kaban galing - front cover - galing pook

In 2003 the province started implementing a three-year Local Poverty
Reduction Action Plan based on the progam framework. It ranked all
the municipalities and barangays according to levels of deprivation and
used four indicators to measure progress: (1) percentage of child
malnutrition; (2) percentage of population without potable water sources;
(3) percentage of households without sanitary toilets; and (4) percentage
of school dropouts.
The Roadmap
The poverty reduction program employed a two-pronged strategy: (a)
increasing access by the poor to basic services; and (b) stimulating
investments in eco-cultural tourism, agricultural productivity, technology
and livelihood development. Clearly, one arm of the poverty reduction
action plan was the ecotourism program which was growing strong and
fast.
Mobilization of entire communities was a crucial element. Tourismoriented
bodies, such as the municipal and barangay councils, helped
broaden the opportunity to inculcate ecotourism values among the
people. With better and mutually advantageous linkages among nongovernment
organizations, local governments, national government
agencies and people’s organizations, communities that were once
impoverished have become productive and moving toward becoming
self-sufficient.
Financial assistance for livelihood was put in place, and trainings
and seminars on livestock raising, vegetable production, dressmaking
and novelty items making, and cooperatives building were conducted.
At the initial stage, the poverty reduction program did not have donor
support. It had to rely on local governments and non-government
organizations for funding of household surveys and the establishment of
a database management unit.
The Bohol Poverty Reduction Management Office devised a
convergence strategy that enabled it to mobilize resources from
international donors, national government agencies, non-government
organizations, and organized communities and beneficiaries. In 2004,
it had generated a total assistance of P10.1 million, of which 10%, or
more than P1 million, represented the counterpart of organized
communities and individuals. The amount helped finance the various
poverty reduction projects.
10 Kaban Galing