4.15.2008

Northern Samar, poorest province of the Philippines

Northern Samar is one of the poorest provinces of the entire Philippines. Northern Samar alongside Sulu and Masbate, were found to be the “poorest” provinces in the Philippines based on the National Poverty Map 2007 prepared by the Peace and Equity Foundation. The PEF identified the three provinces as having the “most pronounced conditions of poverty” among all the provinces in the country in a presentation last week during the World Bank-sponsored Panibagong Paraan ’08.

The provinces were ranked according to the PEF Development Index, which is based on various government poverty indicators, including the lack of housing, lack of access to clean water, sanitation facilities, incidence of malnutrition and income level.

Closely following Northern Samar, Sulu and Masbate at the low end of the PEF Development Index were Basilan, Western Samar, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, Sarangani, Zamboanga del Norte and Negros Oriental.

I'm not surprised. Living here in Northern Samar is like hell if you rely on the internet and on computers for a living, or even on anything that runs on electricity. Why? well, every single day, electricity is intermittent. The past few days even had times where the electricity has been going on and off like a switch. Everyday, power is out for either a second or hours on end. There is no security in the supply of electricity. The only thing that is consistent is that one should expect a power interruption everyday, no thanks to the local electric cooperative, NORSAMELCO or the Provincial Government of Raul Daza who takes a hands-off policy on the power outage situation.

What is revolting in the findings of the Peace and Equity Foundation is that the other two poorest provinces are island provinces so it is understandable that those have high poverty incidence. But, and the big but, is that Northern Samar, straddles the Maharlika National Highway and is although far is easily reachable from and to Manila.

No amount of media mileage can even budge the local authorities of Northern Samar to act. GMA7' Imbestigador launched a shame campaign on the Catarman Airport, but to date, no action has been done. The local officials only had their fingers pointed at other agencies instead of taking command responsibility as only a decent and respectable Provincial official is bound to observe.

If even the most basic of service that a government should deliver to its people as electricity is, and is very unrealiable in Northern Samar, how much more in the other aspect. To date, everywhere you look, and especially in those unannounced brownouts anytime of the day, there is no question that the Province of Northern Samar really belongs to the poorest provinces of the Philippines.

23 comments:

  1. Hi Boy,

    I hope your not boy daza? please continue your blog its very informative,especially for nortehanon like us.

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  2. hello,
    YES! i agree with you, samar is one of the poorest province in the philippines.i am so pity to those pd cab drivers that nothing to eat,especially when its rainy season, i keep thinking where they will get money for food.?
    thanks for giving space here.

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  3. hello,
    YES! i agree with you, samar is one of the poorest province in the philippines.i am so pity to those pd cab drivers that nothing to eat,especially when its rainy season, i keep thinking where they will get money for food.?
    thanks for giving space here.

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  4. Well, this only means that the government officials in Northern Samar -- to bluntly say-- are also the most corrupt officials in the country to this date. Look at how many hundreds of thousands of pesos are allocated for small 'projects' like backfilling, purchase and repairs of various stuffs that are being approved every month totalling to millions each year? If this amount is allocated for resolving/securing the major problems of the society in the province like the electricity, how better each state of life would be? The problem is, the people's money are just unjustly/unfairly utilized and allocated to various unsignificant/unnecessary expenses which to some extent are even ending up to be 'ghost projects'. (You know what I mean?) Bottomline is -- the state of the province will continue to be so until the people seated in authority learn to be good stewards of what they are trusted for. So many plans and accomplishments documented/reported but true growth and development should reflect in the lives of people. Enough of surface mopping. Better learn to deal with the roots not just the fruits.

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  5. Why do Nortehanons continue to be the most stupid and dummest folks on Earth (sorry for this seningly undiplomatic phrase), by voting to top provincial offices the Daza bothers who have done nothing good to the province during their long tenure. I know that they were raised in the US and never in Catarman as what they insist hence they are oblivious of the province's predicments.

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  6. Hindi naman sila binoboto ng tao. You can ask every Nortehanon! just dont know ngaung automated na ang election kong mka lusot pa!

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  7. No often to St. Raul. The evidence speak for itself. He doesn't deserve to be a leader of N.Samar. The people of N Samar should do something about it now.

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  8. my barometer why some says Samar is the poorest province is: most people are uneducated, because they have been neglected and doubled cross by their local official. go to pier, squatters area, public market, small time videoke bar. People who work there were most from Samar, from porter, kargador, GRO, they said that it is their career. Yah blame the Daza puro lang sila porma.

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  9. i am so sad knowing that N.S. is one of the poorest province..we, Northehanons should work hand-in-hand to solve this..blaming would not resolve this instead let us help one another..pls.pls.pls...wake up people!! this is alarming..

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  10. ok la iton prolema nga niyo importante nkakaon tulo ka besis sau kadlaw......

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  11. dapat an mamahala magkiwa dre la puro pa pogi...ayusa nyo an electricity nato puro wakay an appliances ky tungod sa on and off na kuryente...

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  12. Northern Samar has a vast natural resources but why are we so poor? The provincial government has this FLESHER program for the purpose of poverty reduction in the province but have we seen the true and real score of this flagship program? Can we feel the impact of this local initiatives?

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  13. tawi-tawi is the poorest country in the philippine
    90 percent of its population who could just afford with their financial needs...we can say tawi-tawi is in poverty because of the corrupting leader especially in local level...and tawi-tawi is in communist province of the philippines during the election people have no rigth to chose there own leader,if you could just see it...(T.T)

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  14. I am sad and dissapointed to know that Northern Samar is one of the poorest province in the Philippines. As a waraynon from Northern Samar is something that makes me wonder, why Northern samar has been neglected by the government while other provinces is well developed? My father told me that Daza's family ruled Northern Samar for almost 30 yrs and done nothing for the province except making themselves rich. People in Northern Samar should get together and kick him out from governing the province. He is a useless governor just like thier father Daza senior. Shame,shame, shame and shame for Daza's clan.

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  15. northern samar even before is number one poorest province.....but i think yong mga nktira sa norte ang gumagawa ng pgkasira ng ating kalikasan...pinuputol yong mga kahoy dala ng kahirapan....first,hindi natin pwidi isisi sa mga daza ang problima ng norte.....kasi for me daza is good.....piro yong mga alipures nya na naghahari-harian feeling leader is not agood leader.....si sir paul milyun yong binibigay n budget piro yong humahawak sa project tinitipid bkit?gusto nya ibulsa.....like my place dancalan.....tinitpid yong tulay at kalsada....binulsa p.....knino ko nlaman na binulsa?sa mga tao sa dancalan.....mgtanong kyu

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  16. kon an iyo guin boto an tuhay na tao d kay nagpadara la sa kwarta mga wra princpyo sa buhay

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  17. its time to replace the Daza's in Northern Samar it could be the chance for Northern Samar to rise from poverty. There is a great disparity between the condition of the poor in this place to the lifestyle of the Daza's. Mga Nortehanon wake up. Please elect the right leader this coming election.

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  18. a kuri gad sa aton mga filipino kay guin sasanto naton ang may kuarta bisan kinawatan ito. sanglit ang mga politico nagpinangawat kay gui dindadayaw man sira tungod kay may kuarta sanglit nag pinangabuso san mga pobre guinpinamalit sira san panahon sa election. mata na kam nortehanon.

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  19. an problema san samar corrupt na pang goyernohan kapag election bilihan ng boto kaya an hangtudan dire hul os nga serbisyo kay mahugaw man an pag daog. makabibido gad sobra. pero thats the reality of samar! espicially mentioned jumamil clan of victoria they getting richer in politics with thier kanang kamay boy aliluya palabigasan yung pulitika walang trabaho since from the start buhay na sa sa sahod wala naman nagawa. mahiya naman kayo! kapal nyo. gising victoriahanon! ayaw na kam pag pa bayad. damn it

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  20. ay puro lang kayo daldal. i-mobilisa nyo ang mga kababayan nyo sa northern samar para mapalitan na iyang mga daza!

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  21. eh ganun talaga hindi uunlad ang northern samar habang nandyn pa sa pwesto ang mga daza, vote buying,unemployment,paano binoboto ng mga nortehanon ung mga daza hindi naman xa northehanon ni bahay nga wala xa sa northern samar

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  22. matutuo dapat lahat ng nortehanon na pag botohan e wag tatangap ng pera galing sa isang politician, dahil pag yan ay nanalo babawi yan sa kabang bayan na galing din sa inyo.......in short wag magpadala sa suhol pumili ng wastong kandidato. ang pera madaling maubos.....

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  23. dapat an himuon san mga botante para makabulos sa mag amay na Daza, karawaton an kuarta tikang sa mga Daza pagdatong sa election pero dere sira iboto. Iton nga kwarta tikang sa mga Daza o era mga kapartido maiton an sa english gintawag "BLOOD MONEY" o kwarta nga may bahid san DUGO san mga Nortehabon. Kuarta nga kinurakot nga nagresulta sa kakurian san mga tawo labi na an mga kablas o pobre. DUGO san mga nagkamatay tungod kay wara katague sin tama nga servicio sa hospital kay wara na budget pagbalyo bisan la gapas o alcohol, DUGO san mga magsasaka nga an budget sobra Billion pesos para sa irrigation nahingadto sa mansion ni Paul Daza sa Alabang. Daramo pa iton nga mga anomalia. Salit an angay itawag sa partido Liberal an partido san mga wara konsiencia kay besan kinabuhi san tawo kanra la gininuyagan. Panahon na ipakita sa mga Daza na kita nga mga botanta an masusunod kun sin-o an angay mag dumara sa Northern Samar. Magda-og pa nga mga Daza kita na nga mga botonte may depecto an mga ulo. Karawaton an kuarta san mga Daza pero dere sira an iboto!

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