Supporting Local Health and Development in Southern Leyte and Samar
News
To help improve local health and development planning, the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), recently completed a comprehensive mapping and scanning assessment in nine areas across Southern Leyte and Samar. The activity ran from March 17 to 21, 2025, and focused on helping local governments include population and development strategies in their plans, with the goal of making sure community programs match the real needs of people on the ground.
The assessment covered nine towns and cities:
- Southern Leyte: Tomas Oppus, Maasin City, Macrohon, and Padre Burgos
- Samar: Calbayog City, Catbalogan City, San Jose de Buan, Calbiga, and Paranas
Listening to Local Leaders
A crucial aspect of the assessment was the direct engagement of leaders of local government units (LGUs). Led by Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III, ZFF Consultant, the team initiated discussions with key officials including Vice Mayor Maria Fe Crispina Poblete of Padre Burgos, Mayor Raymund Uy of Calbayog, and Mayor Eunice Babalcon of Paranas. All welcomed the support and expressed readiness to work closely on the next steps.
Notably, Mayor Babalcon led discussions on addressing health, population, and adolescent pregnancy challenges in her municipality, and pushed for using a localized Health Development Index (HDI) to track progress.
Dr. Perez stressed that the work is not just about gathering data, but about helping communities use that data to make better decisions.
The LGUs showed strong interest in working together, with eight out of the nine sample barangays identified as most at risk of being left behind in local development. These areas will now be monitored more closely, using existing health, population, and nutrition indicators.
What’s Next
Following the assessment, representatives from the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) met with the ZFF team. They agreed that the next phase of the project should adopt a multi-stakeholder process—following successful models of ZFF-led initiatives.
A planning workshop will be held in late May 2025. This will help LGUs use the findings from the assessment to guide their upcoming plans and budgets, especially with new local officials taking office.
The assessment revealed that each town and city has its own unique challenges and priorities. It also confirmed that local leaders are ready to act and that good data is key to making real change.
ZFF and its partners are hopeful. With continued teamwork and support, LGUs in Southern Leyte and Samar can build stronger, more responsive health and development programs—ones that truly meet the needs of their communities.