 HOME C O N T E N T S Foreword Message Brief Description of the Province of Biliran Basic Socio-economic and Demographic Data Political Condition Peace and Order Condition General and Sectoral Development Objectives Physical Framework Plan/Land Use Plan Organization and Management Local Offices and Functions Organizational Structure Personnel Complement Accomplishment Report Medical, Health, and Nutrition Program Agriculture, Fishery, and Veterinary Social Welfare and Development Cooperative Development Program Youth Development & Support to Education Livelihood and Employment Infrastructure Development Maintenance of Peace and Order Tourism Promotion & Environmental Protection Other Accomplishments Fiscal Administration Budget Performance and Financial Statements Comparative Data for the Year Preceding the Year Under Review Revenue Expenditure Pattern for Three Years Analysis of the Delivery of Basic Services vs. Budgetary Expenditures on a Sectoral Basis Local Legislation Report of the Sanggunian in the Exercise of its Legislative Power Results of Oversight and Review Functions Annexes Annex A Sangguniang Panlalawigan Accomplishments, CY 2003 (List of Selected SP Resolutions) Annex B Accomplishment Report of the Office of the Provincial Engineer (List of Completed/Ongoing Infrastructure Projects, CY 2003) Annex C Financial Statements |
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE
General Biliran, an island province, is located north of Leyte (Figure 1). It is one of the six provinces comprising the Eastern Visayas Region (Region VIII). The island of Biliran was originally known as Isla de Panamao. The present name is derived from borobiliran, a native grass growing abundantly in the island during the pre-Spanish period. With the passage of time, local folks used the word Biliran when referring to the island. Biliran was formerly under the jurisdiction of Leyte. It only became a regular province on May 11, 1992 after a plebicite was conducted in accordance with R.A. 7160. The province is composed of the main island off the northern tip of Leyte and one island municipality; it also has several islets. It is located about 123 kilometers north of Tacloban City, the regional center. As an island province, it is bounded by the vast Visayan Sea on the north, the Samar Sea on the east, the Strait of Biliran on the west, and the Bay of Carigara on the south. The Land Biliran consists of eight municipalities and 132 barangays (Figure 2), of which 19 are urban and 113 rural. The total land area is 555.42 square kilometers. This area is only 0.19 % of the Philippines' total land area of about 300,000 sq. km. Among the municipalities, Naval, the capital of the province, is the largest in area (107.08 sq. km.), followed by Caibiran (94.58 sq. km). The smallest is Maripipi, having an area of 31.71 sq. km. (Table 1) Table 1. Profile of Municipalities
Mountains Biliran has narrow coastal areas and a mountainous interior. Steep volcanic peaks dominate the central part of the province. Mt. Suiro rises on the southeastern portion with an elevation of more than 1,300 meters. Forest land, located mostly in Maripipi and in the main island mountain ranges (Mt. Panamao and Mt. Sayao) constitutes about 23% of the total area of the province. Grassland and agricultural land occupy 17% and 56% respectively, while built-up area is only limited to about 3%. Table 2 presents existing land use pattern in the province. Table 2. Current Land Use
Climate The province has Type II climate under the Coronas classification and is characterized by an absence of a long dry season. Maximum rainful usually occurs in December and January, while the minimum is in April. Annual temperature ranges between 230C and 30.90 C with an average of 270C. The prevailing winds are the northerns and trade winds. The People Population Based on the 2000 Census, Biliran had a total population of 140,274 of which 71,259 were males and 69,015 were females. Population density was 252 persons per sq. km.of its land. A fluctuating average annual growth rate has been experienced since the last six (6) census years (1970-2000). From a very high annual growth rate of 2.68% during the period 1970-1975, it decreased to 1.53 % then to 0.58% in 1975-1980 and 1980-1990, respectively. From there, it increased to 2.20% in 1990-1995 and again decreased in 1995-2000 to 1.28%. A summary of the average annual growth rate is preented below:
Health Health care and medical services are made accessible to the entire populace of Biliran through the conduct of continuing free medical and dental missions. This is in addition to the services provided by the province through its lone provincial hospital, 4 emergency clinics, 8 municipal health centers and 36 barangay stations. Among children, malnutrition status is 1.71% severe and 25.84% moderate. The crude birth rate is 24.68 per thousand people (ptp), crude death rate is 5.23 ptp, infant mortality rate stands at 13.85 ptp, and the maternal mortality rate is 1.13 ptp. Average life expectancy is 64 years for men and 68 years for women. Education Based on the 2002 report of the Department of Education, Division of Biliran, the province had a total of 166 schools consisting of 142 elementary schools, 19 high schools and 5 tertiary or technical schools (Table 3). Graduation rate is 95.99% while drop-out rate stands at 2.19%. Teacher to pupil ratio is 1:29. Of the total household population five (5) years old and above, more than half (53.56%) had attended or completed elementary education. About 22% had either attended or finished high school while 7.25% were academic degree holders. Table 3. Public Facilities & Services by Municipality
Employment In 2001, the labor force participation rate of men in Biliran (97.77%) was higher than women's (74.47%), and comparatively higher than the labor force participation rate of males in the entire Region 8. Table 4 shows that the unemployment rates for both men and women (7.89% and 15.62%, respectively) in 2001 were higher compared to the entire region. Based on the Regional Social & Economic Trends (RSET) data, the total population 15 years old and over in 2002 in Biliran was 92,000. The labor force participation rate was 75%; while the unemployment rate was 11.59%. Table 4. Labor Force Participation Rates and Employment Rates of Population 15 Years Old & Over by Sex: Region 8 and Biliran (2001)
The Economy Agriculture As the economy of Biliran is predominantly agricultural, roughly 56% (30,881 ha.) of the total land area of the province is devoted to agricultural production. From the data provided by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) in the province, palay was planted to a total area of 15,362 ha. in 2002, which yielded 55,672 metric tons. This means an average production of 3.62 metric tons per hectare. Corn, on the other hand, was planted to 710 hectares, the total production of which reached 650 MT or an average of 1.09 MT/ha. Coconut is also widely planted in the province. The total copra production in 2002 was estimated at 34,439.48 MT. Banana is another major fruit grown in the province with a total production of 13,694 over the same period. A total production of 42.49 MT of mango, 134.49 MT of pineapple, and 134.49 MT of calamansi was also reported in 2002. Rootcrops production totaled 6,090 MT. This includes camote, cassava, ube and gabi. Fisheries As of 2003, the province has a total of 134 fishermen operating on commercial level using either of the following fishing gears and methods: pamo, pamorao, paamolinao, hulbot-hulbot, Kubkuban and gill nets. There are also 28 operational commercial fishing boats in the area. On the other hand, the total number of municipal fishing boats operating in the area is 3,268 of which 859 are motorized and 2,409 are non-motorized. Fishing gears and methods commonly used by our 5,035 municipal fishermen include hook & line and drift gill nets. For inland fishing, there are 6,589 hectares of freshwater fishpond with an average production of 4.8 metric tons per hectare per year and 77.87 hectares of brackishwater fishpond producing an average of 0.7 MT/ha/year. With funding from BFAR, a bangus sea cage project in Almeria and a seaweed seedbank/nursery in Caibiran are now maintained by the province. Livestock & Poultry According to the BAS report, the inventory of livestock in the province as of the end of 2002 is as follows:
Trade and Commerce There are three major locations where trade and commerce may be considered active in the province. There is the municipality of Biliran where a bridge connects the province to Leyte. This area is a major gateway to Ormoc, Leyte and Metro Manila. On the other hand, ferryboats plying regularly the Naval-Cebu City route play an active role in the conduct of trade and commerce in the province. Major inflow and outflow of goods are observed in this area. The third trading area consists of the municipalities of Cabucgayan, Culaba and Kawayan, where marine products caught by fishermen are sold directly to the cities of Ormoc and Tacloban in Leyte, and Calbayog City and Catbalogan in the province of Samar. Principal goods shipped out of the province are copra, rice, bananas and dried fish. Its major markets are Cebu, Tacloban, Samar and Manila. Goods from Cebu, Tacloban and Ormoc that enter the province include canned goods, garments, construction materials, metal products, pharmaceuticals, electronic appliances, school and office supplies, petrochemicals, plastic wares and consumer items. Basic Infrastructure Land access into the province is via Tacloban City and Ormoc City. Roads from these two cities to Naval is concrete -paved throughout. Total length of roads is 444.006 kilometers. Road density is 0.775/sq. km. Major seaport is the Naval Port. Other municipal ports are in Kawayan, Caibiran, Culaba, Biliran and Maripipi. All municipalities have electric power supply. A local telephone exchange operated by Globelines provides telecommunications services. Likewise, Globe and Smart operate cellular sites in the province. The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and the Radio Communication of the Phils., Inc. (RCPI/Bayan Tel) have public calling offices in Naval. We have eight postal offices in the entire province and three banks. Political Condition The administration party controls political power in the province. Although there are two municipal chief executives who belong to the minority party, the Governor always tries to bring all local officials under one direction regardless of political affiliation. People participation is evident in the affairs of the local government as shown in the voluntary involvement of the island residents in the affairs of the provincial government such as the Clean and Green Program and other environmental concerns. The province is divided into two districts for local election purposes. The first district consists of the municipalities of Almeria, Kawayan, and Naval while the second district is composed of Biliran, Cabucgayan, Caibiran, Culaba, and Maripipi. The Honorable Congressman Gerardo S. Espina, Sr. represents the lone congressional district of Biliran. The present set of elected provincial officials is shown below:
Peace and Order Condition Biliran is generally a peaceful province and is known to be free of insurgents and rebel groups. Based on the report of the Biliran Police Provincial Office, the total crime solution efficiency was a high 98.86%. The total crime volume was 264, of which 261 cases were solved. The crime solution efficiency for index crimes was 95.83%; for non-index crimes, it was 100%. In terms of average monthly crime rate, the municipality of Biliran registered the highest at 24.79% while the lowest was that of Almeria at 11.17% However, for the average monthly index crime rate, the highest belonged to Culaba at 9.8%. In contrast, Kawayan posted the lowest at 2.4% Of the 83 cases of index crimes, 61 cases were against persons and only 22 were against property. As regards crimes against persons, physical injuries accounted for 26 cases, followed by 18 cases for murder. Eight cases of rape were reported for the year. Development Objectives The two main thrusts of the province are people empowerment and total development for all. People empowerment objectives are: 1) To promote people empowerment through the organization and mobilization of people's organizations and through the strengthening of GOs and NGOs as potent partners in development; 2) To encourage participative constituency who assert their rights through claim-making and mass action; and 3) To broaden and intensify access to resources, basic social and infrastructure and all types of support services. For the total development for all mission of Biliran, the following sectoral objectives shall be pursued: Economic 1. To increase the income of Biliranons to a level where they can provide for the family's basic needs. Environmental 1. To provide justice to all and promote a favorable peace and order condition. 2. To protect and preserve the province's natural resources for eco-tourism development. Social 1. To improve the educational, health and nutritional conditions of the people, especially the disadvantaged sector. Spiritual and Cultural 1. To provide an environment conducive to cultural growth and spiritual maturity. Infrastructural 1. To improve service effectiveness of infrastructure facilities and support structures such as roads, transportation system, power, communica-tions, irrigation, and water facilities to 90%. Physical Framework Plan/Land Use Plan The land use plan of the province is incorporated in the Provincial Physical Framework Plan (PPFP), a plan which generally envisions to enable the citizens of Biliran and other people to access resources, technologies and markets and to improve factors of production, organization and governance as it contributes to sustain its rich ecological base. The plan was prepared by the Provincial Development Council through the Provincial Planning and Development Office. Likewise, the PPFP technical working group made significant contributions to the formulation of the plan. It has already been approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and reviewed by the Regional Land Use Committee (RLUC). However, the PPFP still has to be approved by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLRB). The PPFP addresses three major areas: settlements, land resource management or land use, and infrastructure development. The goals for settlements are to ensure food and economic security through agri-industrial-ization and to provide quality social services especially in the area of health and nutrition, water and sanitation, and basic education. In the area of land use, the plan aims to ensure sustainable and suitable land use, and the conservation and proper use of soil and water. The goals for infrastructure development are to improve service effectiveness, efficiency and physical accessibility of infrastruc-ture facilities. Three alternative strategies were presented to realize these goals: the first alternative focuses on the development of Naval as an urban growth center; the second concentrates on agri-industrial development within the eight municipalities; and the third alternative develops the concept of eco-tourism as a major force in the future development of the province. After undertaking a careful situational analysis and objective scrutiny of existing data and trends on the province's economy, settlements, land resources, environmental considerations and infrastructure, the Provincial Land Use Committee (PLUC) and the PPFP Technical Working Group (TWG) recommended that Agri-tourism, which combines aspects of eco-tourism with agri-industrialization, be the preferred strategy for the province. Under this strategy, Naval will continue to grow as a medium town, the hub for trade, commerce, and services in the province. A very important content of the document is an indicative plan from 2001-2010 for the three major areas incorporating therewith issues, policies, action and investment plan components. Home |
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