Tacloban City — Local leaders from Samar and Southern Leyte closed a three-day workshop on September 19, 2025, with a firm pledge to put people at the center of their development plans. The release of the 2022 Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) data prompted the workshop, revealing serious gaps in education, food security, jobs, and health across eight municipalities in Eastern Visayas.

Participants admitted that despite years of government investments, fragmented programs and infrastructure-heavy spending left many services underfunded. During the workshop, they treated the CBMS data not only as a report but as a wake-up call.

Troubling Gaps in Human Development

The CBMS numbers highlighted urgent challenges which contribute to local human capital development:

• Education: In San Jose de Buan, half of adults in unions had not completed elementary school. Calbiga, Catbalogan, and Maasin also showed large education gaps that continue to trap families in poverty.
• Food Security: Hunger persists in many areas. Calbiga reported the highest food insecurity at 56.88%, with Macrohon, Tomas Oppus, and Catbalogan also recording alarming rates.
• Health: Illness rates reached 62.2% in Tomas Oppus and 43% in San Jose de Buan. Yet PhilHealth coverage stayed critically low, with no municipality surpassing 12% and San Jose de Buan reporting only 1.75%.

Related articles:

• Learning and Working Together: Insights from the Youth Leadership Colloquiums in Southern Leyte and Samar
• Youth and Local Leaders Join Forces to Prevent Teen Pregnancies in Samar
• Southern Leyte Shows Progress in Reducing Teen Pregnancies

Turning Data Into Action

The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) organized the workshop under the Joint Programme on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy (JPARAP) with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). ZFF guided participants in aligning their development priorities with the Philippine Population and Development Plan of Action (PPD-POA) and measuring their success thru a developed local human development index

Health, planning, budget, nutrition, and population officers reviewed their draft Municipal Population and Development Plans of Action through focused sessions. Participants committed to carry forward people-centered priorities in their respective local government unit (LGU)’s planning cycles.

A Call for People-Centered Governance

By the end of the workshop, participants were united in one message: CBMS data must not gather dust in filing cabinets. It should serve as a mirror, reflecting the real needs of communities. Progress, they said, should no longer be measured by the number of buildings or roads completed, but by how many lives are improved.

The challenge now lies with LGUs: to show that governance is not about scattered projects or token budgets, but about truly putting people first.

Author: Floro Acaba Jr., ZFF EYLGP Provincial Account Officer for Samar

Tacloban City — Local government leaders from Samar and Southern Leyte gathered for a two-day workshop last September 16–17, 2025, that focused on a shared goal: making the most of PhilHealth resources to support adolescent health.

The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) organized the activity under its Expanded Youth Leadership and Governance Program (EYLGP). The workshop formed part of the Joint Programme on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy (JPARAP) supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Dr. Ofelia Alcantara, a public health advocate and former mayor of Tolosa, Leyte, facilitated the sessions. Over 20 participants from nine municipalities joined:

• Southern Leyte: Sogod, Libagon, Bontoc, Liloan, Malitbog
• Samar: Marabut, Basey, Sta. Rita, Villareal

A Shared Vision for Young People’s Health

The gathering highlighted the commitment of local government units (LGUs) to reduce adolescent pregnancy and promote youth leadership in health governance. The discussions built on the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act of 2019, which guarantees access to quality and affordable health services.

Dr. Alcantara encouraged LGUs to view PhilHealth funds as a lifeline. “PhilHealth reimbursements are not just numbers, they’re lifelines for our communities. We need to ensure that every peso translates into better care, especially for our youth,” she said.

Related articles:

• Learning and Working Together: Insights from the Youth Leadership Colloquiums in Southern Leyte and Samar
• Youth and Local Leaders Join Forces to Prevent Teen Pregnancies in Samar
• Southern Leyte Shows Progress in Reducing Teen Pregnancies

Strengthening Local Capacity

The UNFPA-ZFFproject  in  partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), Philhealth, and provincial governments of Samar and So. Leyte has already helped several LGUs secure Maternity Care Package (MCP) and accreditation, and ensure Primary Care Facilities (PCFs) are licensed. Despite these gains, LGUs still face challenges in managing funds, navigating PhilHealth’s online portal, and aligning reimbursements with their local health priorities.

To address these issues, the workshop introduced a four-part strategy:

1. Assess current practices and barriers in PhilHealth income use;
2. Develop a local fund management framework linked to UHC and adolescent health;
3. Deliver tailored mentoring and technical tools for LGUs; and
4. Produce a monograph to guide expansion and institutionalization.

The workshop opened a series of capacity-building activities for Samar and Southern Leyte. Municipal Health Officers, PhilHealth focal persons, and Provincial Development Management Officers actively joined the discussions. Partners from UNFPA and KOICA also expressed support.

LGUs in Samar and Southern Leyte now move forward with a stronger plan to maximize PhilHealth financing. Together with ZFF and its partners, they aim to turn adolescent reproductive health from a policy promise into a lived reality for young people in their communities.

Author: Floro Acaba Jr., ZFF EYLGP Provincial Account Officer for Samar

Tacloban City — A five-day parenting training gathered local workers in Samar to strengthen families’ role in guiding their children and preventing adolescent pregnancy.

The Expanded Youth Leadership and Governance Program (EYLGP), under the Joint Programme on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy (JPARAP), placed new focus on parents after consultations revealed that family guidance often receives less attention. Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan raised the concern in earlier discussions, which prompted program leaders to act.

From September 1 to 5, the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) and Masayang Pamilya, Inc. organized the training in Tacloban City. They used the Masayang Pamilya Para sa Batang Pilipino (MaPa) framework, an evidence-based program developed with Parenting for Lifelong Health. The sessions taught participants how to strengthen parent-child relationships, manage stress, and practice positive parenting.

Related articles:

• Learning and Working Together: Insights from the Youth Leadership Colloquiums in Southern Leyte and Samar
• Youth and Local Leaders Join Forces to Prevent Teen Pregnancies in Samar

Trainers also introduced the MaPa Teens Hybrid model, which combines parenting support with adolescent health education. The model encourages parents and children aged 10 to 17 to talk openly about relationships, reproductive health, and emotional well-being.

Twenty-five social and health workers from Calbayog, Catbalogan, and the Samar Provincial Government completed the training. They will work directly with families during a three-month pilot in selected communities. Organizers will monitor the pilot closely to track changes in family behavior and youth outcomes.

The results will be shared with the Provincial Government of Samar to explore how the initiative can be expanded under its One Values Program which also aims to strengthen the role of parents in their children’s education, health and well-being. Organizers believe that by working with parents and communities, the program can help young people grow healthier and more supported in their journey to adulthood.

The Provincial Government of Samar will review the results. If the pilot shows promise, leaders plan to expand the initiative across the province. ZFF believes that by equipping parents and communities with the right tools, families can raise healthier and more supported adolescents.

Authors: Floro Acaba Jr., ZFF EYLGP Provincial Account Officer for Samar; Krizzia Esperanza, ZFF Corporate Communications Associate