Poverty and Population

Growth in the
Municipality of
Peňablanca

Submitted by:
Aaron Brylle Saquing
AB-II
Submitted to:
Reynaldo Ame, DPA, PhD
Professor
Chapter I
Introduction
Rural life is basically and undeniably based on agriculture. The role of
rural areas on the society is the provider of essential goods to people on
urban areas like rice, corn and other raw materials that is use in many
industries. Being a primary source of the said products, rural areas has been
unwittingly suffered the turmoil of being in rural, which it had been observed
and proven that there are three basic problems in rural areas, that is:
inadequate services, low job opportunities and low productivity. Thus making
the rural area poor, and being poor is being deprived of the right to
development. (Orteza: 2006)

As above mentioned, rural areas are primarily based their life on

agriculture in which it is obviously the situation of the Municipality of
Peňablanca, this municipality is only a few kilometers from Tuguegarao, a
Urban Area.

Peñablanca is basically an agriculture-based municipality and majority

of its constituents is dependent on farming and fishing jobs. But as it was
supposed to be, Peñablanca is confronted with wide range of problems that
need immediate solution and attention. These include the low productivity
and underdevelopment of agricultural resources due to some legitimate
reasons. Other problems are injudicious utilization of forest, aquatic and
other land resources, high poverty incidence, inequitable and inefficient
delivery of basic services, absence of access roads and deteriorated existing
access roads to production areas, unique topographical and climate
characteristics, and the inadequate investment inflow and lack of
employment-generating industries. (MCLUP: 2002-2011)

The specific problems aforementioned only end up with two basic

phenomenons, that is, POVERTY AND RAPID POPULATION GROWTH. As the
latest survey conducted by the MPDC of Peňablanca, there is a high poverty
incidence in the municipality; quantitatively, almost 72% of the total
population of Peňablanca is below the poverty threshold which is, each
household must have an annual income of 90,000 and above so that they
will not be included in the poverty bracket. This high poverty incidence is
accompanied with a population growth of 2.88% for just about the period of
2005-2006. (MPDC: 2006)
 Poverty is a complex phenomenon, and many factors are responsible
for it. Rapid population growth alone cannot explain poverty. Bad
governance, high wealth and income inequality and weak economic growth
are the main causes. But rapid population growth and high fertility rates,
especially among the poor, do exacerbate poverty and make it harder for the
government to address it. (UPSE: 2004)

The relationship of poverty and population growth is directly

proportional, which is very observable in rural areas like Peňablanca. Every
time the population rises, poverty incidence is inevitably going up, of course,
only if without proper program address to the problem. Particularly, the poor
and the less educated among the people, have more children than they want
and are unable to achieve their desired number of children. Because of the
inadequate social services, the people from remote areas of Peňablanca
have absurd knowledge on family planning and other maternal issues, thus,
only ending up in poverty and another plus factor for population growth.

Poverty is thus transmitted to the next generation because the

children are economically disadvantaged to begin with. Poor people on rural
areas end up being poor. (Canlas: 2008)

Poverty and rapid population growth are the social problem that
impedes the municipality’s development. Even if it is a First class
municipality, it is still in the process of development. Since poverty and rapid
population growth are indubitably intertwined socio-economic problem. It
had affected almost all sectors of municipality’s development from economic
to fiscal management. (MAIP: 2006)

Notwithstanding all the barriers for municipality’s development, the

Local Government Unit of Peñablanca had been working in a similar frame of
mind that the institution must move forward to demonstrate its role as an
efficient and reliable partner in economic and social development. Indeed, its
view must always cater to the needs of the people at all times thus, creating
a fertile ground for good government. Poverty Alleviation and Responsible
Parenthood are one of the main objectives of the development plan. (MCLUP:
2002-2011)

Relying on the circumstances, the study aims to:

1. To determine the factors affecting the increase of poverty incidence

and population growth in the municipality of Peňablanca.
 2. To know the effects of poverty and population growth in the
municipality of Peňablanca.

3. To understand how Poverty and Population Growth affects the overall

development of the Municipality.

4. To identify the programs, projects and strategies of the municipality of

Peňablanca in response to the problems on poverty and population
growth and understand how it was implemented.

5. To give recommendations as necessary.

Chapter II

Theories, Concepts and Principles on Poverty and Population

Growth applied to the situation of the Municipality of Peňablanca

This chapter will discuss the different theories, concepts and principles
concerning on Poverty and Population growth in the Municipality of
Peňablanca. This Chapter will help for the proper understanding of the
situation of the Municipality.

Theories on Poverty:

• Geographical Theory of Poverty.

Peñablanca lies between 121o45’ and 122o10’ East longitude and between
17o20’ and 17o32’12” North longitudes. Peñablanca is bounded in the North
and northeast by the municipalities of Baggao and Amulung; on the South by
the province of Isabela; on the East by the Pacific Ocean and on the West by
the municipalities of Tuguegarao and Iguig. It has a total land area of
119,320 ha. or 1, 193. 20 sq. km. that represents 13.26 percent of the total
provincial land area. The municipality has more than the most. This can be
manifested by the presence of magnificent caves, flourishing agricultural
lands, majestic hills and forest, lavishly flowing rivers, falls and gorges,
springs, brooks and creeks which provide an exquisite bottom for eco-
tourism. (MCLUP: 2002-2011)
Physically, Peňablanca is a mountainous municipality which almost half of its
area is occupied forest. Being a mountainous municipality, the economic
situation of Peňablanca still pays it way to a low-level of development.

This is the situation of the Municipality in terms of:

Transportation

The Lack of adequate road networks is the main problem of the LGU in
delivering social services like education, health and other related programs.
In far-flung areas, the main problem is the absence of farm-to-market road.
Likewise, the absence of other transportation facilities contributes to the
deplorable conditions of the people in these areas. Small farmers cannot
negotiate their products to the urban buyers, even if they can, it is so
expensive for them to do such, thus, they now prefer to sell their products in
low prices in their respective areas. People in the far-flung areas end up with
low productivity. (MCLUP: 2002-2011)

Commerce and Trade

Current commercial establishments manifest a low- level degree of

progress. Fortunately, retailing has increased to 72.90 percent; however, the
commercial establishments that are wholesales, services and manufacturers
do not perform on this aspect. At present, there are 640 private business
establishments and two government establishments, which are engaged in
various commercials and trade activities. Still, there are two minor central
business districts in the municipality. The absence of highly capitalized
commercial establishments in the municipality poses a problem of the
municipality’s economic sector. Thus, the possibility of having one major
commercial district could be realized as envisioned if investors pour in and
engage in various businesses. But prior to this, salient facilities such as
power, transportation, land availability, water and communication should be
provided to attain commercial progress. (MCLUP: 2002-2011)

Education

Peñablanca has a high literacy rate with 97.94 percent. In contrast,

functional literacy remains very low. This is manifested on the present
problems plaguing the municipality. Poverty and unemployment is the twin
inevitable problem why many cannot attain quality education. In addition,
majority of the schools lacks essential support facilities such as playgrounds,
libraries, shops, books, canteens and administrative office which is one
among the salient factors that contributes quality education. The
municipality has 24 elementary schools with one incomplete primary private
school; moreover, there are three secondary schools where in two of which
have annexes. (MCLUP: 2002-2011)

Communication Services

The constituents of the municipality are serviced with communication

satellites such as RBC Cable Master System and BJ’s CATV, which entertains
the urban residents. Latest data shows that the municipality has an
inadequate number of manpower resources in the postal and
telecommunication offices. Therefore, the need to access more advance
communication facilities and to meet the standard population demand for
letter carrier paves way to uplift the economic development of the people.
There is also a need to expand telephone lines in the rural barangays to
foster efficient reception and delivery of communication. (MCLUP: 2002-
2011)

The Geographic Theory on poverty explains that the physical characteristic

of an area have largely influence the flow of development. Transportation,
Trade and Commerce, Education and communication are the basic
ingredients for enhance the life of the people on a certain area. Thus,
inadequate Transportation, Trade and Commerce, Education and
communication will lead to low productivity, again, leading the people to
poverty. (Zulueta: 2001)

The Geographic Theory in relation to population growth.

Because of the inadequate transportation, social services have been insufficient to

poor people in far-flung areas in Peňablanca. People are not properly equipped with
knowledge on safe family planning and responsible parenthood. Contraceptives are
also inadequate on several rural areas in the municipality especially those who lived
in mountains. These people tend to have more children regardless of the hardship
they will forecast. Thus, bringing a high rate on population growth of the
municipality.
 • Individual-Capability Theory of Poverty
On of the main problems of rural areas is that there is limited job opportunities. The
Municipality of Peňablanca is a agricultural-based municipality which almost all of
its inhabitants are farmers, fishermen and most of the women are just
Housekeepers. Professionals from the municipality migrate to other areas to find for
more opportunities and greener pasture. (MPDC: 2006)

This theory presupposed that if there is a high level of skill in the community, it
follows that there is a low poverty in the area. Which is not present in Peňablanca,
as above said most of the population is composed of farmers and fishermen which
had low productivity because on inadequacy of opportunities, thus, upon using this
theory, it can be concluded that the Municipality had a high poverty rate.

Individual-Capability Theory in relation to population growth.

Poor people are believed to have more desire to have more children than rich
people. These rich people are the professionals in some extent, those who have the
capacity to buy the proper resources for family planning while the poor people are
those who are uneducated in terms of family planning and responsible parenthood.
Those people who do not have a power to acquire resources for family planning.
Since the municipality is predominantly poor, it is expected in the next 3 years the
population will increase in 4.23%. (MCLUP: 2002-2011)
 Concept on Circle of Poverty

LOW LOW INVESTMENT-there

EMPLOYMENT- is nothing to invest if
Peňablanca has there is nothing saved
a low from the income. Project
employment will have inadequate
rate, only funds that will lead to
45.42% low employment.

LOW SAVINGS-
people was not
able to save
because of low

POVERTY income. Their

income can just
only suffice their
everyday needs,
sometimes, it is
not enough for

LOW
PRODUCTIVITY-
due to low
employment
LOW INCOME-
and other
because of low
reason, farmers
productivity, their
and other
income is just
workers have
sufficient for their
food.