A. Health
Fully immunized child coverage decreased from 82 percent
in 2006 to 78 percent in 2007. Except for Legazpi City
which posted 95 percent coverage, all provinces and
cities performed below the benchmark coverage of 95
percent. The low performance was due to: (1) irregular
vaccination schedules and poorly disseminated
vaccination sessions at the local levels: (2) lack of
follow-up of defaulters; (3) lack of training for health
workers; (4) deterioration of the cold chain system; (5)
poor stocks management; and (6) inadequate funds of the
LGUs for the provision of injection equipments, conduct
of training for health workers and logistic support for
the conduct of EPI sessions.
Fifty-three percent of births were delivered with the
assistance of skilled attendants (doctors, nurses and
midwives). While this was more than last year's 48
percent, still it fell short of the targeted 70 percent.
Births delivered in a health facility accounted for 19.4
percent while birth deliveries at home were greater at
77.2 percent.
Initiating breastfeeding within one hour after birth was
poorly practiced in all provinces except Camarines Norte
which surpassed the regional target with its 88 percent
record.
Safe motherhood services were accessible enough for
mothers and their newborn babies to be detected for
life-threatening complications. The coverage of tetanus
toxoid immunization was rather low, however, at 57
percent in 2007 from 60 percent in 2006. Iron
supplementation for pregnant mothers at 50 percent
coverage and lactating mothers at 46 percent coverage
were also low.
Mass treatment of filariasis reached 82.54 percent
coverage. Detection of TB cases achieved 89 percent rate
and surpassed the 70 percent target. TB cases rate was
82.23 percent.
B.
Health Regulation
DOH issued 99 percent of existing hospitals with
licenses and permits to operate having complied with
technical standards on personnel and staffing, equipment
and instruments and physical facilities. One hospital
ceased operation for non-compliance of required
personnel complement.
Some 99 percent of laboratories were licensed and 100
percent of drug-testing laboratories were DOH-accredited.
There were 427 Botika ng Barangays (BnBs) established in
the region. Based on the BnB to barangay ratio,
Catanduanes province was most disproportionate as it
needed more BnBs to provide access to cheap medicines in
the barangays.
C. Health Care Financing
The National Health Insurance Program (NHIP)
successfully expanded its insurance coverage to include
not only those who were employed but also the indigents,
overseas workers, the non-paying members including
retirees and pensioners and the self-employed.
Notwithstanding, its 85 percent target coverage was not
reached. The number of government employees covered by
the program reached 541,402 in 2007, 428 percent over
that of the registered 102,443 in 2006. Private
employees also increased from 114,199 in 2006 to 611,225
in 2007 while individually paying members reached
366,288 in 2007 as compared to 86,198 in 2006. Overseas
workers reached 200,928 while non-paying members totaled
32,892. Meanwhile, sponsored members increased by 98
percent from 344,622 in 2006 to 681,991 in 2007. The
number of accredited facilities, however, dropped to 67
while total number of accredited professionals decreased
to 202 from 544 in 2006.
Related to indigent sponsorship of the insurance
program, only 37 percent of the total poor households in
the region were enrolled to the NHIP – still a long way
from the ideal 90 percent target.
The Local Government Unit (LGU) with the highest
percentage of NHIP enrolment of its total poor was
Catanduanes (80%) followed by Camarines Norte (68%),
Sorsogon (33%), Albay (31%), Masbate (10%) and Camarines
Sur (4%).
D. Health Governance
Local government units addressed local community needs
and ensured that local health operations adhered to
standards and to their integration and
comprehensiveness. Partnership of Inter-Local Health
Zone (ILHZs) and implementation of health programs were
thus operationalized.
Health manpower was wanting though. Doctors were needed
in all provinces except for Catanduanes (1:19,685)
wherein a Rural Health Unit/Health Center physician to
population ratio was within the standard (1:20,000).
Physician to population ratio in other provinces were as
follows: Albay (1:31,627); Camarines Norte (1:32,642);
Camarines Sur (1:35,679); Masbate (1:36,220); and
Sorsogon (1:39,437). On the other hand, midwives were
most needed in Albay and Carmines Sur whose midwife to
population ratio at 1:5,818 and 1:5497, respectively,
were off the standard of 1:5,000. For the other
provinces, the midwife to population ratio were as
follows: Masbate (1:3,887); Sorsogon (1:3,902);
Catanduanes (1:4,144); and Camarines Norte (1: 5,071).
E. Nutrition
Nutrition programs focused on supplementary feeding,
food for school activities and on information,
communication and education campaign. Reports indicated
42.41 percent of students benefited from supplementary
feeding. In Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, 11,139
students availed of the School Milk Feeding program.
F. Family Planning and Reproductive Health
The Reproductive Health and Family Planning Program
played a vital role in the advancement of the health and
socio-economic status of the Bicolanos. With the
Responsible Parenthood Movement (RPM) and Natural Family
Planning (NFP) program as a priority thrust, 455 RPM
classes were conducted benefiting 4,564 couples, 46
married women of reproductive age (MWRA) and 12 males.
Advocacy materials were disseminated. Likewise, the NFP
program funded by DOH conducted chat groups in 254
barangays reaching 2,540 couples in the cities of Naga,
Legazpi, Tabaco, Sorsogon and the municipalities of Goa
in Camarines Sur, Malinao, Bacacay, and Sto. Domingo in
Albay. A NFP Resource Center was established in Legazpi
City.
A survey was also conducted to generate baseline data
for crafting strategies to space births focused on NFP. This
was inspired by the results of the 2003 NDHS where Bicol
had the highest number of women practicing traditional
method of family planning. Of the 560 respondents with
mean age of 33 years, 51.5 percent were into withdrawal
and 27.9 percent practiced the rhythm method. This group
was considered potential user of modern NFP.
Assistance to Vulnerable Groups
Community and center-based clients - children, youth,
women, families, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and
older persons - were provided with support services.
Community-based clients, comprised of 170 children in
need of special protection, were served accomplishing 85
percent of the target. Children in conflict with the law
had 54 registered cases while 41 were victims of sexual
abuse.
Another 39 women in especially difficult circumstances
were assisted or 62 percent more than last year’s
figure. Of those served, emotionally abused women ranked
on top with 32 cases or 83 percent of the total. Those
women aided in terms of financial help, shelter,
counseling and referrals for legal and LGU support
totaled 73 women. On the other hand, 43 youth underwent
counseling and received educational and other
assistance.
Some 44 PWDs and 77 senior citizens were served. Also,
206 parents/guardians of child laborers of the targeted
250 were granted livelihood assistance by the
International Labor Organization (ILO).
The Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU) registered 1,023
clients or 196 percent of the targeted 522 clients for
2007.
At the Reception and Study Center for Children, 86
children were accommodated. The center discharged 27
children of whom 21 were placed for adoption while 6
were reintegrated with their families/relatives.
At the Home for Girls, 21 were discharged and
reintegrated with their family/relatives. The Home for
Boys served 20 children in conflict with the law and
discharged 8 for reintegration with their
family/relatives. Two were reported to have left the
center without permission.
The Haven took in only 14 women residents this year,
lesser than last year’s 24 residents. A total of 13
clients were rehabilitated while 13 others were
discharged or reintegrated to their families and
relatives.
Social welfare directions were set as six plans of
action for specific groups – children, youth, women,
persons with disabilities, family and older persons-
were updated. 13 LGUs enacted local social welfare and
development ordinances/ resolutions aimed at
strengthening local councils and supportive of the
implementation of specific programs for particular
vulnerable groups.
For their health needs, indigenous people (IP) received
medical treatment and hospitalization as well as health
trainings in their tribal areas focused on first aid,
proper hygiene and sanitation and maternal health care.
Financial assistance for education and scholarship
grants were extended to 482 students.
Empowerment
The Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and
Integrated Delivery of Social Services: Kapangyarihan at
Kaunlaran sa Barangay (KALAHI-CIDSS: KKB) program aimed
to empower communities, improve local governance and
reduce poverty. In 2007, 63 sub-projects amounting to
PhP54,394,627.00 were funded in Albay (Libon, PioDuran
and Rapu-rapu), Camarines Norte (Capalonga), Camarines
Sur (Garchitorena) and Catanduanes (Caramoran) under the
Phase III Cycle 2 and Cycle 3 implementation. The
sub-projects included roads, flood control and
irrigation projects, water system, day care centers,
schools and other infrastructure support facilities.
The Japan Social Development Fund-Social Inclusion
Project (JSDF-SIP), a three-year complementary grant
(started in 2005) to the World Bank-funded
KALAHI-CIDSS:KKB, empowered the impoverished and
vulnerable groups through locally initiated development
endeavors. It addressed the exclusion and participation
constraints of women, indigenous people and areas
affected by various modes of conflicts across 11 regions
nationwide. JSDF-SIP provided grants to projects focused
on institutional development, human resource
development, community enterprise and social
mobilization. JSDF-SIP operated in barangays Flores and
Rawis in Pioduran, Albay with total grant allocation of
PhP264,085. It also trained 60 out-of-school youths (OSYs)
in automotive and welding and 100 farmers on farming
techniques and basic veterinary skills.
The Poder y Prosperidad de la Communidad, a community
driven development project supported by the Spanish
International Cooperation Agency, funded 18 community
projects worth PhP20,816,186 in its Cycle 2
implementation. 20 barangays and 1,434 direct household
beneficiaries benefited from the community projects.
The project allotted a total of PhP13 million for Manito
and Malinao, Albay for its 3rd cycle of project
implementation. Seven projects consisting of three
school buildings, three water systems and a day care
center will be implemented in Manito, Albay. The
project’s framework is patterned after the KALAHI-CIDSS.
Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) were supported by 54
foreign-assisted projects (FAPs) that reached out to
41,183 beneficiaries. The FAPs put up 40 farm-to-market
roads, 5 irrigation systems, 3 post harvest facilities,
2 bridges and potable water systems. Trainings on
cooperative development and entrepreneurship were
conducted for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs). The
latest ARC Level of Development Assessment (ALDA) saw
remarkable improvements in 2007 as 74 of the 120 ARCs
were classified under Levels 5 and 4 (high levels of
development), 25 under Level 3, 16 under level 2 and 5
under level 1.
