Use CBMS data to eradicate poverty in Sarangani

By Joy Sevilla
ALABEL, Sarangani (November 13, 2009) - Barangay captains in Malungon town were urged by Governor Migs Dominguez to consider and adopt the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS), a database which can be used as a tool for decision-making in establishing development programs in the barangays.

The meeting of the governor with Malungon barangay captains Thursday (November 12) at Isla Parilla Resort in Alabel will also be conducted with other barangay captains from other municipalities in the province to introduce how CBMS data can help in poverty reduction by hitting the target problem that can be identified in the barangay level.

Dominguez, in his presentation, said that Sarangani Province was identified as a self-sufficient, competitive, and globalized province, yet over the past 17 years, the province was still considered by surveys as one of the poorest provinces in the country.

In fact, Dominguez said, Sarangani was included in the top 20 poorest provinces of the country where it ranked number 3 in 2004 and number 11 in 2006."Kahit na nag-rank tayo na number 11 in 2006, hindi ko pa rin tatanggapin yun dahil marami pa rin tayong magagawa," he said.

The governor added that the bases for a province to be included in the top 20 most poor provinces of the country depends on three things: the quality of education, access to health, and access to potable water.

Thus the province invested into an accurate database project, the CBMS, that can be used in identifying where the province failed in implementing various projects for development.

The database was completed in July 2009. It will serve as the basis of the province, municipalities, and even barangays on what approach to be used in implementing projects.It was then learned that the root cause of poverty was found in the sitios and in the barangays.

Through CBMS results, it showed where the poorest barangays in the province are located, where education is mostly needed, and what areas need intervention for health assistance.

Dominguez said CBMS unravels that poverty after all is not elusive but deceptive. "With CBMS gusto natin mabago ang ating pananaw o pag-request ng tulong sa mayor o sa probinsiya. Imbes na humingi tayo ng pondo para sa pagpapatayo ng gym o stage, bakit hindi muna natin ayusin ang problema kung bakit tayo na-kunsidera na mahirap," he said."Kung lagi lang ganito ang ating pananaw, sasabihin ko sa inyo, walang sisihan paglaki ng mga bata at anak natin, walang sisihan kung in the next 20 or 30 years, mas magiging mahirap pa ang Sarangani. Kailangan nating lahat magbago ng pananaw dahil hindi namin ito kaya sa probinsiya, kailangan mag-isip tayo ng pareho," he added.

Dominguez also pointed out that the future of the young generation depends on the decisions that are made today by the leaders of the barangays.

He said CBMS can change the development plans of the barangays."We have to always focus on the problem ug ig-on g'yud nato ang problema," the governor said.

Meanwhile, Rene Paraba, provincial planning officer, said leaders in the barangays should appreciate CBMS data because it will help them identify their requirements."

In the past several years, maganda ang intensiyon natin sa probinsiya, pero hindi natin nakita kung nasaan ang ugat ng problema. Now that we have CBMS data, we can already hit the target," Paraba said. He said it is only now the provincial government has come up with such project. He said it was costly but worthy.

For his part, Vice Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon said CBMS is a high-value project that even other developed countries are using it."CBMS data is very accurate especially when we use it on how to lower down poverty statistics. This should be adopted by our municipalities," Solon said. (Joy Sevilla/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)