Email Address
sanfrancamotes@yahoo.com.ph
FromNatGov
on
NameOfGroup
San Francisco Municipality, Camotes Islands
NameOfFocalPoint Zenaida-Delica Wilinson
Title
Solution Forum 3
StreetAddress
San Francisco , Camotes Islands, Philippines
City
San Francisco
StateProvReg
Camotes Islands, Cebu
Country
Philippines
PostalCode
6050
PhoneBusiness
069324970334
PhoneMobile
09205246122
PhoneFax
069324970334
Challenged by multifaceted environmental, political, economic, sociocultural issues including peoples's apathy, geographic isolationism,
environmental destruction, strong feudalism, political violence and
dependency paradigm, which perpetuated poverty, the Local Government
Unit (LGU) of San Francisco instituted in 2000 a local and step by step
solution to improve the living condition of its people.
1 - Description
The LGU, led by its mayor started the reforms on social services in the
areas of health, child protection, sanitation and education. The
establishment of six marine protected areas, mangrove forest, endemic tree
nurseries and reforestation program generates local employment in income
while protecting their local natural resource. Institutionalizing dialogue with
illegal fishers and logger including the chainsaw operators safeguards
village people's interest. Such efforts attract more local and international
tourists to island. Children and Young people are primarily engaged in the
whole process.
The main partners of San Francisco municipality is Plan International, a
non-government organization whith headquarters in England. Plan
International works in poor and depressed areas in developing countries
and San Francisco is one of its chosen partners since late 1980s. The work
revolves around Child Centered Community Development, Governance,
Water and Sanitation, Health, Livelihood, Education, Natural Resource
Management.
2 - MainPartners
3 - Achievements
Plan works with government agencies and organized group at the
communities on Situational Analysis, Planning, and Implementation,
Monitoring and Evaluation. Series of capacity development activities were
introduced by Plan after participatory assessment and analysis were
conducted. Community Managed Projects were funded by Plan with local
counterpart and community involvement. Other partners include Ramon
Aboitiz Foundation Inc. and the ECOGOV on Environmental Protection and
Preservation.
The introduction of the Solid Waste Management at the household level in
2000 and the Community Based Disaster Risk Management in 2007 led to
an award to San Francisco as the cleanest and greenest municipality for
tree consecutive years (2008-2010) at the provincial level. San Francisco
used to rank as 2nd in malnutrition rate in the entire Cebu Province. In
2010, Camotes Island became the hall of farmer all throughout the country
on community-based health management system. In 2011, San Francisco
received the model town award from the Cebu province and the recognized
Sasakawa Award from the UNISDR. At the same time, the vice mayor was
recognized and awarded as the champion in the resilient cities campaign
for Asia and Pacific by the UNISDR. More than 40,000 people in the whole
municipality benefit in the building resilience campaign, home based solid
waste management and community managed health systems. The local
government protect the more than 600 hundred hectares of Danao Lake
inside the island, which is a host to local reeds, known as Soli-Soli, a
resource for mat weaving bags, and other native decors. The massive
plantation and periodic harvest of this resource brings the people a
sustainable source of income all throughout the year. Soli-Soli also serves
as carbon sequester that offset the islands' carbon emission. It also filters
and prevents soil erosion. San Francisco has Soli-Soli Festival every year
that attracts tourists and income. Danao Lake is adjudged as the second
cleanest lake in the Philippines. It's where the biggest endemic tree
nurseries are found whose wildlings are taken from the natural trees at the
lake sides. Community and home based wilding collections for the nursery
stockss also generate income espacially for the school children during
weekends and vacation time.
With the integration of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change
Adaptation with Solid Waste Management and Community Based Health
Systems, San Francisco, Camotes introduces the concept of Climate Smart
Disaster Risk Management. It then becomes the learning hub in the
province. Neighboring provinces tour to San Francisco with international
visitors to learn the evolving practices on community resilience. The local
authorities and its partners are spreading the good news trough local southsouth exchange, forums, radio guesting and capacity development.
4 - Sustainability
Development plan is based from the municipality's vulnerability and risk
assessments. The budget on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
and Climate Change Adaptation was legislated and approved for five years.
Other development budget reinforces the DRR and CCA Fund. Continuing
Education in schools and public awareness in the communities bring
sustainable mechanisms and ensure that communication reaches the
farthest members of the Purok Systems.
"Think Big Tart Small" is the unique formula for San Francisco. Believing in
the capacity of household members, children, the olds, farmers, fishers,
gardeners, teachers, men and women, environmentalists and capacitating
local talents and champions in the different sectors of the municipality is a
key for development.
5 - Innovation
6 - Replicability
The Purok System is established in each village. It has an organizational
structure and functions. It maintains data and information from each
member household. It has a library, vegetable and herbal gardens, risk
maps, capital build up and material recovery facility for the solid waste
management. The Thematic Priorities of the Hyogo Framework for Actions
are translated into the local language, which helps the local people in
building community resilience.
Its simplicity is the main reason why it can be adopted, replicated and
scaled up. The following are some ingredients that make it easy to
replicate: updating community risk assessments results, participatory
planning, recognition of contributions, localization and simplification of
development jargons, inclusion of children and youth; making the
Department of Education as the learning hub; qualitative interventions and
feedback sessions, continuing training and other capacity development
activities.
a. Job creation: Now there is less cases of local migration due to local crop
plantation that is climate proof. After years of protecting local resource,
fishermen's catch improve and no longer travel deep seas. Natural
Resource Management brought job through weaving, nursery
management, wilding collections and tree planting and growing for fee.
Community based tourism through home stay and local food consumption;
and trained Emergency Response Team, which could be hired in the local
beach resorts for life guarding; brought income to household.
b. Income-generation: see above
c. Infrastructure development: Typhoon proof market structures, installation
of the Solar Power to Purok that are not energized yet. Small water
impounding construction, protect farmers from invasions.
d. Education: Establishment of Children and Women protection unit,
campaign on anti-human trafficking, joint scholarship program, community
and school based health management systems.
7 - Contribution
e. Social inclusion: Purok System observes the principles of inclusion.
f. Outreach: Media, Network establishment local and international, theater
training, developing youth media correspondence.. learning visits and host
inter LGU training on resilience.
g. Networks: Social Networks, Print, Broadcast, local, national and
international ties with the govt and UN Bodies, linking the church and other
religious groups, local and international businessmen.
h. Environment: polution mitigation, minimization or combating of poaching
of wildlife, etc. launched 2million tree project, Ridge to Reef Approach, San
Francisco as Eco Town pilot model.
i. Global Health: Solid Waste Management, Malnutrition addressed
immediately, organized local health ambassadors...
j. Agriculture and Food security: Climate Proof products - establishing
green houses - MPA's vegetarian food campaign having the vice mayor as
the model...
8 - Awareness
Where possible, send copies of the actual articles as an annex - video,
websites availables and other necessary links.
9 - Other
See attached document