Putting People First: Data Spurs Local Governments to Rethink Priorities
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
| Municipality | No Elementary Education (%) | Food Insecurity (%) | Not in Labor Force (%) | Sick in Past Year (%) | PhilHealth Coverage (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose de Buan, Samar | 50.7 | 45.13 | 46.8 | 43 | 1.75 |
| Calbiga, Samar | 31.68 | 56.88 | 44.67 | 41.6 | 8.28 |
| Maasin City | 14.8 | 41.26 | 50.85 | 36.24 | 9.35 |
| Catbalogan City | 20.05 | 48.44 | 47.53 | 32.85 | 10.36 |
| Limasawa, Southern Leyte | 10.9 | 34.87 | 50.69 | 20.46 | 6.86 |
| Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte | 16.3 | 55.08 | 50.82 | 62.2 | 6.6 |
| Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte | 12.45 | 36.84 | 51 | 30.48 | 9.09 |
| Macrohon, Southern Leyte | 13.13 | 55.65 | 52.67 | 13.86 | 11.86 |
Source: Community-Based Monitoring System, Philippine Statistics Authority, 2022.
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
Zuellig Family Foundation Annual Report 2024
Empowering communities, strengthening leadership for better health outcomes
About the report
The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) Annual Report 2024 shares stories of change, lessons learned, and milestones in improving health outcomes for Filipinos.
Our work in 2024 focused on:
2024 at a glance
Local Health Systems
- 3.2M people registered under PhilHealth KONSULTA in partner areas.
- 100% primary care facility accreditation in almost all areas.
- UHC Champion Series shared practical lessons across LGUs.
Nutrition
- Reduced stunting and wasting in Basilan, Samar, Northern Samar, Sarangani, Zamboanga del Norte, and Siargao towns.
- Launched Nutrition Leadership and Equity Acceleration Program (NutriLEAP) with the League of Provinces of the Philippines to strengthen provincial leadership.
- Rolled out the Pook Malusog Dashboard for easier, data-based decisions.
Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health
- 11 cities lowered the adolescent birth rate below 20 per 1,000.
- Adolescent-friendly health facilities grew to 555.
- Recognized work with partners through national and global learning events.
ZFF Institute for Health Leadership
- Coached and trained fellows under the RRR Fellowship to solve health system gaps.
- Worked with academic partners to scale leadership programs.
- Sustained ISO-certified learning quality and CPD accreditation.
ZFF will continue working with provinces, cities, and municipalities to accelerate health reforms, scale nutrition programs, and empower youth and communities.
Read the full report here:
ZFF Annual Report 2024