AGRI-TOURISM MASTER PLAN (Year 2006-2020)

4.0 PROVINCIAL PROFILE

4.1 General

The island province of Biliran is nestled between the islands of Leyte and Samar (Figure 1). It is one of the six provinces comprising the Eastern Visayas Region (Region VIII). The island of Biliran was originally known as 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. On April 8, 1959, Republic Act No. 2141 made Biliran a sub-province of Leyte. When Leyte was later divided into two provinces, Leyte and Southern Leyte, Biliran remained a sub-province of Leyte. It became an independent province on May 11, 1992, pursuant to Republic Act No. 7160.

This island province is located 123 kilometers north of Tacloban City, the regional center. It is composed of the main island located off the northern tip of Leyte Island and one island municipality with several isles or islets. There are eight (8) municipalities and 132 barangays (see Figure 2), of which 19 are urban and 113 rural. 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.

Biliran is classified as a 4th class province and has a total land area of 555.42 square kilometers. This area is only 0.19% of the Philippines' total land area of about 300,000 square kilometers, and only 2.59% of the entire Eastern Visayas. The province of Biliran is represented as a lone district in the House of Representatives. The provincial total population based on the 2000 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the National Statistics Office was 140,274.

Among the municipalities, Naval, the capital town 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 4.1 presents the breakdown per municipality of the land area, population and density, as well as administrative composition.

In 2000, Biliran had an average of 252.5 persons occupying every square kilometer of land, which is lower than the national average of 255 persons/km2.

Table 4.1 Profile of Municipalities

Municipality	Class	Land Area (km2)	1995 Population	Density (person/km2	Number of Barangays
			Number		Urban	Rural	Total
Almeria	5th	65.49	13,854	211.5	1	12	13
Biliran	5th	86.29	13,817	160.12	2	9	11
Cabucgayan	5th	49.38	17,691	358.26	3	10	13
Caibiran	5th	94.58	19,606	207.29	3	14	17
Culaba	5th	76.19	11,506	151.01	3	14	17
Kawayan	5th	44.7	17,507	391.65	2	18	20
Maripipi	5th	31.71	8,319	262.35	2	13	15
Naval	4th	107.08	37,974	354.63	3	23	26
Provincial Total	4th	555.42	140,274	252.55	19	113	132

4.2 Physical Characteristics

Area
According to the Bureau of Coasts and Geodetic Surveys, the province of Biliran has an area of 555.42 square kilometers. It has an approximate width of 25 kilometers at its narrowest portion and is 60 kilometers at its widest expanse.

Location
Biliran, which belongs to the Eastern Visayas region, is situated on the northern tip of Leyte Island. It is bounded on the east by the Samar Sea, on the north by the Visayas Sea, and on the south by the Carigara Bay. The Strait of Biliran lies off the western coast.

Topography
As a whole, the landforms of Biliran Province are largely rugged to very steep typical of composite type of volcanic structures and coalesced volcanic cones. From the uplands, however, the slopes abruptly levels off to rolling and gently sloping terrain. The municipalities of Naval and Caibiran have wide plains and rolling terrain approximately 7 kilometers inland from the coast. The rest of the municipalities have coastal lowlands with mountainous interiors.

Climate
The climate of Biliran belongs to the 4th type of climatic category based on the Coronas Classification of Philippine Climates. It is characterized as having no dry season with more or less evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year. Maximum rainfall generally occurs in December and January. On the average, the rainfall in December reaches 500 mm while in the driest month of April is 150 mm. Compared to other provinces in the region, Biliran is relatively cooler with temperatures ranging from 20oC to 40oC with an average of 270C. The prevailing winds are the northers and trade winds.

Ecological Features
Biliran consists of a main island where the seven municipalities are located and an island municipality. There are also several isles and islets. The province has narrow coastal areas and a mountainous interior. Steep volcanic peaks dominate the central part of the province. It has one active volcano known as Caibiran Volcano Mt. Suiro rises on the southeastern portion with an elevation of more than 1,300 meters

Hydrology
The province is endowed with abundant water supply. It has numerous springs used for agriculture as well as for human consumption. Many inland water sources and waterfalls are found in the province.

Soil
An agricultural province, Biliran's soil types consist mainly of Guimbaloan Clay, Umingan Clay and Louisiana Clay, which are all suitable for planting to a wide range of crops.

Land Use
Forest area, located mostly in Mt. Maripipi and in the main island mountain ranges (Mts. Panamao and Sayao), constitutes about 23% of the total area of the province. Grassland and agricultural land occupy 17% and 56%, respectively. Built-up area is limited to about 3%. Primary settlements are concentrated along the coastal areas of the main island and in Maripipi. The existing land use pattern as presented in Table 4.2 must be enhanced by rehabilitation of watersheds in order to pursue a sustainable growth of the province. The remaining forest cover must be conserved to primarily serve as watershed rather than as source of timber.

Table 4.2 Current Land Use

Land Use	Area (km2)	Percentage to Total Land Area
Forest Land	130.25	23
Grassland	91.59	17
Built-up	18.72	3
Agricultural	308.81	56
Fishponds, Mangrove, Inland Water Area	6.05	1
Provincial Total	555.42	100

Source: Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Region 8, 1998

4.3 Demography & Socio-Economic Conditions

Demography
Based on the 2000 Census on Population and Housing conducted by the National Statistics Office, Biliran had a total population of 140,274, which consisted of 71,259 males and 69,015 females or a sex ratio of 103.2. This total population was higher by 8,065 persons compared to the 1995 census. The average annual population growth rate during the inter-censal period 1995 to 2000 was 1.28%, down from 2.15% during the 1990-1995 period. The same 2000 census showed that Biliran had 27,909 households, which translates to an average household size of 5.0.

Among the eight municipalities, Naval had the largest population comprising 27.07 % of the total provincial population. This was followed by the municipalities of Caibiran (13.98%), Cabucgayan (12.61%), and Kawayan (12.48%).

Population density was 252.5 persons per square kilometer. The major dialects are Waray-waray, which is spoken by 37.66% of the total population, and the Cebuano dialect, which accounts for 36.73%.

In 2000, the age dependency ratio of the household population was 85.2, a little bit higher than the regional average of 83.8. It may be noted that Region 8 had the highest number of dependents nationwide at this value.

In terms of fertility, Biliran and Leyte had a projected rate of 4.64 for the period 1995-2000, which compares to the regional projected fertility rate of 4.89, considered the second highest nationwide. Life expectancy in the province was estimated at 66.53 years in 1997 and 67.59 years in 2000. Compared to the national average, both figures are lower considering that the country had life expectancy estimates of 68.03 and 68.94 years for 1997 and 2000, respectively.

Agriculture
Biliran's economy is predominantly agricultural. The total agricultural production area is 30,881 ha or roughly 56% of the total land area of the province.

In 2002, based on the data given by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, palay production reached more than 55,500 metric tons. The total area planted to palay was 15,362 hectares; the average yield was estimated at 3.62 MT/ha. In 2004, there were 299 licensed rice retailers and there were 56 rice mills.

Corn production in 2002 was 710 MT from 650 hectares of land, or an average yield of 1.09 MT/ha.

Coconuts are also widely grown in the province. According to the Naval Office of the Philippine Coconut Authority, there were more than 23,346,000 coconuts that were harvested from January to October 2004 from 21,373 hectares of coconut plantations. In 2001, there were 12,783 farmers and farm workers in the coconut industry in addition to 63 coconut traders.

Various fruits also abound in Biliran. For banana alone 13,775 MT were produced from 2001 to 2003.

The following table shows the volume of crops produced from 2000 - 2002:

Table 4.3
Volume of Production by Type of Crop (in kilograms)
Province of Biliran, 1998-2002

Type of Crop	Year
	2000	2001	2002
1.Abaca	21,164	15,450	15,450
2.Banana	13,882,523	13,693,726	13,693,726
3.Cacao	22,541	22,118	22,118
4.Calamansi	30,903	30,895	30,895
5.Coconut	33,166,768	34,439,479	34,439,479
6.Coffee	7,844	7,234	7,234
7.Mango	42,910	42,490	42,490
8.Papaya	9,541	9,912	9,912
9.Pineapple	136,027	134,490	134,490

Source: Bureau of Agricultural Statistics

Trade and Commerce
There are three major areas that help promote trade and commerce in the province. There is the municipality of Biliran where a bridge connects the province to mainland Leyte and the rest of the country through the national road network. It is the major gateway to Ormoc, Leyte and Metro Manila. The second, which is the most active in terms of economic activity, is the central business district of Naval. Medium-sized vessels and ferryboats that regularly ply the Naval - Cebu City route via the Naval Port help stimulate trade and commerce in the province. Major inflow and outflow of goods by land and sea transport are observed in this area. The other area is the Kawayan-Culaba-Caibiran-Cabucgayan coastal zone. Marine and agricultural products from these municipalities 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 entering the province include canned goods, garments, construction materials, metal products, pharmaceuticals, electronic appliances, school and office supplies, petrochemicals, plastic wares, and consumer items.

For the year 2000, a total of PhP 15.23 million in investments were generated by DTI-assisted employers resulting to the employment of 1,172 persons.

The table below presents the number of establishments in the province from 1991 - 2001.

Table 4.4
Number of Establishments by Major Industry Division
Province of Biliran, 1999-2001

Major Industry Division	1999	2000	2001
Agriculture, Hunting & Forestry	9	7	6
Fishery	1	1	1
Mining & Quarrying	-	-	-
Manufacturing	184	188	181
Electricity, Gas & Water	4	3	3
Construction	17	-	-
Wholesale & Retail	580	604	596
Hotels & Restaurants	75	76	72
Transport, Storage & Communication	141	145	142
Financial Intermediation	20	23	22
Services	25	26	26
Education	5	6	6
Health & Social Work	21	20	19
Other Community, Social & Personal Services	68	64	59
Provincial Total	1,150	1,163	1,133

Source: Regional Social and Economic Trends 2002

Employment
There were 82,000 people of working age (15 years old and above) in the province in 2003. Employment rate has greatly decreased from 95.0% in April 2002 to 85.1% in April 2003. The labor force participation rate (LPFR) in the province was placed at 84.8% or about 70,000 as of April 2003.

The tables below provide relevant statistical data on labor and employment in the province.

Table 4.5 Labor and Employment Data
Province of Biliran, 2002 and 2003

.	April 2002	April 2003
Total Labor Force (in thousand)	72	82
Labor Force Participation Rate	76.8	84.8
Employment Rate	95	85.1
Unemployment Rate	5	14.9
Visible Underemployment Rate	26	13.5

Source: National Statistical Coordination Board

Table 4.6 Labor Force and Employment Status of Household Population
(15 years old and over)
Province of Biliran, 2000 and 2003 (in thousands)

.	2000			2003
	Total	Women	Men	Total	Women	Men
HH Population 15 years & over	89	46	43	95	46	49
In the Labor Force	47	23	24	70	29	41
Employed	54	21	33	66	27	39
Unemployed	3	2	1	4	2	2

Source: Regional Social and Economic Trends, NSCB

Health
(The following data were taken from the Biliran Province Health Investment Plan 2006 - 2010.)

The Biliran Provincial Hospital (BPH) is the only hospital in the province that caters to the 8 municipalities and nearby towns and barangays of Leyte. Its authorized bed capacity is 25. The average number of in-patients per day is 78 with a percentage occupancy rate of 311% owing to over-utilization of hospital services. Bed to population ratio is 1:5,611 (2004). It has an average outpatient consultation of 75 patients per day with a total annual consultation of 27,473.

Health infrastructures in the province consist of 8 Rural Health Units, 35 Barangay Health Stations, and 4 community hospitals that provide services to 132 barangays.

At the municipal level, doctor to population ratio is ideal compared to the standard ratio of 1:20,000 populations except for the capital town, Naval, which has 1:43,000-population ratio. There are only 3 dentists in the entire province, that is, 1 dentist covering 3 municipalities. Eight RHU's are Sentrong Sigla Phase I Level I accredited and PhilHealth accredited. Two RHU's namely Almeria and Kawayan are SS Phase II Level I accredited, the 1st RHU's in the region to be accredited as of October 2005. All RHU's are not yet TB-DOTS and Maternity Care Package accredited.

A general picture of the health situation in the province, as compared to the regional and national data, is shown in the table below.

Table 4.7 Vital Health Indices
Province of Biliran, 2004

Indicator	Province	Regional Data	National Data
IMR, per 1,000 live births	15	9.8	29
MMR, per 100,000 live births	235	122	172
CBR, per 1,000 population	23.03	23.25	-
CDR, per 1,000 population	5.08	4.17	4.8

The Crude Birth Rate (CBR) increased from 22.45 in 2002 to 23.03 per 1,000 population in 2004, which is more or less the same with the regional CBR of 23.25. The municipality of Caibiran has the highest CBR of 28.01 per 1,000 population, which is much higher than the regional situation.

Crude Death Rate (CDR) in 2002 was 5.8 and in 2004 was 5.08 per 1,000 population. Kawayan has the highest CDR of 7.08 per 1,000 population. This is higher than the national average of 4.8 and the regional rate, which is 4.17 per 1,000 population. Pneumonia is still the number 1 leading cause of death.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) was 12.47 in 2002 and increased to 15/1,000 live births in 2004, the second highest in the region. As shown in Table 3 there is a decreasing trend compared to the past five years and pneumonia still ranks as the number 1 cause of infant death.

The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in 2002 was 2.47. There were 8 maternal deaths in 2004, with MMR of 2.35/1,000 live births and reported to be the highest in Region 8. Hemorrhage due to Uterine Atony, Eclampsia, and Placental Retention was among the top three major causes of maternal deaths.

The table below clearly shows that while communicable and/or infectious diseases continue to be the leading causes of both morbidity and mortality in the province, non-communicable diseases and/or lifestyle diseases are emerging as major public health problems.

Table 4.8 Leading Causes of Mortality
Number and Rate per 100,000 Population
Biliran Province
5 - year Average (1999 - 2003) & 2004

Causes	5 year - average		2004
	Number	Rate	Number	Rate
Pneumonia	163	112.35	153	103.32
HCVD	109	75.37	118	79.69
Cancer	70	48.26	76	51.32
Heart Disease	45	30.74	55	37.14
PTB	62	42.93	43	29.04
COPD	25	17.17	41	27.69
Bleeding Peptic Ulcer	26	18.18	26	17.56
Renal Diseases	39	26.66	25	16.88
DM	10	7.04	19	12.83
Accidents	28	18.87	11	7.43

Additionally, in terms of sanitation, Biliran had 18,681 households with water-sealed toilet facilities. (Although these data were reported in the 2004 RSET, they were based on the 2000 Census of Population and Housing.) Based on the 2004 Annual Weighing Report for children aged 0-71 months old, 20.4% was found to be below normal weight (low) and 2.8% to be below normal weight (very low). The majority, consisting of 75.6%, was of normal weight and only 1.1% was above normal.

Financial Institutions
Three financial institutions operate in the province: the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Philippine National Bank, and the Rural Bank of Naval. Both Land Bank and PNB have ATM's and provide on-line transactions. In addition, there are a number of lending investors and credit cooperatives that extend financial services.

Education
In response to the need for basic education, the Department of Education (DepEd) Division of Biliran has nine school districts in each municipality, except for Naval, which has two school districts. Naval likewise is the seat of the Division Office. Based on 2004 data, Biliran has a total of 125 public and 3 private elementary schools. It also has 18 secondary schools, with 16 under DepEd, 1 secondary laboratory school at NIT under CHED, and 1 private school. Moreover, there are 4 government-run learning institutions in the province that cater to tertiary level education, foremost of which is the Naval Institute of Technology.

Based on the May 2000 census, the simple literacy rate in the province for people 10 to 64 years old was 90.80%. The RSET 2004 published by NSCB showed that for the school year 2003 - 2004 Biliran had a gross enrolment rate of 84.27% for the elementary level and 52.78 for the secondary level, both of which are higher than the regional average of 82.03% and 42.66%, respectively.

Peace and Order
Biliran is generally a peaceful province and there is no known incidence of insurgency in recent times. The provincial command center is stationed in Naval.

As of 2004, the total number of police personnel in the province was 176, of which 52 were assigned in the Biliran Police Provincial Office, 18 in the mobile group, and the rest to the eight municipal police stations. For the period January to December 2005, the crime volume was 212, the average monthly crime rate was 11.17%, and the crime solution efficiency was 89.72%.

In 2004 the number of fire stations increased from 2 to 3 and correspondingly the number of fire trucks from 3 to 4. There were 42 personnel in the fire department.

4.4 Infrastructure and Utilities

Transportation
The existing transportation network in the province, specifically the national and provincial roads, is not adequate enough to provide easy access between municipalities and therefore prevents efficient inter-local and inter-provincial movement. Although there is the circumferential road that links the capital town of Naval with the rest of the municipalities along the island's periphery on the one hand, and the Naval-Caibiran cross-country road that links the two municipalities, located on opposite sides of the island, on the other hand, much still remains to be done in terms improving accessibility through concrete-paved roads. The 250?meter Biliran Bridge serves as the vital link between the province and mainland Leyte.

Moreover, there are scheduled ferry services from several municipal seaports in the province to other localities. The Naval seaport (see Figure 9.1), for example, serves commercial vessels plying the Naval-Cebu route, though the port itself has to be extended and improved so as to accommodate more ships traversing inter-provincial destinations. It would help Biliran greatly if the Naval seaport is given priority for expansion since it plays a very important role in the socio?economic development of the province.

Roads
A good road network helps stimulate business growth in a locality especially if it is coupled with efficient transportation and communication systems. This efficient transport network entices businessmen, traders, investors, financial institutions and entrepreneurs to invest in an area because it ensures fast and efficient transfer of goods and services within and outside the geographical limits of a locality.

Biliran Province has a national road network of 132.0 km. The Biliran circumferential road which is 110 km point to point links the seven (7) municipalities, while the 21.0 km cross-country road serves the shortest route between Naval and the municipalities of Caibiran and Culaba.

Table 4.9 Status of National Road
Province of Biliran, 2004

Category	2000	2001	2002	2003
National Road	132	132	132	132
Gravel	89	66	66	66.368
Concrete	43	66	66	65.393

Sources: RSET, NSCB for 2000 & 2001 data; DPWH-BED for 2002 & 2003 data

The province also has 57.0 km of road categorized as Provincial Road. Thirty-two (32) km are gravel roads, which represent 56% of the total road length while 24.0 km or 44% are concrete-paved.

Table 4.10 Status of Provincial Road
Province of Biliran, 2004

Category	2000	2001	2002	2003
Provincial Road	57	57	57	57
Gravel	34	34	34	32
Concrete	23	23	23	25

Sources: RSET, NSCB for 2000 & 2001 data; PEO-Biliran for 2002 & 2003 data

The total length of the existing rural roads is 361.229 km. Naval has the longest aggregate length with 85.833 km and Cabucgayan the shortest with 24.724 km. The municipality of Maripipi has the highest rural road density with 1.426 km/sq. km.; the least road density belongs to Culaba with 0.366 km/sq. km.

To complement the road network of the province are 54 bridges mostly of RCDG and Bailey type. Six (6) of these bridges are along the Biliran circumferential road, seven (7) are along the Naval-Caibiran cross-country road, and three (3) are along provincial roads. They are mostly nationally funded through the DPWH but other funding sources came from foreign donors like the UK, Spain & Germany.

Ports
All of the municipalities in the province have seaports but these ports can accommodate small vessels only. The commercial port in Naval, however, can accommodate small- and medium-sized vessels. The Naval seaport serves commercial vessels plying the Naval-Cebu route although the port has to be extended and improved so as to accommodate more ships traversing inter-provincial destinations. It would help Biliran greatly if the Naval seaport is given priority for expansion since it plays a very important role in the socio-economic development of the province. A roll-on/roll-off (RORO) type of port is being proposed for implementation in Kawayan under the Nautical Highway Program (Eastern Seaboard) of the government.

There is a 1-km airstrip that is located in the province but it requires improvement, especially the paving of the landing strip and by constructing a building.

Communication
Communication is indispensable in charting the course toward socio-economic development and cultural promotion of a community. It is essential that local government units desiring to attain economic progress must have efficient communication systems in place.

There are two telecommunications companies, namely Globe and Smart, that operate in the province and both are based in Naval. They offer cellular phone services in the poblacion areas of almost all of the municipalities (Figure B-8), except in Maripipi, which is served by Globe only. Globe Telecoms also operates a local phone exchange in the poblacion of Naval and its neighboring barangays that enable people to make national and international direct dial calls (NDD & IDD) and access the Internet through broadband and dial-up connections. Public calling offices, courier service companies (LBC & JRS), and money transfer centers are also available in Naval.

In addition, Biliran has access to tri-media facilities - radio, print, and broadcast. A radio station, DYRN, operating on the FM band is based in Naval. Besides, radio signals from AM and FM stations based in Tacloban, Cebu, Iloilo and even in the Bicol Region are being picked up in the province due to its geographic location.

National dailies are available via Tacloban City. Tabloids of regional circulation are being distributed in Naval daily and weekly. There is no local newspaper, however. Two companies provide cable TV; these are Bilinet and Naval Cable.

Energy and Electrification
Power supply for Biliran comes from the Tongonan Geothermal Plant in Kananga, Leyte. It is distributed by the Biliran Electric Cooperative (BILECO), which maintains a 5-MVA substation. BILECO serves the eight municipalities of the province including the island municipality of Maripipi and the island of Higatangan, Naval, both of which are under the National Power Corporation - Small Power Utilities Group (NPC-SPUG). It is believed that power coming from Tongonan can support the requirements for electricity of the province beyond 2020 since it is even exporting electric power to the Luzon and Visayas grids. However, a preliminary study is presently being conducted to determine the feasibility of putting up mini-hydro electric power plants as alternative source of reliable, affordable and more efficient source of energy.

As of 2004 all barangays in the province had been energized already but only 60.06% of the households had electricity. Table 4.11 shows the number of service connections by consumer type while Table 4.12 presents the household connections by municipality.

Table 4.11 Service Connection by Type of Consumer by Municipality
Province of Biliran, 2004

MUNICIPALITY	TYPE OF CONSUMER
	Residential	Commercial	Industrial	Others
Almeria	1,781	46	0	32
Biliran	1,596	30	0	29
Cabucgayan	1,870	56	0	24
Caibiran	1,711	57	0	24
Culaba	1,056	34	0	16
Kawayan	2,010	45	0	39
Maripipi	540	14	0	20
Naval	4,617	529	0	120
Provincial Total	15,121	811	0	384

Source: Biliran Electric Cooperative

Table 4.12 Household Connections by Municipality
Province of Biliran, 2001 - 2004

Municipality	Y E A R
	2001	2002	2003	2004
Almeria	1,641	1,703	1,832	1,858
Biliran	1,433	1,476	1,584	1,596
Cabucgayan	1,693	1,770	1,907	1,950
Caibiran	1,542	1,603	1,752	1,792
Culaba	954	1,002	1,094	1,106
Kawayan	1,898	1,945	2,083	2,094
Maripipi	478	540	565	574
Naval	4,726	4,852	5,203	5,266
Provincial Total	14,355	14,891	16,538	16,763

Source: Biliran Electric Cooperative

Water Supply
Biliran is known to be abundant in water resources. It is no wonder that seven of its eight municipalities have Level 3 water supply systems, with the exception of the island municipality of Maripipi primarily because of the nature of its terrain and the lack of underground and surface water sources.

According to the 2004 Regional Socio-Economic Trends (RSET) published by the National Statistical Coordination Board, Biliran had 24,858 households out of the 27,909 households (89.07%) with access to community water systems and tubed/piped shallow wells in 2004.

The Naval Water District supplies water in the capital town. Its main sources are the Bongot Spring and Pili Spring in Brgy. Lucso-on, Naval. Other municipalities have piped water systems provided by their respective LGUs. The data below show the water production and the number of household served by the water district for the period 2001 - 2004 and Table 4.13 shows the type of consumers served.

Year	Water Production (cu. m.)	Households Served
2001	1, 242,744	3,499
2002	1, 222,730	3,610
2003	1,346,386	3,769
2004	1,045,000	3,945

Table 4.13 Type of Consumers Served
Municipality of Naval, 2001 - 2004

Type of Consumer	Y E A R
	2001	2002	2003	2004
1.Residential	3,117	3,233	3,360	3,480
2.Commercial	377	377	409	465
3.Industrial	-	-	-	-
Provincial Total	3,494	3,610	3,769	3,945

Source : Naval Water District

Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project (RW3SP)
The ADB-assisted RW3SP was aimed at addressing the basic social needs of the people particularly on water and sanitation. The Project answered partially the physical targets defined in the water supply, sewerage and sanitation sector plan of the province, which was prepared in 1999 with technical and funding assistance form the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It focused on the 20 poorest provinces covering the period 1997 - 2001; it was implemented in coordination with DPWH for the water supply implementation, DOH for the sanitation component, and DILG for institutional development.

The province of Biliran shared 10% and the Barangay Water and Sanitation Associations (BWSA's) another 10% for the cost of constructing the water supply facilities. Below is a summary of the projects implemented under RW3SP.

Table 4.14 Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project
Province of Biliran, 1997-2001

Municipality	Developed Spring	Spring Rehab	Deep Well	Deep Well Rehabilitation	Shallow Well	Total
Almeria	2	3	-	-	-	5
Biliran	-	3	-	-	3	6
Cabucgayan	4	-	3	1	23	31
Caibiran	15	13	-	-	-	28
Culaba	4	1	7	-	-	12
Kawayan	6	1	3	1	-	11
Maripipi	1	-	25	15	0	41
Naval	2	5	-	-	-	7
Total	34	26	38	17	26	141

Source: Provincial Planning & Dev't Office

Irrigation, Shore Protection and Flood Control
Figures B-18 and B-12 show respectively the existing infrastructure provision and additional infra requirements for irrigation, shore protection and flood control.

Determination of infrastructure requirements for irrigation, shore protection and flood control will be difficult to do, as there are no clear and specific provision standards. Provision of these types of infrastructures depend much on the approved resolutions as requested by the beneficiaries, the work programs of the implementing agencies, and the availability of funds for such structures.

Solid and Liquid Waste Disposal
Presently there is no existing tertiary level infrastructure provision for liquid and solid waste disposal in the province of Biliran. Liquid waste is generally collected in individual septic tanks. Solid wastes, on the other hand, are disposed of into open pits and controlled dumpsites.

As there are no sewerage systems and higher-level garbage disposal sites in the province, it is required that at least a 1-hectare sanitary landfill or controlled dumpsite be located in Naval in addition to its present 1-hectare open dumpsite in order to meet the future waste disposal requirements of the province's primary urban center and in compliance to RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

Recreation and Leisure
The major sports center in Biliran is the Provincial Sports Center located in Brgy. Larrazabal, Naval. It has a 600-seater grandstand of reinforced concrete construction, a 450-seater wooden bleacher, and a 250-seater shed adjacent to an Olympic-size swimming pool. The sports center also has a 400-meter track oval, the center of which serves as standard fields for baseball and softball; and a soccer/football field and standard basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts. Although this center has hosted provincial and regional-level competitions, it still requires the extension of the existing grandstand and the construction of a complementary multi-purpose gym to make it truly a provincial sports center.

The Municipal Government of Naval is presently constructing a spacious gymnasium in the poblacion. It is designed to host major sports events and large gatherings and it is expected that the structure will be finished in two or three years.

Another recreational facility of the Provincial Government is the Family Park that is located adjacent to the swimming pool at the Provincial Sports Complex. This park is landscaped, has a mini swimming pool, as well as kiosks and comfort rooms/dressing rooms.

Still another facility owned by the province is the Masagongsong Swimming Pool in Brgy. Masagongsong, Kawayan. The water in this pool is always fresh and cool because it is supplied from a freely flowing spring source. There are also a conference hall, rest houses, kiosks, and dressing rooms in the area. There is also the San Bernardino Swimming Pool in Caibiran, which is similar in most aspects to the Masagongsong Falls.

Because Biliran is endowed with natural tourist attractions, a tourist or vacationer can take his/her pick from among waterfalls, beach resorts, water springs, coral reefs, caves and mountains and other natural scenic sites.

Waterfalls and natural water springs
Biliran has more than a dozen waterfalls, some of which have not been reached by the evaluating team from the provincial government or by nature-loving adventurists because of lack of access to the site. Two of these waterfalls that are being proposed to be developed into eco-tourism parks are the Kasabangan Falls in Sitio Tagaytay, Brgy. Balaquid, Cabucgayan and the Tinago Falls in Sitio Pulang Yuta, Brgy. Cabibihan, Caibiran. The other known falls include the Casiawan Falls in Cabucgayan, and the Bagombong, Kinaraha, and Pundol Falls in Almeria. And then there's the Tomalistis Falls, from which flows clear and sweet-tasting water that is believed to be one of the sweetest waters in the world. The Libtong Hot Spring is located in Naval while the Mainit Hot Spring can be found in the municipality of Caibiran.

White sand beaches, resorts, and seascapes
The island province takes pride in its white sand beaches: the Agta Beach resort in Almeria, the Banderahan Beach in Naval, the exotic island of Dalutan with its sculptured rock formations, the Sambawan Island with its rich marine life and coral gardens, the Higatangan Island, famous for its moving white sand bar, the Cogon Beach in Kawayan which is ideal for edible shellfish hunting, and the Genuruan Island in Kawayan which is ideal for water skiing and deep sea diving. There is also the Tingkasan Island, famous for its mysterious bat caves and edible shellfishes. The panoramic island of Maripipi has a beautiful marine seascape.