south, such as in Visayan in Masbate, and further north like


Tagalog in Camarines Norte. Even within a municipality, language is diversified among its barangays. For example, some barangays of Basud, Camarines Norte, or Ragay, Camarines Sur speak in Tagalog while others speak in Bikol. Some barangays in Pili, Camarines Sur, which is considered a Rinconada area, speak Bikol-Central. For instance, “dog” is “ido” in Bikol Central and “ayam” in Rinconada (SDS, CS). In the Rinconada area, Buhi has its own entirely different Bikol language. One could ask how a native Rinconada teacher who migrates to Naga City by marriage teaches using the standard Bikol. Buhinons recognized the uniqueness of their language and took the initiative to develop learning materials through the efforts of the local government and some private individuals.

With this perspective, a group of Bicolano linguists believes that the first phase of MT development should be focused on the standardization of spelling, which has been completed and which the ADNU Press has published. The standardized spelling applies to any Bikol language. For example, it does not matter whether the word “house” is written and spoken differently in three areas; for example, “harong” in Central Bikol, “baloy” in Rinconada, and “balay” in Sorsogon—as long all Bicolanos read it in the same way and understand its spelling, that is, to use “oy” in the last syllable rather than “oi.” This is the contribution of orthography; it makes the spelling of the Bikol language consistent. There will be little difference in the Iriga-Rinconada words because these have the unique “schwa;” it is a matter of adding an accent mark or double dots on top of the vowel to distinguish the pronunciation difference.

While spelling standardization is a good start in MT development, it does not ensure that all Bicol writers are using the published book as a guide. For instance, how the orthography being developed in Masbate will be factored in the call for spelling standardization (a draft copy of the book, An Garamiton na Ortograpiya san Masbate (Rosero & Balbuena n.d.) is available in academia). There are also disagreements in Komisyon ng Wikang Pilipino on spelling standardization, but discussions continue. Teachers and writers are encouraged to use the spelling guide, which is now an official DepEd material. DepEd must appeal to a group of linguists and writers for the adoption of the spelling guide and promote it assertively—not only within the educational system, but more importantly, in the local mass media (print media in the internet, blogs, newspapers, and magazines) to avoid confusion among child learners and better aid them in the assimilation of the language.

Aside from using the spelling guide, Nierva also suggested the need for teachers’ training to understand the base lessons and philosophy of MT orthography, e.g., the alphabets, the symbols for sounds; otherwise, there would be no deeper appreciation for MT (personal communication, September 2020). In Albay, only Camalig has


developed an orthography (SDS Albay). The other districts do not have one yet. There is also a need to collect literary pieces and an orthography based on sound in a particular area (SDS Albay). Spellings are based on the sounds of words (SDS Albay).

The challenge of Bikol language nuances on LM development

The next phase of MT development is focused on grammar for Bikol Sentral (Nierva, personal communication, 2020 August) and standardization for Minasbate (Rosero, personal communication, August 2020). The Bikol language is nuanced, and in many cases, cannot utilize the rules of Western grammar in analyzing it. For instance, English nouns become a verb in Bikol because the latter is verb- oriented rather than noun-oriented. For example, there is no direct translation for the noun “translation.” In Bikol, it becomes a verb, “ibikol” or “tagalugi.”

The study on Bikol grammar is another source of anxiety among teachers because it is something new they must learn (they have been trained in Filipino and English rather than in the Bicol language). Sample materials that could help can be found on the Facebook page, MagBikol Kita, created by a Bicol linguist, Victor Nierva, a former professor at the Ateneo de Naga University. The page contains short videos on Bikol orthography and grammar as well as literary works. Another linguist, Jose Federico Hernandez of the University of Diliman Linguistics Department, declared the need for a continued sharpening of the study of the Bikol language to discover the richness of its character, quality, and pureness that one cannot find in other languages (Nierva, personal communication, August 2020). There is a risk of producing a half-baked MTB education of the learners if further study is given up. These efforts show that MT support outside education, such as linguists and material developers, must be established and sustained because the education sector alone cannot do it.

DepEd must recognize that ECCD teachers specialize in facilitating child development rather than language development. While there is a working orthography for Minasbate, for example, there is no standard orthography, although materials were pilot tested in 2018. In pilot testing, they found that Minasbate has different dialects because of the influence of Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray, and the mainland Bikol provinces surrounding Masbate. For example, Cawayan and Cataingan use Minasbate influenced by Cebuano; Mandaon and Balud use Minasbate influenced by Hiligaynon; while in Ticao and Burias, it is influenced by Bikol Sentral. Rosero said that before the First Minasbate Orthography Congress organized by Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa, Sr. of the Memorial State College of Agriculture


and Technology (now Masbate State College) in 2016, Minasbate was called Binisaya, which means that it is a variant of Bisaya. The influences of the languages mentioned above led to confusion among teachers regarding words to use and their spellings. For example, the word “kilmi,” which means “dent” in English, is spelled in four ways by K to 3 teachers: “kilmi,” “kilme,” “kilme,” and “kelmi.” Rosero reported that teachers were eventually able to follow the conventions of the written Minasbate orthography with some practice.

DepEd must recognize the challenges faced in the translation of LMs. The Bikol language has very long words. For example, the word “and’’ in Tagalog is a two- letter word, “at.” and yet in Bikol, this generally becomes a four-letter word “asin,” “saka,” or “buda.” In Albay, it is “sagkod” or “dangan,” and is “pagkan” in the Partido area. This is just the conjunction “and,” a frequently used word; how much more complicated are other words?

Nierva (personal communication, August 2020) shared that the book on Araling Panlipunan for Grade 2, when translated, reached 600 pages. The mathematics book reached 700 pages, which DepEd expects to be covered in one school year. The challenge of the translation and contextualization effort is its implication on the pedagogical perspective. There might be a need to prescribe the minimum learning essentials only similar to DepEd Order No. 12 s. 2020 issued in the light of the health-stricken pandemic, which streamlines the K to 12 curricula into the essential learning competencies (MELCs). With a prescription of the MELCs for K–3 and MTB-MLE even beyond Covid-19, Bicolano teachers can contextualize LMs without sacrificing reading and writing skills acquisition while considering the appropriate length of the period to engage children actively.

There is a need for contextualized storybooks (Masbate EPS). According to Masbate EPS, the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino’s approval is being sought for Minasbate working orthography. Rosero, however, mentioned that local communities are free to develop their own.

The status of early grade literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional learning in the Bicol Region

The Bicol Region’s early grade education had a budget from the Department of Education of PHP37.12 billion in the school year 2019–20. This budget supported 540,881 early grade students in 3,155 public schools in the same year. The Region’s EGE budget has not steadily grown since the start of K–12 program in SY 2012–13,


The budget’s largest increase was 28% in SY 2016–17, and its lowest decrease is -9.9% as recorded in SY 2020–21 budget of PHP33.44 billion.

Figure 2 exhibits the enrollment figures of the public EGE in SY 2012–13 to SY 2019–20. Data show that all EGE levels have unsteady enrollment. Kindergarten enrollment particularly fell in SYs 2014, 2016, and 2019. If all EGE students are assumed to pass each level, the number of enrollments in the earlier grade level in the current year is expected to be the number of enrollments in the next higher level in the following year. However, the figure shows that only Grade 1 level has a higher number of students enrolled than the previous year’s kindergarten enrollment. Both Grades 2 and 3 have a lower number of students compared to the previous year’s lower levels of enrollment. This implies the possibility of dropouts as early as Grade 2.

The net enrollment rate of kindergarten level from SY 2013–14 to SY 2018–19 also recorded an unsteady annual change. Its highest net enrollment rate was recorded in SY 2017–18 at 83.9%, while its lowest was in SY 2018-2019 at 76.88%. Its net enrollment rate in SY 2016-2017 of 68.82% was higher than the Philippine’s kindergarten net enrollment rate of 66% in the same period.

Figure 2. Enrollment Figures of the Public EGE in SY 2012–2013 to 2019–2020

The next section lists the challenges encountered, efforts undertaken, and on-going interventions in early grade literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional learning.


Challenges, Efforts Undertaken, and On-Going Interventions in Early Grade Literacy Insufficient and inappropriate learning materials. At the start of implementation of MTB- MLE in SY 2012–13, visual aid materials that use MT were insufficient in Bombon, Bula, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Casiguran, Castilla Naga City, and Tigaon. There is only one approved textbook written in MT (Naga EPS). Until at present, some subjects were not translated. These are being made at the DepEd Central Office. Publishing textbooks in different languages in limited copies is costly, which is one of DepEd’s challenges.

Every school year, DepEd provided the schools with learning materials, but these were not usually sufficient for all students (Caramoan). Sometimes, only one copy or a soft copy was provided. These schools then have to reproduce based on the number of their students. The school’s MOOE could not adequately fund the reproduction of the learning materials, including purchasing the required equipment and supplies (Naga EPS, Caramoan). CN SDS noted that with so much language disparity in the province, the division would need more budget to reproduce contextualized learning materials. In the case of a school in Bula, its MOOE had an allocation of PHP348 thousand for the whole school year; and only PHP30 thousand could be allocated for office supplies (Bula Prin). Aside from lacking supply, these materials often arrived when the school year is almost over (Prin).

The Covid-19 pandemic amplified the problem of lacking materials. For the school year 2020–21, the self-learning modules will be produced by the Central Office (Albay SDS); however, as of July 17, 2020, SDOs have yet to receive the instructions on downloading the learning materials or the available funds.

Besides lacking and delayed supply, instructional materials were not also appropriately contextualized to the local language. For instance, Pilar and Sorsogon teachers had to translate the Central Bikol materials to Bikol-Pilar, which cannot be considered the Lingua Franca because other children speak Bikol-Donsol, could not understand the former. Teachers need to translate further for these children. This experience confirms the call of the linguist Hernandez of the University of the Philippines that the greater challenge for DepEd is to conduct language mapping at the barangay level (Nierva, personal communication, August 2020).

Another case is Camarines Norte. While the provided Dynamic Learning Programs (DLPs) were in Tagalog (CN EPS), these were not applicable to a province whose learners speak variants between Bikol and Tagalog in almost every barangay and


municipality (CN SDS). It is necessary to contextualize the learning materials in the local language. The language diversity of the province makes contextualization a big challenge for the teachers. This is especially taxing to teachers who handle self-contained classes (CN EPS), where one teacher single-handedly teaches eight subjects. This means the teacher needs at least eight learning devices (such as charts, flashcards, models, TV, and so forth) to prepare for just one class.

To respond to the lacking learning materials, teachers made their own modules and worksheets (Naga EPS). They also created their own stories, poems, tigsik (a form of poetry), and other literary materials. They also translated and adapted reading materials from other languages.

To reuse these materials, some teachers resorted to printing them in large fonts in tarpaulins (Caramoan). Those with an internet connection downloaded a soft copy of the Learning Resource Management and Development System (LRMDS) materials for printing. Those with poor internet connections had to either pool their transportation resources and print in town or wait for an internet connection late at night.

Without a budget for supplies, teachers were compelled to donate from their own pockets and solicited from stakeholders (Caramoan). Schools put up an official Facebook site and used this platform to solicit the needed materials. The inadequacy and delayed distribution of contextualized activity worksheets took much of the teachers’ time. Teachers complained that they also needed time for themselves and for fostering social relationships. To ease the teachers’ burden, a principal had to gradually purchase the lacking LMs using MOOE gradually so that funds allocated for the school activities would not be used.

The SDOs planned to send soft copies of materials and funds directly to every school for faster reproduction of materials to be in time for the opening of classes initially scheduled for August 2020.

The lack of reading materials and activity worksheets can be addressed by increasing the schools’ MOOE and allocating funds appropriately to procure equipment and supplies needed to reproduce them. SEF may be tapped to raise the MOOE funds. Support from private individuals, organizations, and institutions like The ABC+ Project can be solicited for book donations or learning materials in volume when increasing MOOE is not possible (CN SDS). These books and learning materials should help the early grade learners to become readers, i.e., reading with comprehension suitable for levels K to 3. Thus, the materials must be replicated based on the standards set by


LRMDS to ensure the quality of its content and maintain gender inclusivity (CS SDS). The existing materials should also be assessed on their readability level. Another goal is to procure supplementary books with a 1:1 pupil-to-book ratio. These books could be identified from the list provided by the Central Office.

Cases of assigned teachers with different MT. The Camarines Norte SDS noted that the assigned teacher was not familiar with the local MT. Some Bikol-speaking teachers were assigned classes in Tagalog-speaking areas. This resulted in teachers conversing in Bicol when talking to the children while using materials in Tagalog.

No standard reading test for Grades 1–3. There is no standard reading test for Grades 1–3, making it difficult to evaluate the early grade pupils’ reading and comprehension level (CN SDS). The CN and Sorsogon SDOs prepared a customized material and tool for reading and numeracy to evaluate if the students in the division meet the reading levels of grades 1–3 and numeracy level of Grades 1–6.

An alarming number of slow readers and non-readers. Using the mother tongue has not improved children’s reading capacity and reading speed, as most research showed. Data showed that teachers continued to encounter non-readers and slow readers (CN EPS). Camarines Sur SDS estimated that about 3,000 learners in the classrooms could be called “struggling readers.’’ DepEd memorandum no. 173 s. 2019 recognized that there is a need to strengthen every learner’s reading proficiency, as revealed by the poor results of the national assessment test.

To heed this call, Bula Public Schools District Supervisor launched Project InsPire (Intensive Strategies in Sustaining Pupils’ Interest in Reading) (Bula Prin). This project involved re-orientation of EG teachers, reading festivals, and recognition of best school reading implementers and teachers. Technical assistance was given to EGE implementers in the school, including intensive instruction supervision. Teachers provided remedial instruction, especially for non-readers and readers who exhibited no comprehension at all (Bula Prin, CN SDS). In Sta. Elena, teachers held reading sessions with a “mystery reader,” where personalities such as the municipal mayor were invited during the “reading with the Mayor.” Another school tapped performing higher-level students to peer-tutor lower-grade students (Pilar). The provision of instructional materials (IM) and reading materials by the ABC+ project could partly address the challenges of non-readers (CN EPS). The Camarines Norte EPS, on her part, conducted school monitoring to ensure that school heads conduct teacher observation. She also reproduced reading materials for lower and higher grades and distributed them to schools that she visited. In addition to these, the CN SDO customized tools and materials for reading and initiated the Operasyon Basa at


Bilang to address the challenges faced in literacy and numeracy. CN SDO also provided a nutrition program among slow readers and non-readers to aid these children nutritionally (CN EPS). The Naga City EPS believed that a focused plan and strategy to improve K to 3 would eventually address the literacy and reading comprehension of a higher grade.

The health pandemic posed another challenge in addressing the literacy problem. The schools under the Albay SDO had to conduct an orientation with the parents on the basics of beginning reading on July 27 to 31, 2020, to empower parents as partners in educating the children.

Congested curriculum and overlapping of activities. The relatively poor performance of learners in the public school system, and the rising number of non- readers, can be partly attributed to the congested curriculum that DepEd requires, as well as the frequent disruption of classes due to co-curricular and extracurricular activities, such as academic contests and sports activities (Catanduanes Parent, Bula Prin). When these contestants go back to school, teachers do not have the time and energy to repeat the lessons. A sports competition usually takes the students away from classroom activities and lessons for about two to three weeks (Bula Prin).

A report of a teacher teaching Grade 3 students was assigned as the school-based feeding program coordinator (Goa Prin). Such an assignment had affected the class contact time of the student. The CN SDS recommended reducing subjects for Grades 1–3 and providing more focused learning packages on the 3Rs (reading, writing, and arithmetic) and decongest competencies to the most essential for Grades 1–3.

Anxiety of parents on using the Mother Tongue as LOI. In the initial implementation of MTB-MLE, children were not used to hearing Bikol used inside the classroom. It also made the children speak in the mixed language/code-switching, which to some schools would be detrimental to language and cultural development. Children get further confused because they are exposed to various mass media that mostly use English and Filipino when they get home.

Until at present, some parents ask why Bikol is being used as a medium of instruction. They contended that Bikol is already being used at home, and the significance of its use in classrooms is incomprehensible (Bula PTA, FGD). Parents would prefer that English be taught to their children to catch up with the lessons in the higher levels better. It was reported that some parents became unmotivated to send their young children to school and condone absenteeism (Irosin).


One stakeholder observed that the MTB-MLE curriculum is focused on the period for using languages L1, L2, and L3. Teachers tend to utilize pedagogies that are too academically-inclined rather than honing the basic practical life lessons suited for the learners’ age (FGD).

Schools expressed the importance of parents’ support more urgently needed during these times of distance learning. Parents have to monitor their children in reading the materials (Buhi Prin).

Transition Issues of Primary to Intermediate Level. Teachers and parents both reported that learners starting Grade 4 had difficulty adapting to the new LOI even if it was introduced in the lower grades. The schools and teachers had to put up more advocacy posts and activities, such as English Reading Corner, English Reading Month, and multimedia presentation with English instruction to help improve children’s familiarity and use of the English language. Rosero, linguist and author of “An Garamiton na Ortograpiya,” however, pointed out that this early exit does not comply with the principles of MTB-MLE where MT should be used as a medium of instruction until Grade 6 (Rosero, personal communication, September 2020). Rosero explained that one of the fundamental principles of MTB-MLE is to teach pupils to read, count, and comprehend using MT before introducing foreign languages like English and Filipino. This way, the pupils’ cognitive skills are honed since this is the language they used at home.

Need for continuous faculty development. With the current requirements of the pandemic and the advent of technology, teachers need to be attuned on the use and delivery of different modalities in early grade instruction delivery and the preparation of contextualized materials (CS SDS, Iriga SDS). Administrators and principals also need to be trained to guide and make recommendations to improve EGE (Iriga SDS). Education experts’ intervention is deemed important at this stage of MTB- MLE implementation, particularly on contextualized learning materials development and pedagogical approaches suited to engage early education learners (Bula Prin). Enhancement of curriculum and teaching techniques through collaboration and exchange of insights during in-school Learning Action Cells (LACs) can speed up adjustment and improvement in EGE but will require additional funding. Language and pedagogy experts can be invited for consultation and faculty development.

With a limited number of bachelor’s graduates in early child education, it becomes imperative that faculty development specific for early child education be conducted extensively to develop a pool of specialized teachers for early grade learners and


increase the required teaching staff (Tigaon). Teacher monitoring and supervision are also necessary to address the usual challenges of teacher reassignments as well as tendencies for complacency (CS SDS).

Some efforts undertaken include conduct of training on content enhancement and class management and student handling for Kindergarten to Grade 3 teachers by the Iriga SDO. Also, Masbate SDO sent a few teachers for training in Manila that could be afforded by the office’s budget. Additional teachers were trained through the regional office’s conduct of a trainers’ training, which was extended to the division level.

Challenges, efforts undertaken, and on-Going interventions in early grade numeracy Inconsistent policies at the start of MTB-MLE implementation. Issues cropped up at the initial stage of MTB-MLE implementation regarding the use of MT in mathematics. Teachers, parents, and students were having difficulty using technical and sometimes archaic Bikol words (CN SDS). Teachers translated mathematical terms in the dialect only to find out that district and national exams and competitions in math were conducted in English. The instruction to retain English technical mathematical terms was recent.

Bikol numeracy words are no longer used at home. Translating in Bikol is usually the difficult part of teaching K to 3 levels, especially that Bikol numbers are no longer used at home (CN SDS). Bikol words found in the book are different from the dialects used in the locality, which caused problems for the teacher and students.

Insufficient contextualized materials. Similar to reading, numeracy materials, such as contextualized materials and counting objects, are insufficient. SDOs relied on the IMs provided by the Central Office (Albay SDS). Even if teachers were eager to reproduce contextualized materials, it was observed that learners were more enthusiastic with their lessons if LMs are of high quality and colorful (Iriga SDS). Funding for more contextualized materials can be obtained from SEF using the usual budget for sports activities, which will not materialize due to the health pandemic (Albay SDS). At present, Albay SDO is evaluating the possible reading and numeracy materials that can be procured by the provincial government. The CN SDO provided a detailed lesson plan that passed through quality assurance, such as content and language editing made by an external entity aside from the quality-validation conducted by the EPS and the SDS. The CN SDO also devised a tool to determine the mathematics proficiency level of the students.


Absence of standard tools for numeracy. The DepEd Central Office has not provided a tool to evaluate the numeracy competencies of Grade 1–3, and yet a report on pupils who are numerates and non-numerates was demanded. The CN and Sorsogon SDOs made a tool to identify mathematical proficiency levels (CN EPS). The SDS also visited the schools on the use of the numeracy competency assessment tool.

Challenges, efforts undertaken, and ongoing interventions in early grade socio- emotional learning

MTB-MLE is viewed best implemented in the socio-emotional development of the learner. Students can express themselves well in the vernacular. Bicolano values of adaptability and hospitality are accentuated especially when transferees from Manila are accommodated by speaking Tagalog instead of their own vernacular. The learners’ socio-emotional learning usually depends on classroom management and the assigned teacher (CN SDS). It would be a challenge to determine if the special edcuation lessons are practiced outside the school (CN SDS), but the absence of an incident report involving K to 3 demonstrates that socio-emotional learning (SEL) is well placed in this group of young learners (Albay SDS). Despite the positive view on the use of MT on SEL, some challenges were still noted.

The affective objective of the lesson was thrust to the sidelines. Due to the congested curriculum for Grades 1 to 3, lessons were pressed for time. At times, the affective objectives of the lessons were not carried through.

Struggling readers developed low self-esteem. The Camarines Sur SDS observed that children with reading difficulties also develop low self-confidence, leading to bullying and other misdemeanors. The schools respond by conducting programs that boost students’ self-confidence. The SDO, on its part, provides technical assistance to teachers to address these cases. The supervisors provide the teachers with orientation, updates, and feedback in handling such issues in the classroom (CS SDS). Here, the importance of correctly identifying the Lingua Franca is underscored to ensure that no child will be left behind. It also implies the need for better monitoring by teachers of children’s reading levels and the underlying reasons in cases where the student’s reading level falls below the average.

Other general challenges include:

Poor and inappropriate classroom and facilities for Kindergarten. Some schools


reported the existing substandard classroom and facilities. For instance, in Bula, the standard Kindergarten classroom size of 7x9 square meters was not observed, and kindergarten students were placed in the regular- classroom size of 6x8 square meters. Class sizes, especially in lower primary grade levels, such as Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2, should have a teacher-student ratio of at least 1:25 because the learners are at an age level where they are hyperactive and require constant guidance. Ignoring the prescribed class size compromises children’s learning and guidance. Until the last school year, class sizes for these grade levels were as large as 38 students (Bula). Improving class sizes, nevertheless, implies increasing the teaching staff.

Challenges of remote learning delivery. As has been expressed at times by teachers, remote learning modular and blended delivery is minimal. Internet connectivity is a challenge in most areas of the Region. Poor families do not own android cellphones that can access mobile data for internet-based instruction delivery (Sta. Elena, CN). While other learning modalities, such as transistor radios and television, are being implemented, access to these devices, especially in remote rural households, is limited. The distribution of transistor radios has not yet been implemented. Schools cannot rely on parents alone to help their children read or become adept at math without the direct assistance of teachers (Albay SDS). The provision of tablets with saved interactive lessons to children can be explored (Albay SDS).

At present, Albay was selected to simulate the first week of August for both learning modalities—modular and blended. The principal of Sto. Domingo Central School was coached on how to implement modular delivery without face-to-face instruction, i.e., preparation for organizing classes and meeting up with children at the Barangay Learning Center through the support of barangay officials. For remote, blended learning delivery, the Polangui South Central School will pilot radio-based instruction due to the mayor’s initiative to set up a radio station (Albay SDS).

Covid-19 Pandemic Opportunities and Constraints on Early Grade Education The global pandemic put basic education in a tight situation. It disrupted regular classes in the 2019–20 school year, leaving some critical competencies undelivered (Bula). The end-of-year ceremonies were not held. Some prospective school partners were put on hold or postponed. School projects, such as the construction of temporary learning units and classroom repairs, were stopped or postponed (Bula).


The school year 2020–21 started late in most basic education private schools and even later in the public schools. Aside from delayed start, teachers have had to work double-time in preparing instructional materials using different methods. Early grade education pupils are at risk of losing educational opportunities, as each learner relies heavily on adults as learning facilitators, which may not be viable in most areas due to Covid-19.

Several opportunities and constraints arose due to Covid-19 to the advantage and disadvantage of English for General Purposes (EGPs) in MTB-MLE implementation.

DepEd adaptation to the new normal. Instructional flexibility is critical for teaching and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. It requires various methods and instructional materials to sustain the attention and learning engagement of young learners. In response, DepEd has adopted alternative learning approaches to facilitate learning, such as online learning tools such as Zoom, Google Classroom, Facebook, radio, and others. For students without access to the internet, some schools provide printed modules. DepEd also adjusted the enrollment process for SY 2020–21 as declared in its Order No. 8 s. 2020 issued on May 28, 2020, to reduce possible exposure of learners and teachers to Covid-19. The agency also streamlined the K to 12 curricula to recognize a number of factors that affected the start of classes and the learners’ welfare amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Raised parents’ involvement in learners’ education. DepEd provided online training to parents to strengthen their role (DepEd 2020). In addition, parents’ active involvement in student learning is being encouraged through PTAs and DepEd.

Temporarily resolved issues on congested curriculum and overlapping of activities. DepEd Order no. 12 s. 2020 adopted the basic education continuity plan (BECP) that streamlined the K to 12 curricula into the essential learning competencies. It temporarily resolves the problems raised by teachers about the EGE’s congested curriculum.

Improved utilization of DepEd Learning Portal. With face-to-face interactions prohibited, teachers now use the DepEd Learning Portal more often to look for updated materials that can be used in online instruction. Several rural schools, however, still find online instruction a problem due to slow or no internet connectivity as in the case of Manito, Pio Duran, Rapu-Rapu, Libon, and Caramoan. As to the content of the portal, the SDS of Albay noted that it had updated videos and examples that go with the lesson. The lessons are also appropriate, and the content


of the resources in the learning portal is easier to understand compared to the information in the books (Baao Prin). However, sharing video materials with the pupils is not always feasible because not all schools have audio-visual equipment.

Another challenge in using the learning portal is the difficulty of searching for resources, as lessons are not arranged by grading period. The Principal of Baao noted that teachers find it difficult to identify which lessons are for the first or second grades. The resources available are also limited (Baao teacher). The resources for some subjects are often not available or are in English or Filipino.

DILG’s Call opens up avenues for increased LGU support to the education sector. DepEd Order No. 12, s. 2020 called on a revisiting of the Joint Circular No. 1, s. 2017 on the utilization of the SEF, which will be aligned to the “new normal” in basic education service delivery. DILG supported this DepEd call and issued its memorandum circular in June 2020, enjoining all LGUs to convene their respective LSBs to determine and allocate SEF in the localized implementation of BE-LCP.

Assurance of EFA. Issues regarding the coping capacity of students, faculty, and staff members for alternative learning options surfaced. This included children with special needs enrolled in Special Education or SPED learning centers who may not be able to cope with digital trends and online learning systems. Increasing mental health and psychosocial issues among learners, especially those with pre-existing mental health issues, also emerged. Aid for students experiencing anxiety about adjusting from face-to-face learning to online classes is critical.

The increased burden to teachers and school administrators. Schools’ MOOE is insufficient to cover the printing of bulk modules to be distributed to the students in response to the preference of parents in rural areas for modular classes (Sta. Elena, Bula). Teachers expressed their need for financial, material, and equipment support because of the pandemic. Due to rigid, bureaucratic policies, for example, Joint Circular No. 2019-1 issued by the Commission on Audit, Department of Budget and Management and DepEd, some school heads have had difficulty downloading the needed MOOEs for printing LMs, especially when inter-city travel is limited (Caramoan). The situation forces schools and teachers to become resourceful by using their funds or soliciting from families and friends to provide for learners’ needs.

Anxiety on Parents’ Support to EGPs. Modular classes entail that parent/adult guidance is available in early grade pupils’ homes to manage lessons. Parents’ capacity to provide tutelage to their children is a challenge in rural areas (San Miguel).


04

STAKEHOLDER MAPPING AND ANALYSIS

Various stakeholders operate at multiple levels. The stakeholders operating at the school and community levels are parents, school administrators and teachers, and the barangay chairman. At the regional, provincial, municipal, and/or city levels are various agencies and local government units.

CSOs, however, operate at different levels. Alumni associations, private corporations (for example, Colgate), civil society organizations (such as the Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club) are present at the school and community levels. International organizations (such as World Vision) and non-government organizations (for example, the Bicol Center for Child Development, NCPC) mostly operate at the provincial and municipal levels.

The respondents in this study mentioned roughly1 146 stakeholders that have provided assistance since 2012. The top four most common organizations providing assistance are government agencies, non-government organizations, and school-based organizations (Table 9).


School-based organizations are the most common stakeholder operating in the education sector. The other most common organizations that assist education are government institutions and agencies. In the LGU sector, the most mentioned stakeholders are non-government organizations and government agencies.

Table 9. Type of organizations present in the sampled municipalities and their distribution by sector, 2020

TYPE OF ORGANIZATIONS

NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS PRESENT IN EACH SECTOR

EDUCATION SECTOR LGU SECTOR

Civic Organization 9 7

Corporation 9 3

Educational Institution 1 1

Government Agency 13 13

Government Institution 20 2

International Organization 6 3

Non-Government Organization 10 14

Partylist 0 1

People's Organization 4 0

Private Individuals 6 1

School-based organizations 23 0

Total 101 45

Table 10 summarizes the number of organizations that the education and LGU sectors engaged with since 2012.


Table 10. Type of organizations present in the sampled municipalities and their distribution per income class, 2020

TYPE OF ORGANIZATIONS

MUNICIPAL CLASS

1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH 5TH

Civic Organization 3 3 2 5 2

Corporation 2 3 2 2 2

Educational Institution 1 0 0 1 0

Government Agency 2 5 9 4 1

Government Institution 3 11 0 6 0

International Organization 1 2 0 1 0

Non-Government Organization

3 1 4 12 1

Partylist 0 0 0 1 0

People's Organization 3 0 0 0 1

Private Individuals 1 1 0 1 2

School-based organizations 5 7 0 6 5

Total 24 33 17 39 14

Stakeholders’ capacity, influence, and support

Parents can persuade other parents to provide support, assist the school in managing funds, and organize activities by doing volunteer work or soliciting funds. They support their children’s education by monitoring their children’s completion of homework and school attendance. They can also teach their children (for example, in reading) or ensuring that they reinforce school discipline. Parents are also limited in assisting their children with schoolwork; some cannot read or write or are busy


attending to their farms (Baao teacher, Uson teacher, Manito teacher). School administrators play a crucial role in providing leadership in the development of the school and its programs. As the requesting officer of the school’s MOOE and SEF allocation, the school administrator can appropriate budget for program priorities of the school. Together with the teachers, school administrators can raise funds and mobilize support by inviting stakeholders for the Brigada Eskwela. They can also tap parents through the PTA to take part in the school’s drive to respond to its needs. In Pilar, for instance, the principal invites the Barangay Committee on Education, selected barangay officials, and presidents of various organizations to their meetings, which facilitates the engagement of various sectors (for example, a church group teaches Catechism every Monday; 4Ps members are in charge of general weeding in the school grounds; barangay officials are tasked to solicit for prizes and trophies during school events; the PTA and alumni help raise funds).

The support from the barangay comes in various forms: financial, human resource (such as security), and advocacy. These forms of support are instrumental in school operations. For example, during a stakeholders’ forum conducted by DepEd in Albay, the SDS said that barangay captains pledged their support to education by organizing the venue for picking up and dropping off modules; as such, teachers will only deliver the modules to one site in the barangay. In Virac, the barangay serves as an onsite venue for the registration of school-aged learners. In Casiguran, the barangay council offers its physical resources as a venue during programs. Some other forms of support during school activities include the provision of a sound system (Prieto Diaz) and snacks, manning the registration committee (Pilar), and ensuring security in the area (Prieto Diaz, Casiguran).

Some barangays also offer financial aid to selected students (Bombon, Virac) or cash assistance for reading programs (Castilla). They also donate construction materials for school classrooms or reading centers (Buhi, Pilar, Prieto Diaz, Bula, Naga). They also help raise funds by sending solicitation letters to potential donors.

Some serve as advocates of education by instilling its importance to community members (Bula, Masbate), for example, by encouraging parents to send their school- age children to school (CS). Some barangay allocate funds for the reproduction of materials (Iriga, Irosin). In the case of Irosin, the barangay allocates 5 percent of its IRA for elementary school and daycare. In Pilar, the school principal noted that the Committee on Education of the barangay is always present in school meetings and active in crafting the school improvement plan. Because of the engagement of the barangay in Pilar school, the material recovery facility (MRF) was set up at the school, which resolved their problem with garbage.


Local government units manage the SEF and have the capacity to continue school projects started by the previous administration (Castilla Prin, Irosin Prin). It also has its own MOOEs to tap through its powers to realign budgets. The mayor of Buhi, for instance, said that the MLGU is willing to support and allocate a budget for education aside from SEF. The mayor said they already committed to printing the modules and books that are being contextualized. Most of the time, local chief executives have the financial capacity drawn from their stock, wealth, or business (Bula Prin). They also have the capacity to encourage real property owners through its programs and accomplishments to pay taxes to fund SEF (Castilla LSB, Daet LSB). Their partnership and linkages with non-government and civic organizations through support of their activities are reciprocated by similar support to LGU projects (Bicol Center for Child Development, FGD).

Other than the LGUs’ LCEs, other branches of government also provided assistance, mostly through the repair and construction of school buildings and facilities (Sta Elena). NEDA V helped clean and repair classrooms and donated school equipment and facilities to three basic education schools. The Office of the Congressman provided funds for the repair of classrooms, the construction of pavilions (CS SDS, Masbate SDS), and the construction of a school building (Masbate SDS) and a reading center (Bula Prin). The Office of the Governor supported the hiring of teacher aides for the Kindergarten classes (CN SDS), the reproduction of lesson plans (CN SDS), and the provision of reading materials (CS SDS). The Covid-19 pandemic opened a different opportunity for LGU engagement to schools and the use of SEF. In Albay, the Office of the Governor, which initially mobilized funds for the support of Palarong Bicol, realigned its funds to curriculum development (SDS).

The non-government organizations in the Bicol Region responded to calls for support when most needed. Each non-governmental organization (NGO) responds according to its vision and mission (Bicol Center for Child Development, FGD). These groups also demonstrated their willingness to engage and partner with other organizations to work on projects identified by the community when their assistance is sought. The support from NGOs ranges from legislative partnerships, livelihoods support to women, teacher training, and the provision of necessary school facilities like WASH. For instance, the Naga City People’s Council has an existing engagement with DepEd and LGU Naga as part of the school board. They provided recommendations to the Naga City School Board on which programs to pursue. The Social Action Center has a similar role as NCPC. They sat as a member of the Local Social Body in Legazpi City and contributed to the education sector’s planning and decision-making. Their current engagement is to provide WASH facilities in the schools (WinS). Their


recent partnership with Bicol University on the use of the communication facilities of parishes and dioceses is a response to the need for a blended instruction delivery in higher education in the countryside in response to the Covid-19 situation. The Bicol Center for Child Development’s advocacy engagements are focused on out-of-school youth, feeding programs during calamities, and teacher training, mobile training, capacity training, and ALS. These show the potential of mobilizing strong support from various stakeholders on education-focused projects.

Stakeholder engagement

Stakeholder engagements with schools were initiated mainly by organizations,as in Manito, Jose Panganiban, and San Miguel. These initial engagements, however, offer potential future partnerships. The Principal of Manito said that if not for the public gathering limitation brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, they would have had invited stakeholders to the Brigada Eskwela. In some cases, the principals would actively search for potential stakeholders—the Principal of Sta. Elena, San Vicente, Caramoan, Balud, Batuan, Irosin, and SDS of Camarines Sur said that school heads and administrators would send emails or letters to stakeholders. The Principal of Sta. Elena sent letters to organizations such as the United Nations, corporations, and government institutions requesting books or bags. The principals were often assisted by teachers, the PTA president, and teachers’ president (San Vicente Prin), sometimes by the barangay chairman (Bula Prin) to identify and reach out to stakeholders. Other stakeholder engagements were channeled through the DepEd Division Office to the schools.

Limitations, turn-offs, and disincentives

Some turn-offs include the disagreement of some parents in the use of MT. Teachers addressed this by stressing the importance of using MT in education. The dispute about MT means that there is still a need to explain its use in EGE in meetings and orientation sessions so that parents understand its value.

Too much bureaucracy is a common complaint among CSOs: a unit cannot make decisions without the mayor’s approval; officials are unavailable and cannot push some requests through; the central office must approve requests, and many documents must be processed. Despite these challenges, NGOs still push through with their interventions, although it is time consuming.


The presence of the New People’s Army in the area, on the other hand, hinders schools from inviting certain stakeholders such as the PNP, which can provide child protection training.

Motivation and interest

Below are some of the motivations and interests of stakeholders in EGE: • The primary motivation of students and school administrators is to provide holistic

education and development of children. Parents feel proud when their children are part of a performing school. However, they hope to lessen their financial burden on their children’s school needs (Goa and Irosin Prin).

• School heads are focused on addressing the current needs of schools and their pupils, particularly pupils’ performance in Grades 1 to 3 in reading and on the National Achievement Test, the teachers’ instructional needs, for example, in producing the social studies (Araling Panlipunan) module, and the improvement of school facilities. Additionally, concrete school projects should be visible to business investors. SDSs have recognized the importance of acknowledging the changes that are happening in schools. They have presented evidence- based data on best practices, applied it to the current situation and needs of the education sector, and have promoted transparency in utilizing resources to encourage collaboration and partnerships among NGOs, civic organizations, and business investors (Goa, Irosin, Prieto Diaz, and Pilar Prin; Albay SDS, CN SDS; CS SDS; Iriga SDS; Masbate EPS; and Masbate SDS).

• Schools administrators are motivated to enhance their ability in submitting and lobbying good project proposals, programs, and projects; in communicating and collaborating with potential partners in creative ways, for example, by maximizing online facilities to encourage stakeholders to support remote and deprived schools; to make use of business funds systematically; and present systematized proceedings to bridge and sustain programs, networks, and partnerships with stakeholders and education sectors (Bula, Prieto Diaz, Casiguran, Castilla, and Pilar Principals; CN SDS; CS SDS; Iriga SDS; Masbate EPS; Masbate SDS).

• School administrators, NGOs, civic organizations, and business investors want to be recognized for their contributions to the improvement and performance of schools and the development of the future workforce/income-earning consumers (Goa, Prieto Diaz, Iriga Principals; JCI Pili-Isarog).

• NGOs and civic organizations recognize the importance of cooperation among all sectors to promote and support Bicol education and reduce the high number of


non-readers. They expressed their willingness to help and engage in education as long as (1) Regional and Division Offices are cooperative, (2) the needs of the community are identified, and (3) the assistance that is needed is aligned with the organization’s programs, services, vision, and mission (JCI-Naga, PANGOPOD, NCPC, Bicol Center for Child Development, Rotary Club).

Avenues to engage stakeholders

Brigada Eskwela was initially established in 2003 as a week-long clean-up and beautification exercise called the National Schools’ Maintenance Week. It also allows private entities to extend support to the education sector and tap into tax incentives advocated in the Republic Act 8525 or the Adopt-A-School Act of 1998 (Hernandez 2011). Usually held during summer in preparation for the coming school year, it was expanded to a school program for the whole year focusing on community- led efforts to improve student participation, reduce dropouts, and improve student performance (DepEd 2009). It was dubbed as Brigada Eskwela Plus or Partnership Support for Access. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the Brigada Eskwela was made a venue to focus on partnership agreements that will bring in donations for thermal scanners, hand sanitizing equipment and materials, and printing of Covid-19-related materials to aid in the advocacy of health protection and protocols to learners and the community.


05

RECOMMENDATIONS

Several recommendations have been gleaned from the political economy of the Region.

Harnessing the political-economic set-up of the Region

LGU support for early grade education may be tapped from government units with a high concentration in tourism, agriculture and fisheries, and mining, where the Bicol Region has earned most of its gross regional domestic product. However, the recommendation must be revisited once the economy has recovered from the recession caused by the pandemic. The performance of the LGU of the Bicol Region generally demonstrates IRA-dependency, but first and second-class municipalities generally show lower IRA- dependency than the regional average, which means that these municipal classes may have more leeway and funds to support EGE. The sampled cities and municipalities in these income classes with education as one of the priority programs include Legazpi, Albay; Daet and Jose Panganiban in Camarines Norte; Buhi and Bula in Camarines Sur; Caramoran, Catanduanes; Aroroy, Masbate; and Pilar,


Sorsogon. DepEd or the ABC+ Team can prepare a presentation to market support for EGE to the LGUs with education as one of its priority agenda items, particularly with Legazpi and Manito in Albay; Daet, Jose Panganiban, and San Lorenzo in Camarines Norte; Buhi and Bula in Camarines Sur, Caramoan and Pandan in Catanduanes; Aroroy in Masbate; and Castilla, Pilar, and Sta. Magdalena, including the provincial government in Sorsogon. With their focus on education, some adjustments to their priorities can influence decision-makers through appropriate explanation and lobbying. LSBs can also be invited for a re- orientation through the Department of Interior and local government and the DepEd support. The re-orientation must emphasize the governance and decision-making functions of the LSBs, highlighting their power to enact changes and deliberate on creative ways to maximize and make the SEF responsive to DepEd and local schools’ current needs, in particular. Their role as a bridging leader and stimulant to LGU’s contribution to advancing early grade education must be emphasized.

Since cost-sharing is being practiced in the three levels of government, i.e., provincial, municipal, and barangay, particularly in Camarines Norte, this set- up could be explored in promoting direct but creative ways of improving early grade education. A five-party agreement among the three levels of government, DepEd, and ABC+ can be extended to other provinces. This arrangement can begin in provinces where LGUs have a history of aligned programs down to the lowest government level and have a relatively better financial capacity, particularly Buhi and Bula in Camarines Sur Caramoan, Catanduanes; and Aroroy, Masbate.

The opportunities for a deeper look and evaluation of MLGU’s support to the EGE situation has been opened by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ABC+ project. It has been strengthened by the Joint DepEd, DBM, and DILG Circular No. 1, s. 2017 for the local implementation of BE-LCP. This can be magnified through close coordination of DepEd officials, for example, PSDS with the MLGUs’ local chief executives for continued guidance of possible responsive support.

Responding to the nature of the Region

The ABC+ project cannot ignore the natural endowments of the region, including


its being in a typhoon path and part of a peninsula where three of its provinces (Albay, CS, and CN) lie within the Bicol River basin. Being in a typhoon belt, the Bicol Region experiences an average of two typhoons per month in the rainy season and one strong typhoon per year. Most low-lying areas, including communities traversed by the Bicol River, experience flooding during the rainy season. LMs that must be distributed to schools need to consider the natural phenomenon that the Bicol Region experiences. The practice of a Caramoan school of printing IMs in tarpaulin is one example of more resilient IM use in a coastal area.

IM development and the potential of cultural tourism in the region

Contextualizing materials for MT instruction requires identifying cultural information. With the Division Local Heritage Mapping to serve as input for MT development, it can also serve as a material for developing cultural tourism. The LGUs might be interested in investing in this because of their priorities in tourism. Moreover, the LGU is mandated through the RA10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 to assist in establishing and maintaining the Philippine Registry of Cultural Properties (PRECUP).

Strong DepEd and LGU partnership

Strengthened communication and coordination of DepEd with the LGU must be established. DepEd must review the frequency of rotation of SDS among the provinces and LGUs in consideration of the rapport that DepEd can build with the LGUs for more intensive and extensive collaboration. LGUs have expressed their willingness to support the education sector but are limited by the lack of communication of an expressed need from DepEd. The SDS can act as a pathway and bridging leader to motivate the LGU to get more involved with the education sector’s affairs. To assume this role, SDS needs to be re-oriented towards the vision, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the LGU so that s/he can situate the needs of early grade education within the overall thrust of the LGU. The strategy of providing constant and continuous education sector updates to the LGU can maintain LGU’s sustained interest in the sector.


Revisit MTB-MLE curriculum

DepEd must revisit the essence of MT use directives and place enabling structures for its advancement and purposeful delivery. The question on the balance of the MT enhancement, the transitioning to Filipino and English, and the development of young learners’ life-learning skills must be addressed. The Bicolano linguists’ perspective and recommendations should be addressed to firmly direct the use of MT in enhancing the Bicolano language and culture as a channel to more confident learning of the second and third languages. There is also the issue of an early exit in the use of MT, which defeats the goal of enhancing learners’ cognitive skills. There is also a need to review the implementation of MTB-MLE because some schools teach orthography to EGE when it should be used as a tool by teachers to help them develop contextualized IMs. Also, technical math terms need not be introduced in early grades. Instead, the process of computing in an appropriate context with relevant real objects, pictures, and stories can be introduced. The declared official guide on Bikol spelling has to be openly promoted so that all sectors, even those outside of education, can help disseminate and advance its use. The development of local learning materials must not only be limited to contextualization but also encompass ideal concepts and contents vis-a-vis the allotted period to learn them. The consultation and involvement of non-teaching, local individuals on contextualization and development of local learning and child-suited materials must be sustained to alleviate teachers.

Provision of adequate and appropriate EGE materials

The request for sufficient, appropriate, ready-made, and contextualized learning materials and activity worksheets have been an ongoing concern in the EGE. These materials need to be appropriate to each child’s reading level and pacing (Albay SDS). This means an on-time delivery with a 1:1 pupil-to-book ratio must be provided to facilitate the ease of learning and knowledge retention in the young minds (Naga EPS). These materials are effective if (1) children can hold these (CS SDS; Naga EPS), such as picture books and big books (Bombon Prin), and (2) be able to re-read these as often as they would (Naga EPS). The contextualized instructional materials should go with the reading texts (CS SDS). The ready references can also be used in remediating slow learners (CS SDS).


Need for updated language mapping

Some of the categories that Lobel and Tria identified are not recognized by native speakers. For example, Lobel and Tria categorized the language of Manito as Central (Table 14), but native speakers label their language as Albay- Legazpi. Native Bula speakers label their language as Bula Rinconada, Placer as Sibugbuwanon Binisaya, Pilar as Bikol-Pilar, Irosin as Bikol-Irosin, while Castilla uses Bikol-Sorsogon and Bikol-Albayano. There is a need to clarify whether the languages identified by Lobel and Tria and the ones mentioned by the respondents are the same, but with different labels, or are different from each other—especially since a living language continues to evolve.

Make the LR portal user-friendly

The difficulty of looking up materials in the portal discourages teachers from using it despite the availability of updated resources. The teacher from Baao suggested that resources on the LR portal be arranged in a folder with labels by level and subjects. Another option is to train teachers on how to access and download material from the LR portal.

Re-orient parents of the purpose of MTB-MLE

Parents are the closest persons to the learners and supporters of teachers and the schools. Some parents’ reluctance over the use of MT in instruction must be addressed to get their full support. The schools may conduct an orientation session for parents on the importance of teaching MT to EGE learners.

Harness wide stakeholder base

DepEd can provide a set of priorities which the stakeholders can focus on. For instance, in developing IMs, DepEd can engage educators to create a guide for storytelling (for example, word length, beginning sounds); cultural researchers can identify facts to build stories on for contextualization; linguists can contribute


to the validation and review of the language; while stakeholders who offer cash can provide funding for production and reproduction of materials or other in-kind support (such as venue rental). CSOs such as the Kiwanis Club, which do not limit the kind of support they can offer, can focus their support on programs that will be identified in the future.

In developing IMs, more avenues for multisectoral and multidiscipline collaboration should be available. This can be realized through writeshops or conferences where linguists, cultural researchers, and teachers contribute to MT-related matters. DepEd or the ABC+ project can support the reproduction and distribution of LMs for reading for schools that do not have an allotted budget for this purpose (CS EPS; CS SDS).

Engaging stakeholders

Respondents recommended the following to engage stakeholders:

Find alternative ways to invite stakeholders. Stakeholders can be asked to support the school through dialogue, such as individual conversation and stakeholders’ meetings, and/or sending a written letter of intent (Buhi and Tigaon Prin). Through these efforts, stakeholders will be encouraged to provide financial support to schools, particularly for reproducing modules and repairing and repainting school facilities, such as chairs and buildings (Goa and Iriga Prin). Another way of engaging stakeholders is by exhausting the available online platforms, for example, social media, to promote/market the school to potential stakeholders, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Besides school promotion, increased awareness, and collaboration among stakeholders, documenting recent project activities on an official Facebook page could provide valuable recognition of existing partners’ efforts and support and encourage sustained partnerships (Bula Principal and Naga City EPS).

Inform tax incentive for Republic Act 8525 or Adopt-a-School Program through information dissemination drive. The schools should invite business entities/establishments during orientation and stakeholders’ meetings so that they will be informed about the 30% tax exemption or tax incentive provided to those who participate and support DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela (Bula and Pilar Prin).


Present a detailed and complete project proposal instead of a solicitation letter to stakeholders. The purpose of the request and budgetary requirements should be stated in the project proposal to engage private individuals and business groups in dialogue and partnerships (Tigaon, Castilla, and Prin).

Present up-to-date statistics and data-driven reports to promote transparency and encourage stakeholder engagement. One can do this by determining the school’s current status and performance and whether it is high- performing or low-performing. Specifically, the school should be able to (1) show its best practices, (2) present school report cards and the performance of the K–3 pupils in the National Achievement Test and academic contests, and (3) describe the challenges that are experienced by pupils in terms of literacy, numeracy, and reading so that the stakeholders can better grasp the needs and demands of the schools. This will enable them to provide the appropriate support to the school’s needs (Irosin, Castilla, Prieto Diaz, and Goa Principals; Albay, Camarines Norte, and Iriga City SDS; and Naga City and Masbate EPS).

Promote the importance of early grade education through advocacy programs (Naga City EPS). It is also important to take note that education is business; thus, stakeholders should see that their support to the school is, in a way, profitable and worthy (Casiguran Prin; Iriga Prin). Lastly, school heads and teachers should be passionate about children’s education and learning. They can exemplify this through actively engaging both the students and community during school programs, for example, Nutrition Month Celebration, food fair, and others (Masbate SDS).


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http://nro5.neda.gov.ph/27-in-every-100-bicolanos-were-poor-in-2018/

http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2015/05/11/pres-cory-aquino-blvd-to-support-tourism-in-bicol/

http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2003/12/02/proclamation-no-508-s-2003-2/

http://rsso05.psa.gov.ph/Albay-Tourism/Manito/Manito.html

https://buhi.gov.ph/buhi-profile/

https://pilarsorsogon.gov.ph/about/brief-profile/

https://web.archive.org/web/20130119022344/http://mambulao.gov.ph/v5/?page_id=2

https://eiti.org/files/documents/philippines_2017_eiti_report_-_fy_2017.pdf

https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/Catanduanes_0.pdf

https://psa.gov.ph/classification/psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/054101000

https://psa.gov.ph/classification/psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/051701000&page=1



http://balud.masbate.gov.ph/history/

http://municipalityofbula.gov.ph/about-us/municipal-awards/

http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2015/05/11/pres-cory-aquino-blvd-to-support-tourism-in-bicol/

http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2003/12/02/proclamation-no-508-s-2003-2/

https://web.archive.org/web/20130119022344/http://mambulao.gov.ph/v5/?page_id=2


http://rsso05.psa.gov.ph/Albay-Tourism/Manito/Manito.html




https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/Catanduanes_0.pdf


Philippine Statistics Authority. Municipality of Caramoran. (n.d.). https://psa.gov.ph/classification/ psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/052004000

Philippine Statistics Authority. Municipality of Casiguran. (n.d,). https://psa.gov.ph/classification/ psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/056205000

Philippine Statistics Authority. Municipality of Cataingan. (n.d.). https://psa.gov.ph/classification/ psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/054105000&page=1

Philippine Statistics Authority. Municipality of Jose Panganiban. (n.d.). https://psa.gov.ph/classification/ psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/051605000

Philippine Statistics Authority. Municipality of Manito. (n.d.). https://psa.gov.ph/classification/ psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/050511000

Philippine Statistics Authority. Municipality of Placer. (n.d.). https://psa.gov.ph/classification/ psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/054117000&page=1

Philippine Statistics Authority. Municipality of Pilar. (n.d.). https://psa.gov.ph/classification/ psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/056213000

Philippine Statistics Authority. Municipality of Polangui. (n.d.). https://psa.gov.ph/classification/ psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/050514000&page=2

Philippine Statistics Authority. Municipality of Tigaon. (n.d.). https://psa.gov.ph/classification/ psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/051736000

Philippine Statistics Authority. Municipality of Uson. (n.d.). https://psa.gov.ph/classification/ psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/054121000

Philippine Statistics Authority. Municipality of Virac. (n.d.). https://psa.gov.ph/classification/ psgc/?q=psgc/barangays/052011000&page=1

Philippine Statistics Authority. Philippine population density based on the 2015 census of population. (2015). https://psa.gov.ph/content/philippine-population-density-based-2015-census-population

Philippine Statistics Authority. (2016, June 4). Population of Region V – Bicol (Based on the 2015 census of population). https://psa.gov.ph/content/population-region-v-bicol-based-2015-census- population

Philippine Statistics Authority. (2017). Polangui, Albay. http://rsso05.psa.gov.ph/Albay- Tourism/ polangui/polangui.html

Province of Camarines Norte (Region V - Bicol). (n.d.). http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/ municipalities/67-daet

Province of Camarines Norte (Region V - Bicol). (n.d.). http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/ municipalities/68-jose-panganiban

Province of Camarines Norte (Region V - Bicol). (n.d.). http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/ municipalities/72-san-lorenzon-ruiz

Province of Camarines Norte (Region V - Bicol). (n.d.). http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/ festival/74-palong

http://rsso05.psa.gov.ph/Albay-Tourism/polangui/polangui.html

http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/municipalities/67-daet

http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/municipalities/68-jose-panganiban

http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/municipalities/72-san-lorenzon-ruiz

http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/festival/74-palong

http://rsso05.psa.gov.ph/Albay-Tourism/polangui/polangui.html

http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/festival/74-palong

http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/municipalities/72-san-lorenzon-ruiz

http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/municipalities/68-jose-panganiban

http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/municipalities/67-daet












https://psa.gov.ph/content/philippine-population-density-based-2015-census-population

https://psa.gov.ph/content/population-region-v-bicol-based-2015-census-population

https://psa.gov.ph/content/population-region-v-bicol-based-2015-census-population













Province of Camarines Norte (Region V - Bicol). (n.d.). http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/ municipalities/75-talisay

Regional Field Office No. 5. (2018). Top performing implementers of corn and cassava programs accorded awards. http://bicol.da.gov.ph/rfo5newweb/top-performing-implementers-of-corn-and- cassava- programs-accorded-awards/

Regional Field Office No. 5. (2019). Organic farmers of Tigaon, Cam. Sur win national organic agri awards. http://bicol.da.gov.ph/rfo5newweb/organic-farmers-of-tigaon-cam-sur-win-national-organic- agri- awards/

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Rosero, M. W. & Balbuena, S. E. (n.d.) An Garamiton na Ortograpiya san Masbate. Manuscript in preparation. https://www.academia.edu/27040039/Draft_Minasbate_Working_Orthography?

Santa Magdalena. Demography. (n.d.). https://www.stamagdalena.gov.ph/demography

Serrano, M. (2020, August 15). Albay tourism industry loses P0.5-B due to Covid-19. https://www.pna. gov.ph/articles/1112294

Tango, M.G.J., (n.d.). 6 Masbate LGUs to receive P10M-worth each of water system project. http:// region5.dilg.gov.ph/6-masbate-lgus-to-receive-p10m-worth-each-of-water-system- project/

The Official Website of Irosin. Investment potentials. (2012). http://irosin.gov.ph/government/profile/ municipal-profile/economic-sector/investment-potentials

The Official Website of Irosin. Geographical, administrative, and political domain. (n.d.). http://irosin.gov. ph/category/government/profile/municipal-profile/page/9?print=print-search

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http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/municipalities/75-talisay

http://bicol.da.gov.ph/rfo5newweb/top-performing-implementers-of-corn-and-cassava-programs-accorded-awards/

http://www.academia.edu/27040039/Draft_Minasbate_Working_Orthography

http://www.stamagdalena.gov.ph/demography

http://irosin.gov.ph/government/profile/municipal-profile/economic-sector/investment-potentials

http://irosin.gov/ph/category/government/profile/municipal-profile/page/9?print=print-search

http://documents1.worldbank/org/curated/en/700421468763194923/pdf/IPP920v10WHSMP1n1180October02004111.pdf

http://bicol.da.gov.ph/rfo5newweb/organic-farmers-of-tigaon-cam-sur-win-national-organic-agri-awards/

http://bicol.da.gov.ph/rfo5newweb/organic-farmers-of-tigaon-cam-sur-win-national-organic-agri-awards/

https://riverbasin.denr.gov.ph/river/bicol

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112294

http://region5.dilg.gov.ph/6-masbate-lgus-to-receive-p10m-worth-each-of-water-system-project/

http://region5.dilg.gov.ph/6-masbate-lgus-to-receive-p10m-worth-each-of-water-system-project/

https://www.neda.gov.ph/voluntary-national-review-vnr-2019/

http://documents1.worldbank/org/curated/en/700421468763194923/pdf/IPP920v10WHSMP1n1180October02004111.pdf

https://www.neda.gov.ph/voluntary-national-review-vnr-2019/

http://irosin.gov/ph/category/government/profile/municipal-profile/page/9?print=print-search

http://irosin.gov.ph/government/profile/municipal-profile/economic-sector/investment-potentials

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112294

http://bicol.da.gov.ph/rfo5newweb/top-performing-implementers-of-corn-and-cassava-programs-accorded-awards/

http://www.camarinesnorte.gov.ph/index.php/municipalities/75-talisay


ANNEXES


Table 11. Brief Profile of Sampled Municipalities

1ST CLASS

Aroroy Aroroy is a first-class coastal municipality on the island province of Masbate. The town center is situated at approximately 12° 31’ North, 123° 24’ East, on the island of Masbate (PhilAtlas, 2020). This municipality is bounded by Masbate Pass in the north, by the Municipality of Baleno in the east, by the Sibuyan Sea in the west, and by the Municipalities of Milagros and Mandaon in the south (Municipality of Aroroy, 2014). It has a total population of 86,168 inhabitants, representing 9.66% of Masbate’s total population, and a land area of 440.30 square kilometers, and a population density of 196 inhabitants per square kilometer (PSA 2015). It is politically subdivided into 41 barangays, 25 of which are coastal barangays (PSA n.d.). Accessing the municipality can be done by sea through Aroroy seaport or by land through Aroroy-Baleno road or Aroroy-Mandaon road. Common agricultural products found in Aroroy are upland rice, corn, peanuts, tobacco, coconuts, bananas, fruit trees, and root crops (Municipality of Aroroy, 2014).

Buhi Buhi is a first-class landlocked municipality in the fifth district of Camarines Sur province (Municipality of Buhi, n.d.). The municipal center is situated at approximately 13° 26’ North, 123° 31’ East, on the island of Luzon. It is bound on the west by Iriga City, Camarines; on the south-southwest by Polangui, Albay; on the east by Tiwi, Albay; and on the north by Sagnay-Buhi mountain ranges (PhilAtlas 2020). It is politically subdivided into 38 barangays. The municipality has a total land area of 246.65 square kilometers, which accounted for 4.49 percent of the province’s total area (Municipality of Buhi, n.d.). Of the 38 barangays, Santa Justina, with a population of 6,014 in 2015, is the only urban area in the municipality (PSA n.d.). The municipality is famous for Lake Buhi, which is recognized as one of the lakes in the region with important freshwater ponds (National and Economic Development Authority, 2018). This unique tropical lake with an area of 18 square kilometers and a maximum depth of 18.2 meters serves as the home of the world’s smallest commercial fish, locally called sinarapan. Apart from the fishery, Lake Buhi is used for navigation, water reservoir for irrigation, hydroelectric power, and domestic water supply (International Lake Environment Committee 2009). In the 2015 census, the municipality of Buhi recorded a population of 77,143. The population density of Buhi is 313 inhabitants per square kilometer or 810 inhabitants per square kilometers (PSA 2015). This population represented 3.95 percent of the total population of Camarines Sur and 1.33 percent of the total population of the region (Municipality of Buhi n.d.).


1ST CLASS

Daet Daet is a first class coastal municipality and the capital town and center of trade and commerce in the province of Camarines Norte. In 2015, the municipality registered a total population of 104,799 inhabitants with a population density of 2,300 inhabitants per square kilometer. It is politically subdivided into 25 barangays (Province of Camarines Norte [Region V—Bicol] n.d.). Alawihao, Camambugan, Gubat, Lang- On, Barangays I, III, IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII comprised the urban area while the remaining barangays comprised the rural area (PSA n.d.) The municipal center is situated at approximately 14° 7’ North, 122° 57’ East, on the island of Luzon. Its neighbouring municipalities are Talisay, Basud, Mercedes, Vinsons, San Vicente, and San Lorenzo Ruiz (PhilAtlas 2020). The municipality has a total land area of 46.00 square kilometers, the majority of which are categorized as alienable and disposable lands and forestlands (DILG 2010). Daet is known for its annual celebration of Pineapple Festival, locally known as Pinyasan, which is held every June 22 to 26. The festival features the primary cash crop of the Province, the Queen Formosa Pineapple, known as one of the sweetest varieties of pineapple. The Pan-Philippine Highway, also known as the Maharlika Highway, is a 25.5 kilometer road network which linked the town to its 25 barangays and stretched from the boundary of Daet to the Camarines Norte-Camarines Sur boundary (Province of Camarines Norte (Region V—Bicol) n.d.). The municipality of Daet ranked as the 17th most competitive municipality in the 2016 ranking of cities and municipalities in the Philippines using the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) survey (Department of Trade and Industry 2018).

Pilar Pilar is a first-class coastal municipality in the province of Sorsogon. The municipal center is located at approximately 12° 55’ North, 123° 40’ East, on the island of Luzon (PhilAtlas 2020). Its neighboring municipalities are Donsol, Magallanes, and Castilla in Sorsogon Province and Jovellar in Albay Province. The municipality has a total land area of 248 square kilometers with a population density of 301 inhabitants per square kilometer. Based on the 2015 Census, the municipality recorded a total population of 74,564 inhabitants representing 9.4% of Sorsogon’s total population (PSA 2015). As of June 30, 2020, Pilar has 49 barangays, 13 of which are considered coastal barangays (PSA n.d.). The area’s landscape extends from plain to hilly and mountainous. The plain and coastal plains in the area are used as settlements and irrigated rice lands, while the hilly lands and highlands are used for coconut, upland agriculture, and other forestland uses. The municipality’s agricultural economy relies deliberately on coconut, a crop cultivated and planted in more than 70 percent of the total land area. This makes the municipality of Pilar the leading supplier of copra in the coconut milling industry in the region (Municipality of Pilar 2019). Other local livelihoods include rice farming, fishing and fish culture, and cottage industries.


1ST CLASS

Polangui Polangui is a first-class landlocked municipality in the province of Albay. Its town center is situated at approximately 13° 18’ North, 123° 29’ East, on Luzon. It is bounded by Oas on the south- southeast, Libon on the west, Ligao on the southeast, Bato on the west-northwest, and Buhi on the north- northeast. The municipality has a total land area of 145.3 square kilometers that is politically subdivided into 44 rural barangays. Polangui has a total population of 88,221 with a population density of 607 inhabitants per square kilometer (PSA 2015). Agriculture, banking, and shopping centers are the three major industries in Polangui. The main attractions in the municipality include Lake Danao Natural Park, Highlanders Watering Hole Resort, La Oping Resort (aka Fuerte Resort), Danny’s Resort, and St. Expeditus Eco-Park. The Pulang Angui Festival, known before as Oyangui Festival, is a month-long festival celebrated by Polangueños in June (PSA 2017).

Virac Virac is a first-class coastal municipality and the capital town and center of trade and commerce on the island province of Catanduanes. The municipal center of Virac is situated at approximately 13° 35’ North, 124° 14’ East, on the island of Catanduanes (Cajuday & Aguilar n.d.). It has a total land area of 152.4 square kilometers with a total population of 73,650 and a total population density of 483 persons per square kilometer (PSA 2015). Its population represents 28.22% of the total population of Catanduanes. As of June 30, 2020, the municipality is politically subdivided into 63 barangays. The barangays of Concepcion, Danicop, San Roque, Santa Cruz, and Santa Elena are the urban areas of Virac (PSA n.d.). In 2000, Virac, along with San Andres and Caramoran, was one of the three leading municipalities in Catanduanes in terms of population size. Virac, in terms of annual growth rate, was the fastest-growing municipality in the province, followed by Pandan and Caramoran (PSA 2003). The Virac Port serves as a gateway to the Catanduanes island alongside San Andres Port. In 2013, the Department of Transportation started the rehabilitation of Virac Port to provide better access to goods and services in the province. Roll-on/Roll-off and fast craft ships are the primary means of transportation for locals and tourists traveling in and out of the island. In addition, the town accommodates the sole domestic airport in the province. In 2015, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines initiated the upgrading of the Virac airport terminal facilities. In 2019, Virac notably ranked 73 in Economic Dynamism, 83 in Infrastructure, and 132 out of 489 in the overall ranking of first and second-class municipalities in 2019 (DTI n.d.).


2ND CLASS

Bula Bula is a second municipal income class in the fifth district of Camarines Sur province. The town center is approximately located at 13° 28’ North, 123° 17’ East on Luzon. Its neighboring municipalities are Baao, Pili, Ocampo, Nabua, and Minalabac (PhilAtlas 2020). It has a total land area of 167.64 square kilometers with a population density of 414 inhabitants per square kilometer. Based on the 2015 census, Bula has a total population of 69,430, representing 3.56% of the total population of Camarines Sur province (PSA n.d.). It is politically subdivided into 33 barangays, 25 of which are situated in lowland areas. The name “Bula” means “bamboo split” after the bamboo plants growing abundantly along riverbanks, creeks, and streams. The municipal government of Bula visualizes its municipality to become the bamboo industry center in Southern Luzon. Alongside bamboo production, rice production and fishing are primary sources of income of the households in Bula. In 2019 and 2017, the municipality received the Seal of Child- Friendly Local Governance, the Seal of Good Local Governance in 2018, and the Performance-Based Incentive Award in 2014 and 2016 (Municipality of Bula n.d.).

Cataingan Cataingan is a second income class coastal municipality on the island province of Masbate. It is approximately situated at 12° 0’ North, 123° 60’ East on Masbate. Its neighboring municipalities are Pio V. Corpus (south-southeast), Placer (south- southwest), Palamas (north-northwest), Dimasalang (Northwest), and Cawayan (west-southwest). It has a total land area of 191.64 square kilometers with a population density of 263 inhabitants per square kilometer. It is politically subdivided into 36 barangays. Based on the 2015 census, the municipality recorded a total population of 50,327 (PSA 2015). In 2015, the Department of Transportation began improving existing facilities at the Cataingan Port. The port serves as a gateway to the cities of Bogo and Cebu in the province of Cebu, and Almagro, and Tampulan in the province of Samar. It also provides connectivity to tourism destinations in Regions 5, 7, and 8 (NEDA n.d.).

Irosin Irosin is a second income class landlocked inland municipality in the province of Sorsogon. It is situated at 12° 42’ North, 124° 2’ East on the island of Luzon. It lies at the foot of Mt. Bulusan, the tail end of the Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges at Luzon Island’s southern tip. It has a total land area of 14,987 square kilometers.


2ND CLASS

Irosin is bounded by Bulusan on the east-northeast, Sta. Magdalena on the southeast, Matnog on the south-southeast, Juban on the north-northwest, and Bulan on the west- southwest. It is politically subdivided into 28 barangays, 23 of which are rural barangays. Its population density is recorded at 378 persons per square kilometer. Based on PSA (2015), the total population of Irosin is 56,662. The municipality sees investment potential in agricultural products such as rice, coconut, commercial crops, and hog and poultry farms. Potential tourism sites such as natural parks, hot and cold springs, viewing areas, and historical landmarks can also be found in Irosin (The Official Website of Irosin 2012). The Agta-Cimarron are the indigenous people in Irosin (World Bank 2004).

Jose Panganiban Jose Panganiban is a second income class coastal municipality in the province of Camarines Norte. The town center is approximately located at approximately 14° 17’ North, 122° 42’ East, on the island of Luzon (PhilAtlas, 2020). It is bounded in the north by Mambulao Bay and the Pacific Ocean; in the west by the municipalities of Capalonga in Camarines Norte; and in the east and southern portion by the municipalities of Labo and Paracale in Camarines Norte (Official Website of Jose Panganiban 2013). Jose Panganiban is 40 kilometers away from the capital town of the province and 17 kilometers away from Maharlika Highway, traversing an estimated 187.55 kilometers from Metro Manila to the town proper while 90.93 kilometers from Naga City (PhilAtlas, 2020). It has a total land area of 214.44 square kilometers with a population density of 278 inhabitants per square kilometer. In 2015, the municipality recorded a total population of 59,639, representing 10.22% of the total population of Camarines Norte province (PSA 2015). Jose Panganiban is politically divided into 27 barangays (PSA n.d.) The municipality was formerly known as Mambulao, a word taken from “mambulawan,” meaning bountiful in gold. From the 18th century to the mid-19th century, Mambulao was a flourishing gold mining town. On December 1, 1934, the town was renamed to honor Jose Maria Panganiban, a homegrown hero and one of the famous Filipino propagandists who wrote La Solidaridad. The town center can be accessed primarily via land travel. Alternatively, there are available seaports in Barangay Osmeña (International Port of Jose Panganiban) and Barangay Larap (Port of Larap Bay); and the Larap Airport that was formerly operated by the Philippine Iron Mines (Province of Camarines Norte (Region V—Bicol) n.d). At present, there are two special economic zones in Jose Panganiban: one is situated in Barangay Larap (Official Gazette 2003), and the other is located in Barangay Osmena.


2ND CLASS

Legazpi City Legazpi City is the Bicol Region’s economic and political center and the capital of the Province of Albay. It is a second class component city with a dependency rate of 61%. In the north, it is bounded by Santo Domingo, Daraga in the west, Manito in the south, and Albay Gulf in the east (Designing Resilience n.d.). Its center is located at approximately 13° 8’ North, 123° 44’ East, on the island of Luzon (PhilAtlas 2020). The city’s total land area is 153.70 square kilometers, with a population density of 1,279 inhabitants per square kilometer. The city registered a total population of 196,639, representing 14.96% of the total population of Albay province (PSA 2015). Due to its coastal with hilly type ecosystem that is surrounded by the Mayon Volcano, an active stratovolcano, the city is vulnerable to natural hazards such as typhoons and heavy rains, flooding and mudflows, cyclones, and volcanic and seismic activities. Three typhoons hit the city in 2006, namely Milenyo, Reming, and Seniang, causing approximately 8 billion damages and hundreds of deaths. Because of these existing risks, the City Government Unit of Legazpi through the City Disaster and Coordinating Council implemented disaster risk reduction and management measures such as no-build zones in areas near the coasts and within six to eight kilometers of Mt. Mayon; seawall cum boulevard; planting of mangroves and fruit-bearing trees; establishing of organic gardens; and rainwater impounding system. In 2016, the city received the first Climate-Adaptive and Disaster-Resilient (CLAD) Award for Cities and Municipalities given by the Climate Change Commission. For the most part, 70% of Legazpi is still rural and agricultural. Despite that, no doubt that the city has undergone fast urbanization in the last few years. One proof of which is the city being host to the largest airport in the region (Designing Resilience n.d.).

Placer Placer is a second class coastal municipality on the island province of Masbate. The town center is approximately located at 11° 52’ North, 123° 55’ East, on the island of Masbate. It is bounded by Pio V. Corpuz on the east, Cawayan on the west-northwest, Cataingan on the north-northeast, Esperanza on the southeast, and Palanas on the north. The municipality has a total land area of 193.03 square kilometers and is politically subdivided into 35 rural barangays. Based on the 2015 census, the total population of Placer is55,826 with a population density of 289 inhabitants per square kilometer (PSA 2015). The Masbate-Cataingan-Placer road connects the RORO terminal system of Cataingan, Masbate City, and Cawayan, which links to Cebu and Samar Provinces (NEDA, n.d.).


3RD CLASS

Baao Baao is a third class landlocked municipality in the province of Camarines Sur. Its town center is situated at approximately 13° 27’ North, 123° 22’ East, on the island of Luzon. Its neighboring city and municipalities are Nabua, Iriga City, Bula, Bato, Pili, and Ocampo. Its total land area is 106.63 square kilometers that are politically subdivided into 30 barangays. One of which is an urban barangay. Based on the 2015 census, the municipality recorded a total population of 58,849 with a population density of 552 inhabitants per square kilometer (PSA 2015). In 2012, the municipality was a recipient of the Seal of Good Housekeeping, along with other 12 municipalities in the province (DILG n.d.). Located in Baao is one of the important freshwater ponds in the region (NEDA n.d.).

Caramoran Caramoran is a third income class municipality in the province of Catanduanes. It has a total land area of 25,240 hectares with a population density of 114 persons per square kilometer. The municipality is located in the northern part of the island Province of Catanduanes, about a hundred kilometers more or less from the capital town of Virac. Its municipal center is located approximately at 13° 49’ North, 124° 10’ East, on the island of Luzon (Cajuday & Aguilar, n.d.). The place can be reached either via sea route or by taking the road from Virac via San Andres or the Quirino Highway from Payo, Bagamanoc passing Pandan. The municipality is politically subdivided into 27 barangays with a population density of 114 persons per square kilometer. Based on the 2015 census, its total population is 23,790 (PSA 2015). In 1906, the municipality was united with Pandan, only to be resurrected as an independent municipality upon the incessant demand of the Caramoranons under the leadership of the late Don Camilo Rubio. On August 29, 1948, Caramoran regained its independence through Executive Order No. 159 issued by the late President Elpidio Quirino. The town is abundant with rich natural resources because of its vast agricultural lands and surrounding fishing grounds teeming with fish and other marine lives.

Castilla Castilla is a third class municipality in the province of Sorsogon. It is bounded by Sorsogon City and part of Sorsogon Bay in the east; Pilar, Sorsogon, and Legazpi in the west; Municipality of Manito, Albay in the north; and Sorsogon in the south. Based on the 2015 census, Castilla has a total population of 57,827 with 12,111 total households. Thirty-four barangays, three of which are urban and 31 are rural,


3RD CLASS

comprise Castilla. It has a total land area of 18,620.30 has. (Municipality of Castilla, n.d.). It has a population density of 311 persons per square kilometer (PSA 2015). Agriculture significantly contributes to the municipality’s economy (Municipality of Castilla, n.d.).

Santa Elena Santa Elena is a third class municipality in the province of Camarines Norte. It is situated at approximately 14° 11’ North, 122° 24’ East, on the island of Luzon. It has a total land area of 199.35 square kilometers that is politically subdivided into 19 barangays. It has a total population of 40,786 inhabitants and a population density of 205 persons per square kilometer (PSA 2015). On June 29, 1969, Santa Elena became a municipality by virtue of Republic Act 5480, An Act Creating the Municipality of Santa Elena in the Province of Camarines Norte. Santa Elena was known before as Ilayang Santol, a small sitio in the barrio of Pulongguit-guit, in the municipality of Capalonga (Province of Camarines Norte (Region V—Bicol n.d.). In 2019, the municipality of Santa Elena was one of the twenty municipalities listed in the first batch to have passed the Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping, one of the major criteria in the Seal of Good Local Governance (Labalan 2019).

Tigaon Tigaon is a third income class coastal municipality in the province of Camarines Sur. Its municipal center is located approximately at 13° 38’ North, 123° 30’ East, on the island of Luzon. It is bounded by the municipalities of Sagnay on the southeast, Goa on the north, San Jose and Lagonoy on the north- northeast, and Ocampo on the west-southwest. The municipality is situated in between Mt. Isarog and Lagonoy Gulf. It is politically subdivided into 23 barangays and has a total land area of 72.35 square kilometers. The municipality registered a total population of 55,272 with a total population density of 764 persons per square kilometer (PSA 2015). Agricultural products, such as rice, sugar cane, abaca, significantly contribute to the municipality’s economy. Tigaon is also famous for its cottage industry. The Mt. Isarog Jungle Park and several beach resorts are the main tourist attractions in the area (The Municipality of Tigaon n.d.). In the 2019 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index, Tigaon ranked 3rd in overall 3rd to 6th Class Municipalities. In the individual indicators, the municipality ranked 163rd in Economic Dynamism, 25th in Government Efficiency, 5th in Infrastructure, and 6th in Resiliency (DTI, 2019).


3RD CLASS

Uson Uson is a third class coastal municipality on the island province of Masbate. It is about 42 kilometers southeast of Masbate City and is approximately situated at 12° 14’ North, 123° 47’ East, on the island of Masbate. Uson is bounded by Dimasalang and Palanas on the east-southeast, Mobo and Masbate City on the northwest, Batuan on the north, and Milagros on the west. It has a total land area of 163.20 square kilometers that is politically subdivided into 35 rural barangays. Based on the 2015 census, the municipality recorded a total population of 56,168 with a population density of 344 persons per square kilometer (PSA 2015). On August 19, 1949, the municipality was inaugurated as an independent municipality (COA n.d.).

4TH CLASS

Balud A fourth class coastal municipality on the island province of Masbate, the municipality of Balud is situated at approximately 12° 2’ North, 123° 12’ East, on the island of Masbate. Its neighboring municipalities are Mandaon, Milagros, Aroroy, Baleno, and Mobo in Masbate, and Carles in Iloilo. It has a total land area of 231 square kilometers that is politically subdivided into 32 barangays. Based on the 2015 census, the municipality recorded a total population of 38,124 inhabitants with a population density of 165 persons per square kilometer (PSA 2015). It became an independent municipality in 1949 by virtue of Executive Order No. 242 of the late President Quirino (Municipality of Balud, n.d.). The municipality of Balud’s chief contributions to the province of Masbate are corn, rice, fish, and livestock. Its secondary crops include root crops, coconut, and vegetables. The Parola or lighthouse, imposing over Jintolo Island, is a historical sight the municipality is taking pride in. The western coastlines of Balud are indented by white, fine sand beaches (Municipality of Balud, n.d.). The local government unit of Balud envisions that in 2030, it becomes an agri- tourism hub of the province.


4TH CLASS

Casiguran Casiguran is a fourth class coastal municipality in the province of Sorsogon. It is situated approximately at 12° 52’ North, 124° 1’ East, on the island of Luzon. It is bounded by Juban on the southwest, Sorsogon City on the north, Gubat on the east-northeast, and Barcelona on the east. Casiguran has a total land area of 87.13 square kilometers with a population density of 377 inhabitants per square kilometer. Based on the 2015 census, the total population of the municipality is 32,842 (PSA 2015). The municipality has rural 25 barangays. Farming and fishing are the primary sources of its inhabitants.

Iriga City Iriga City is a fourth income class city in the province of Camarines Sur. Its center is approximately located at 13° 25’ North, 123° 25’ East, on the island of Luzon. The city is settled at the foot of Mount Iriga, a stratovolcano, 4,823 feet above sea level. It is bounded by Nabua on the west-southwest, Baao on the northwest, Bato on the southwest, and Buhi on the East. It has a total land area of 174 square kilometers. Based on the 2015 census, the city recorded a total population of 111,757 (PSA 2015). The city is politically subdivided into 36 barangays. The city is accessible only by land transportation via Philippine-Japanese Friendship Highway. Farming is the primary source of livelihood of its residents. The city is tagged as an “educational mecca” in the Rinconada area and neighboring municipalities in Albay because of the presence of two (2) universities, two (2) colleges, eight (8) technical vocational education schools, thirteen (13) privately owned secondary schools, seventeen (17) elementary schools, forty (40) public elementary and thirteen (13) secondary schools. Additionally, the city has natural tourist spots, including Mt. Asog (Mt. Iriga), Iliyan Hills at San Nicolas, Tubigan, and Sabang Falls at Sta. Maria, and San Pedro and Sagrada Falls (Iriga City, Camarines Sur - Region V, n.d.).

Manito Manito is a fourth income class coastal municipality in the province of Albay. It is situated approximately at 13° 7’ North, 123° 52’ East, on the island of Luzon. It is bounded by Legazpi City and Daraga, Albay on the west, Santo Domingo, Albay on the Northwest, and Castilla, Sorsogon on the south. The municipality has a total land area of 107.40 square kilometers and a population density of 230 persons per square kilometer. In the 2015 census, the municipality recorded a total population of 24,707 (PSA 2015). Manito is politically subdivided into 15 barangays. Barangay It-ba is the only urban area in the municipality. The major source of livelihood in


4TH CLASS

the municipality is agriculture. The municipality’s main attractions include Nag- Aso Boiling Lake, Muladbucad Beach, Parong Hot Spring, Mud Pool, and Mangrove Plantation. Manito ranked second in the economic dynamism in the 2016 most competitive municipalities (DTI, 2016).

Pandan Pandan is a fourth income class coastal municipality on the island province of Catanduanes. Its municipal center is approximately situated at 14° 3’ North, 124° 10’ East, on the island of Catanduanes. Its neighboring municipalities are Caramoran, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, and Gigmoto. It has a total land area of 119.90 square kilometers. The municipality is politically subdivided into 26 barangays with 20,516 inhabitants (PSA 2015). The name of Pandan was derived from pandan shrubs, which was believed to be abundant in the area then and protected the inhabitants from Moro pirates who used to invade Poblacion (Cajuday and Aguilar n.d.).

Talisay Talisay is a fourth income class municipality in the province of Camarines Norte. It is approximately situated at 14° 8’ North, 122° 56’ East, on the island of Luzon. It is bounded by Daet on the southeast, Vinzons on the north-northwest, San Vicente on the west, southwest, and Basud on the south- southeast. The municipality is politically subdivided into 15 barangays. It has a total land area of 30.76 sq. km. with a population density of 840 inhabitants per sq. km. PSA (2015) recorded a total population of 25,841 individuals. Rice and coconut farming, and fishing are the primary sources of livelihood in the municipality. In 1901, Talisay was part of Indan, now known as Vinzons. In 1908, Talisay regained its identity as a distinct municipality.


5TH CLASS

Batuan Batuan is a fifth class coastal municipality on the island province of Masbate. The center of the municipality is situated at approximately 12° 25’ North, 123° 47’ East, on the island of Ticao. Its neighboring municipalities are San Fernando and San Jacinto on the north-northwest, Mobo on the southwest, and Uson on the south. It has a total land area of 56.28 square kilometers that is politically subdivided into 14 rural barangays. Based on the 2015 census, the municipality’s total population is 15,086, with a population density of 268 persons per square kilometer. (PSA 2015). Batuan became one of the finalists for the Best Mangrove Award in 2019 (City Government of Masbate 2019).

Bombon Bombon is a fifth class landlocked municipality in the province of Camarines Sur. Its town center is located at approximately 13° 41’ North, 123° 12’ East, on the island of Luzon. Its neighboring city and municipalities are Calabanga, Magarao, Canaman, Camaligan, and Naga City. Its total land area is 28.73 square kilometers. Based on the 2015 census, the total population of the municipality is 16,512, with a population density of 575 inhabitants per square kilometer. It started as a small barangay of the Municipality of Magarao. Bombon became an independent municipality on July 27, 1949, by virtue of Executive Order No. 251 of the late President Quirino. It is the second smallest town in Camarines Sur with eight barangays only. (Executive Summary n.d.).

Prieto Diaz Prieto Diaz is also a fifth class coastal municipality in the province of Sorsogon. The municipal center is located at approximately 13° 2’ North, 124° 12’ East, on the island of Luzon. It is bounded by Gubat and Barcelona in Sorsogon on the south-southwest, Rapu-Rapu, Albay on the north-northwest, Casiguran, Sorsogon on the southwest, and Sorsogon City on the west-southwest. It has a total land area of 49.07 square kilometers that is politically subdivided into 23 barangays. Based on the 2015 census, the municipality recorded a total population of 22,442 with a population density of 457 inhabitants per square kilometer (PSA 2015). Farming and fishing are the thriving livelihoods in Prieto Diaz. In order to increase the agricultural production in Prieto Diaz, the Ibingan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project was implemented in 2015. The Agta-Tabangnon tribe is the indigenous people community found in Prieto Diaz (World Bank, 2004).


5TH CLASS

San Lorenzo Ruiz San Lorenzo Ruiz, formerly known as Imelda, is a fifth income class landlocked municipality in the province of Camarines Norte. It is approximately situated at 14° 2’ North, 122° 52’ East, on the island of Luzon. Its neighbouring municipalities are San Vicente, Basud, Talisay, and Daet. With a total land area of 119.37 sq. km., San Lorenzo Ruiz is politically subdivided into 12 barangays only. Based on the 2015 census, the municipality has a total population of 14,063 inhabitants. In 1989, the name of the municipality was changed in honor of the first Filipino Saint who is the patron saint of its parish. The Matacong Zipline, a 750 meters long and longest zipline in the Bicol Region, is one of the tourist spots found in the municipality. Other tourist attractions include five waterfalls located in Barangays of Maisog and San Isidro and the Mampurog River that is suitable for canyoning and river trekking (PCN, 2018).

San Miguel San Miguel is a fifth income class landlocked municipality on the island province of Catanduanes. It is approximately situated at 13° 41’ North, 124° 15’ East, on the island of Catanduanes (Cajuday & Aguilar, n.d.). Its neighbouring municipalities are Bato, Baras, Virac, Gigmoto, and San Andres. It has a total land area of 129.94 sq. km. The municipality is politically subdivided into 24 barangays. Based on the 2015 census, it has recorded a total population of 15,006 (PSA 2015). The tourist destinations that can be found in the municipality are the San Miguel River Park, Solong Fall, and Bontahiya Falls.

San Vicente San Vicente is a fifth class landlocked municipality in the province of Camarines Norte. It is situated at approximately 14° 6’ North, 122° 52’ East, on the island of Luzon. It is bounded by Talisay on the east- northeast, Labo on the northwest, San Lorenzo Ruiz on the south, Vinzons on the north-northeast, and Daet on the east. It has a total land area of 57.49 sq. km. that is politically subdivided into nine barangays only. Based on the 2015 census, the total population of the municipality is 10,396 with a population density of 181 inhabitants per sq. km. The municipality is the least populous municipality in the province. The Mananap Falls, which is approximately 20-25 feet tall waterfalls located within the thick forest of San Vicente, is the primary tourist spot found in the municipality.


5TH CLASS

Santa Magdalena Santa Magdalena is a fifth class coastal municipality in the province of Sorsogon. Its center is located approximately at 12° 39’ North, 124° 6’ East, on the island of Luzon. Its neighboring municipalities are Matnog, Irosin, Bulusan, Sorsogon City, and Bulan in Sorsogon, and Allen in Northern Samar. The municipality has a total land area of 43.50 square kilometers. It is politically subdivided into 14 barangays. 13 of which are coastal barangays. Santa Magdalena recorded a total population of 16,848 in 2015 with a population density of 387 inhabitants per square kilometer (PSA 2015). Ninety-seven percent of the population speaks Bicol, 28 percent speaks Bisaya, 41 percent speaks Waray, and 0.71 percent of the inhabitants are Tagalog- speaking (Sta. Magdalena Population n.d.). Santa Magdalena is known for its coves and beaches.

Table 12. Average SEF of Sampled Municipalities, Cities, and Province, 2009–16

MUNICIPAL CLASS/SAMPLED MUNCIPALITIES, CITIES, & PROVINCE

AVERAGE SEF (2009–16) PHP, MILLIONS

1st Class 1.825

Aroroy 7.980

Daet 3.893

Polangui 1.740

Virac 3.014

Buhi 1.198

Pilar 0.468

2nd Class 0.962

Jose Panganiban 2.353

Irosin 1.120

Goa 0.910




Placer 0.681

Bula 0.598

Caramoan 0.558

Cataingan 0.513

3rd Class 0.577

Castilla 0.836

Tigaon 0.730

Sta. Elena 0.679

Baao 0.503

Uson 0.463

Caramoran 0.251

4th Class 0.530

Talisay 0.828

Manito 0.740

Casiguran 0.627

Pandan 0.287

Balud 0.169

5th Class 0.433

Bombon 0.735

SanVicente 0.542

Prieto Diaz 0.408

Batuan 0.381




San Miguel 0.289

San Lorrenzo Ruiz 0.240

Sta. Magdalena 0.329

Table 13. Detailed Programs and Projects Financed by SEF in Sampled Municipalities and Cities by Income Class, 2020

MUNICIPALITY/ CITY PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS FINANCED BY LSB

1st Class

Aroroy • School buildings beautification • Teaching assistants’ honoraria • School bags, supplies, and books to daycare up to primary

levels • Construction of senior high school building

Buhi • Provincial Meet • Recently, Internet assistance and modular IMs • Photocopying machines • Radio • Repair of school buildings • Construction (e.g., a hanging bridge connecting one school

building to the next)

Daet • Repair and maintenance • Facilities and equipment • Funding for zone, district, cluster, and provincial meet • Trainings and seminars for ECCD teachers • Funding for Madrasah subjects • Honorarium of non-DepEd personnel



Pilar • Supplies • Sports development • ICT support • Learning materials • Teachers’ training • 1.4 million

Virac • Materials, transportation, and snacks for Alternative Learning System (ALS)

• School materials • Feeding • Sports

2nd Class

Bula • Sports development activities (e.g., Palarong Bicol) • Repair, wash, and wins facilities (water, sanitation, hygiene

facility) • Reading program/ centers where the school board purchases

books • Competitions (e.g., academic contests, Search for

Outstanding Administrator and Teachers)

Cataingan • Copier for module reproduction • Repair of school buildings and facilities

Irosin • ECCD program – enrolled 1,287 pre-school • Enrolled 9,580 elementary students • Enrolled 36 students in SPED • Enrolled 4,951 high school students • Provided 50 college scholarships • Provided 16 locally-funded teachers • Provided for ALS • Funded training for 83 school heads and teachers re K-12

implementation • Awarded 3 elementary schools for Gulayan sa Paaralan

National Greening Program



Irosin • Monitored the implementation of Breakfast Feeding Program which resulted to decrease in severely wasted pupils from 188 to 47 in the District

• Administered the School Readiness Assessment to incoming Grade 1 pupils

• Maintained schools • Maintained the Community eCenter at the Municipal Public

Library • Conducted sports competitions and intramurals • Funded participation to district, sectoral, provincial,

regional, and national meets

Jose Panganiban • Repair and maintenance of school buildings and facilities • Assistance with supplies and materials • Water and Electricity • Travel Expenses of school heads representing education-

related agenda • Seminars and Trainings • Scholarship programs • ALS

Legazpi City • Sports • Construction of CR, air conditioning in computer schools,

purchase of computers in far-flung, Hardware like capital expenditures, computers, and software

• Daycare • Trainers and Trainings for teachers • Strengthening the quality education, like English proficiency,

mathematics, science, and other technologies

Naga City • Funds the development of the Division Local Heritage matrix and the Division Contextualized Competencies Matrix (These are templates of the culture found in a locality. Teacher- researchers were deployed in the barangays to look into the stories, artifacts, building, persons, practices that form part the culture and tradition of Naga City)

• Fund for research • Purchase and print supplementary books for MTB-MLE



3rd Class

Caramoran • Books • School’s water system and CR

Castilla • Maintenance and repair of school building • Information Communication Technology (ICT) e.g., desktop,

printer • Materials for Special Education (SPED) • Materials, transportation, and snacks for Alternative Learning

System (ALS) • Construction • Research • Training of pupils • Support to ALS, • Support to SPED • Sports, but with Covid-19, this was suspended. The LSB

budget for the purchase of sports equipment • District, zonal, and provincial activities, such as athelets’

food, uniform, vehicle rental. • Honorarium to kindergarden teachers • Module preparation

Sta. Elena • Paint for the school

Tigaon • Improvement of literacy and numeracy • Improvement of school facilities

Uson • Feeding program • Materials for construction • Teachers’ incentives

4th Class

Casiguran • Sports • Improvement of facilities



Iriga • Repair of school buildings destroyed by the typhoon • Brigada Eskwela • Sports/Palaro • Academic/Non-Academic contest • Production of Modules • Acquisition/procurement of books, instructional materials • Acquisition of IT equipment and materials • ALS • Boyscouts • Teachers’ incentives: honorarium training • Education research • ECCD program

Manito • Provision of equipment – television • Program for Grades 1-3

Pandan • Provincial Meet

Talisay • Repairs of buildings • Financial assistance to school who won the “Best Brigada

Implementer” • This year it this was realigned to module development

5th Class

Batuan • Scouting/Provincial jamboree • Rodeo Festivals (e.g., costume and choreographer) • Repairs

San Lorenzo Ruiz

• Daycare • Nutrition program for K-3 • Supplies • Sports • Construction of school infrastructure



San Miguel • Repairs and maintenance – classrooms, school building • Purchase of equipment (e.g. printers) • Sports development • Office/school supplies • Construction of school pathways • Hand washing facilities • Chairs, and tables (for the feeding program)

San Vicente • Repair of classrooms • Provision of school supplies: notebooks, papers, etc. • Provision of reading materials and books • Focused on daycare • Funds participation to scouting and other regional activities

Talisay • Procure materials, books, and supplementary big books.

Province

Camarines Norte • Teacher aides for Kindergarten with 25 and above students with 4K monthly salary

Camarines Sur • Teachers’ training • Procurement of materials • Support to students and teachers on attendance to national

schools conference and the national festival of talents

Catanduanes

• Photocopying machines for the production of the learning materials.

• Ink for the production of materials.

Sorsogon • Palaro • Repair of school buildings

Table 14. Sample Schools and their Respective Languages

PROVINCE CLASS MUNICIPALITY/

CITY

SCHOOL

LANGUAGE

MAIN BRANCH DIALECT SUBDIALECT VARIATION

Albay

1 Polangui Matacon ES Southern Coastal and Inland Bikol

West Miraya

4 Manito Kawit ES North Coastal Standard Bikol

Central Eastern Standard

North Sorsogon

Camarines Norte

1 Daet (capital) Anita V. Romero ES

North Coastal Standard Bikol

Central Daet

2 Jose Panganiban Larap ES Tagalog

3 Santa Elena Bulala ES Tagalog

4 Talisay San Isidro ES North Coastal Standard Bikol

Central Daet

5 San Vicente L. Opeda ES North Coastal Standard Bikol

Central Daet

Camarines Sur

1 Buhi Amlongan ES Southern Coastal and Inland Bikol

Buhi

2 Bula Sto. Niño IS Southern Coastal and Inland Bikol

Rinconada Nabua

2 Caramoan Elementary School


Central Naga

95 LC

P CITIES’

SYSTEM C

APACITY D

EVELOPM

ENT (C

I-CAP)

PROVINCE

CLASS MUNICIPALITY/

CITY

SCHOOL

LANGUAGE


Camarines Sur

2 Goa Magsalay ES North Coastal Standard Bikol

Partido

2

Naga

Don Manuel I Abella Central School


Central Naga

3 Tigaon San Miguel ES


Partido

3

Baao

Ikpan ES

Southerm Coastal and Inland Bikol

Rinconada Nabua

4 City of Iriga Cawayan ES Southern Coastal and Inland Bikol

Rinconada Iriga

5 Bombon Sto. Domingo ES


Central Naga

Catanduanes

1 Virac Virac CES North Coastal Standard Bikol

South Catanduanes

Virac

5 San Miguel San Miguel CES


Central South Catanduanes

San Miguel

Masbate 1 Aroroy Aroroy East Bisacol Masbatenyo Standard Masbatenyo

96 LC

P CITIES’

SYSTEM C

APACITY D

EVELOPM

ENT (C

I-CAP)

PROVINCE

CLASS MUNICIPALITY/

CITY

SCHOOL

LANGUAGE


Masbate

2 Placer Taboc ES Cebuano

3 Uson Paguihaman ES

Bisacol Masbatenyo Standard Masbatenyo

4 Balud Ilaya ES Ilonggo

5 Batuan Batuan CS Bisacol Masbatenyo Ticao Island

Sorsogon 1 Pilar Lumbang ES Southern Coastal and Inland Bikol

East Miraya Southeast

2 Irosin Carriedo ES Bisacol Southern

Sorsogon

3 Castilla Sogoy ES Bisacol Central

Sorsogon Sorsogon, Castilla

4 Casiguran Inlagadian ES Bisacol Central

Sorsogon Casiguran, Juban

5 Prieto Diaz Quidolog ES North Coastal

Standard Bikol Central North

Sorsogon

97 LC

P CITIES’

SYSTEM C

APACITY D

EVELOPM

ENT (C

I-CAP)


Table 15. Challenges, Efforts Undertaken, and Ongoing Interventions in Literacy by

Classification of Languages

CHALLENGES

EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN/ ONGOING INTERVENTIONS

Language & Municipalities: (1) SCIB [Bula, Iriga, Pilar]; (2) Bik [Bombon, Manito, Naga, San Miguel, San Vicente, Talisay, Tigaon]; (3) Bsc [Batuan, Casiguran, Castilla, Irosin, Uson]; (4) Tagalog [Sta. Elena]; (5) Cebuano [Placer]; (6) Ilongo [Balud]

Insufficient materials – no textbook & workbook in MT for kindergarten [Bombon, Bula, Caramoan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Casiguran, Castilla, Naga City, Tigaon]

• The Division Office encouraged teacher- writers to produce Mnasbate text books [Masbate EPS]

• The Division Office produced teacher-made story books but are still being subjected for quality assurance [Masbate EPS]

• The Division Office redeveloped Grade 2 textbooks teacher-made story books but are still being subjected for quality assurance [Masbate EPS]

• Supervisor monitored school on how principals conduct classroom observation; principals ensured completeness of devices used [CN EPS].

• Schools provided/allotted time for teachers through LAC session to create IMs and make contextualized materials

• Schools provided the bond papers, printer ink, printing materials, printer with photocopier using MOOE

• Schools audited books to be used as basis on the release of books by DepEd

• Teachers prepared & contextualized the IMs; printed or photocopied worksheets [Naga]

• Teachers used more resilient IMs like tarpaulin [Caramoan]

• Teachers downloaded what others had shared or used LRMDS (seldom) and printed these e.g. stories with moral lesson

• Teachers provided all students with reading materials [Bula]


CHALLENGES


Lacking MOOE budget to reproduce LMs [Albay, Bula, Caramoan, Naga]; Lack of AV equipment

• The Division partnered with LGUs and other stakeholders to reproduce materials.

• The school prioritized purchase of toys for Kindergarten. Grade 3 were taught how to make localized materials [San Miguel].

• Schools put up official Facebook site as platform to solicit needed materials [Caramoan]

• Teachers made DIY play materials like blocks and letter bingo for kindergarten [Bula]

• Teachers provided fast learners with printed materials/books; slow learners with flashcards

• Teachers downloaded what others had shared and printed a few or one copy only if for one-on-one reading

• Teachers requested PTA, alumni association, and friends for a materials reproduction project [Sta. Elena]

• Teachers used own resources [Caramoan]

Language & Municipalities: (1) SCIB [Bula, Iriga, Pilar]; (2) Bik [Bombon, Daet, Manito, Naga, San Miguel, San Vicente, Talisay, Tigaon]; (3) Bsc [Batuan, Casiguran, Castilla, Irosin, Uson]; (4) Tagalog [Sta. Elena]; (5) Cebuano [Placer];

No standard reading test for Grades 1-3

• The CN and Sorsogon SDOs prepared a customized materials and tool for reading for Grades 1-3.

Language & Municipalities: (1)Bik [Bombon; Manito; Naga; San Miguel; San Vicente; Talisay; Tigaon]; (2) Cebuano [Placer]

Inappropriate textbook [Camarines Norte, Naga, Pilar] • Words become longer in Bikol • Difficult for early grade levels • A different dialect/language

was used, e.g. Uson had Albay • Pictures used were

inappropriate to the language spoken

• Teachers contextualized the IMs • Textbooks distributed by DepEd Central were

no longer used. • Teachers explained to students about the

inconsistency between pictures and words [Placer]

• Textbooks distributed were no longer used [Placer].


CHALLENGES


Language & Municipalities: (1) SCIB [Bula, Iriga, Pilar]; (2) Bik [Bombon, Daet, Manito, Naga, San Miguel, San Vicente, Talisay, Tigaon]; (3) Tagalog [Jose Panganiban, Sta. Elena]

Slow readers and non-readers • The Division initiated the Operasyon Basa at Bilang [CN SDS]

• The Division customized tools and materials for reading [CN SDS]

• During management committee meetings, schools reported initiatives taken to address this challenge [CN EPS]

• PSDS Camarines Sur launched the Project Ins2Pire (Intensive Strategies in Sustaining Pupils’ Interest in Reading)

• Supervisor reproduced reading materials intended for lower grade and higher grades and distributed these to the supervisor’s adopted schools [CN EPS]

• Schools conduct remedial reading [Bula, CN EPS]

• Teachers held reading session with “mystery reader [Sta. Elena]

• Teachers tapped higher-level students to peer-tutor lower-level students [Pilar]

Language & Municipalities: (1) Bik [Bombon, Daet, Manito, Naga, San Miguel, San Vicente, Talisay, Tigaon]; (2) Tagalog [Jose Panganiban, Sta. Elena]

Limited remote learning modules and modalities available to poor households: no internet connectivity; no cell phone [Sta. Elena; Albay PSDS]

The Polangui Mayor set up a local radio station with frequency within the municipality as host for blended, modular, and radio-based instruction delivery [Albay]

Cases of assigned teachers with different MT

No action taken.

Language & Municipalities: (1) Bsc [Batuan]; (2) Ilongo [Balud]

Absence of standardized orthography

The Division Office conducted seminars and training to provide feedback on measures taken [Masbate EPS]


CHALLENGES


Language & Municipalities: (1) Bik [Bombon; Manito; Naga; San Miguel; San Vicente; Talisay; Tigaon];

No face-to-face learning in SY 2020-2021

Divisions Office coached principals on simulating of Remote Learning Modular which should be held on August 4-8, 2020 [Albay].

Limitation of teachers’ role in remote learning delivery

Divisions Office instructed schools on the conduct the orientation of parents and teaching them about beginning reading on July 27 to 31, 2020 [Albay].

Inconsistency of MT taught with the questions during contests (English)

No action taken.

Time constraint and taxing for teachers in preparing IMs especially to teachers in self- contained classes [Camarines Norte]

No action taken.

Multiple preparations burdened by the teacher when there are students who migrated from another place

No action taken.

Language & Municipalities: (1) SCIB [Bula, Iriga, Pilar]; (2) NLT [Caramoran, Pandan]

Congested curriculum and overlapping of activities

DepEd Order No. 12 s. 2020 on streamlining the K to 12 curriculum into the most essential learning competencies (MELCs) partly addressed this issue

Language & Municipalities: SCIB [Bula, Iriga, Pilar]

Anxiety of parents on MT as LOI Teachers talked to and counseled the parents during home visitation


Table 16. Challenges, Efforts Undertaken, and Ongoing Interventions in Numeracy by Classification of Languages

CHALLENGES


Language & Municipalities: (1) SCIB [Bula, Iriga, Pilar]; (2) Bik [Bombon, Daet, Manito, Naga, San Miguel, San Vicente, Talisay, Tigaon]; (3) Tagalog [Jose Panganiban, Sta. Elena]; (4) Bsc [Batuan; Casiguran; Castilla; Irosin; Uson]

No assessment tool on mathematics

• The Division made quality-assured contextualized DLP with periodical test questions

• The Division initiated the Operasyon Basa at Bilang [CN SDS]

• The Division Offices of Camarines Norte and Sorsogon customized tools and materials in numeracy for Grades 1-6 [CN SDS]

Language & Municipalities: (1) SCIB [Bula, Iriga, Pilar]; (2) Bsc [Batuan; Casiguran; Castilla; Irosin; Uson]

Inappropriate MT (Bikol Naga) used in Math books

• Teachers translated/contextualized the materials to Bikol Sorsogon; teachers prepared for IMs daily [Pilar]

• Teachers conducted research of learning resource [Pilar]

Math items are difficult to contextualize: Children find it difficult to understand the technical terms, e.g. multiplication, pupils are more familiar in counting using English; lack of orthography

• Initially, teachers tended to code-switch or used a combination of languages

• Teachers invited elderly to demonstrate how to count in Masbateño

• Teachers retained the English technical terms

Language & Municipalities: SCIB [Bula, Iriga, Pilar]

Books in MT have limited exercises and activities Math items in MT are difficult to memorize, e.g. multiplication table

• Division Office conducted MTB MLE training


CHALLENGES


Language & Municipalities: Bik [Bombon, Manito, Naga, San Miguel, San Vicente, Talisay, Tigaon]

No face-to face learning during SY 2020-2021

• The Division Office provided self-learning modules where instructions were made easy

• The DepEd through the LRMDS provided training to teachers on the development of interactive learning materials, e.g. use of Kotobee, Book Widget, Canva, Moodle, etc.

• Students will be provided with video lessons through the DepEd Commons

Lack of reading materials in numeracy

• Realignment of SEF to procure supplementary reading materials.

• The Division customized tools to determine non-numerates [CS SDS]

• The supervisors give teachers and school heads orientation, updates, and feedback on how to handle issues on numeracy [CS SDS]

Language & Municipalities: Tagalog [Jose Panganiban, Sta. Elena]

Legend: SCIB – Southern Coastal and Inland Bikol Bik – North Coastal Standard Bikol NCt – Northern Catanduanes Bsc - Bisacol


Table 17. Support by Type of Organization and Municipal Class

MUNICIPAL CLASS

TYPE OF ORGANIZATION

SUPPORT

1st Class

Aroroy Corporations • Distributed bags and umbrella to learners and teachers

• Allocated funding for meals during seminars and conferences

• Provided financial assistance worth ( PHP 400,000) for the Regional Chorale Competition

• Mangrove planting • Provided livelihood opportunities to

communities • Construction of school buildings and churches • Skills development program and health

services

Buhi Civic Organization, International Organization, Non-Government Institution, Private Individuals, School- based Organizations

• Construction of Early Child Educational Center with Kitchen and CR

• School Buildings • Feeding program • Rice • Used clothing • School supplies

Daet Civic Organization, Government Agency, Education Institution

• Construction of day care center • Honorarium for the day-care worker and

building maintenance • PHP 1M as part of the Performance Challenge

Fund for Local Government Units (PC Fund) • Feeding program • Construction and repair of Edu-TV center


MUNICIPAL CLASS


SUPPORT

Pilar Civic Organization, Government Institution, LGU, Non-Government Institution, People’s Organization, School-based Organization

• Regular religious instruction (Roman Catholic) • Feeding Program for Below Normal Students • Pail of paint • Hardware materials • School supplies. educational materials,

reading materials to every school in the district

• Repair of feeding room PHP 25,000 • Celebration of World Teachers Day and

Teacher’s Night Celebration • Project Proposal financial assistance (School

Project on No To Bullying cash grant of PHP 10,000)

• Positive parenting training • Pupil-centered trainings for teachers and

School Pupil Government (SPG) officers • Manpower for weeding, cleaning, and

planting, committee support on school activities, and assistance during calamities

• Equipment such as aircon, grass cutter • Concrete projects in the school and in the

classrooms • Free labor on weeding • Planting in support for Gulayan sa Paaralan • Cooking/helping in the School Feeding

Program

2nd Class

Bula Government Agency, Civic Organization, LGU, School- based Organizations

• Open high school • Bamboo desk • Production shared service facility for cacao

and banana chips, equipment and training • Classroom • School road marker • Construction supplies • Food and school supplies • Concrete fence and free flow water source • Family relief operation


MUNICIPAL CLASS


SUPPORT

Irosin Government Agency, Civic Organization, LGU, School- based Organization

• Computer sets and bags with school supply and alcohol

• Feeding program • Cement and other materials for the

construction of toilet • Pencils

Jose Panganiban

Corporation, International Organization

• School supplies and materials • Utilities and facilities • Livelihood support • Environmental programs and disaster

management, equipment and tools • Relief goods

Naga City Corporation, Government Agency, International Organization, Private Individual

• Training • Trade books • Laptop and LCD projector • Donation of school supplies for teachers • Reading to primary grade pupils • Various pedagocial training which includes

Math, Japanese lesson plan, etc. • Storybook-making activity as part of the

advocacy of the research proposal

3rd Class

Castilla Government Agency, Non- Government Institution

• Financial support • Health and education of indigent pupils • Food items and used clothing during typhoon • Training for teachers • School supplies and toothbrush • Annual learning visit program (LGU, teachers,

school head, principal, supervisors visit other schools to learn their best practices)

• Manna rice for Day Care • Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

(DRRM) Training for Supreme Pupil Government (SPG and provision of DRRM materials


MUNICIPAL CLASS


SUPPORT

Santa Elena Corporation, Government Agency, International Organization

• School Supplies (Bags) • Manpower • Computer sets (already broken) • Books

Uson Government Agency

• New building with three academic classrooms

4th Class

Casiguran Civic Organization, LGU, School- based Organizations

• Library with books • School supplies • Computers • Prizes • Manpower (e.g., school maintenance,

labor for pathway construction) • Free haircut

Iriga City Civic Organization, Educational Institution, LGU, Government Agency, International Organization, Non-Government Institution

• Little cash assistance for the training • Materials for the classroom construction, day

care center, ECCD learning center • School supplies, learning materials, and

feeding programs • Gift giving • Roads and bridges • Evacuation centers • Water systems • Capacity building, seminars • Fisheries and agriculture infrastructure,

livelihood • Multipurpose could be: road;building; flood

control; drainage system • School buildings; access roads of schools • Water system for every barangay • Facilitation of livelihood trainings for women • Distribution of sewing machine and other

needed materials • Construction materials for families affected

by typhoons • Training on soft broom (walis tambo) making


MUNICIPAL CLASS


SUPPORT

Pandan Non-Government Institution

• Building

5th Class

Batuan Civic Organization

• Trainings for livelihood • Nutrition

Bombon Corporation, Private Individuals, School-based Organizations

• School supplies • Hygiene kits • Feeding program • Financial aid for infrastructures

Prieto Diaz Civic Organization, Non-Government Institution, Government Agency

• School supplies • Disaster Risk and Management Training • Training Workshop for Teachers • Repair of classrooms

San Miguel Corporation • School supplies • Hygiene kits


Figures 3 to 8 shows the stakeholders who are supportive of education in Region V.

Figure 3. Presence of Stakeholders in Albay and their Organization’s Classification

Figure 4. Presence of Stakeholders in Camarines Norte and their Organization’s Classification


Figure 5. Presence of Stakeholders in Camarines Sur and their Organization’s Classification

Figure 6. Presence of Stakeholders in Catanduanes and their Organization’s Classification


Figure 7. Presence of Stakeholders in Masbate and their Organization’s Classification

Figure 8. Presence of Stakeholders in Sorsogon and Organizational Classification

a political economy analysis of the bicol region

Documents