MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN PANGASINAN: AGRICULTURE SECTOR PROGRAM L-NU Dagupan City

2. MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN
PANGASINAN: AGRICULTURE SECTOR PROGRAM
______________________
A Dissertation
Presented to
The Faculty of the Graduate School
LYCEUM – NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
Dagupan City
_______________________________
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirement for the Degree
Doctor in Public Administration
By:
MELITON G. DASSUN
April 2010

3. CERTIFICATION AND APPROVAL SHEET
This thesis proposal entitled “MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL ON
POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN PANGASINAN: AGRICULTURE SECTOR
PROGRAM”, prepared and submitted by MELITON G. DASSUN in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR IN PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION” has been prepared and submitted for oral defense.
The reading committee found the thesis acceptable in accordance
with the requirements and standards in thesis writings. He is
recommended for Final Oral Examination on his thesis on March 2, 2010.
Thesis Committee
ROMANA O. FABREGAS, Ph.D.
Chairman
JOSEPHILE T. FLORES, DPA JOSEFINA B. BITONIO, DPA
Adviser Member
JOSEFINA C. ARMAS, CPA, DBA
Member

4. The Philippines as a member of the United Nations, is a signatory to the
Millennium Declaration and has made the MDGs as the core of development
agenda of its government. Thus, the formulation of the Medium Term Philippine
Development Plan (MTPDP) 2004 -2010 had once again included the over-all goal
to fight poverty and seek the attainment of the MDG and targets by 2015. The
Philippines has consistently posted growth over the years, including last year when
it was one of the few countries that manages to grow despite the global economic
crisis. The Philippines grew by 0.9 per cent in 2009, avoiding a recession. Despite
sustained growth over the years, the Philippines failed to reduce poverty incidence
rate. Latest data from the National Statistics Office showed the proportion of poor
people to the country’s total population stood at 33 percent as of 2006, up from 30
percent in 2003
Pangasinan which is the setting of the study is no exception to the problem
of poverty confronting the country or worldwide. The province is subdivided into
44 municipalities and 4 cities comprising 1,364 barangays (which means
“villages”) scattered within the six (6) political districts. The capital town is
Lingayen now a first class municipality based on 2007 income classification.
According to a study conducted by the NSCB, Pangasinan has a poverty incidence
of 34.62 percent and rank 59th among the 81 provinces of the country. The
province itself has considerable number of 4th to 6th class municipalities which can

5. be an interesting study for the province’s poverty alleviation program.
With the narrative presentations of the related issues and concerns including
the manifestations of every government administrations to deal with it, still, the
problem of poverty persists to date. In fact, UP Professors Lichauco, an economist
and Briones, a writer usually referred poverty as a chronic problem perpetually
disturbing Philippine society. By sheer observation, poverty situation had
worsened over the years.
Arguably, there had been various interventions introduced in the country to
advance its development since the post war era. This started with the war
reparation and rehabilitation for the entire archipelago as a condition imposed upon
by the United States of America to Japan to bring back or reactivate the
Philippines’ economy for the general welfare of its citizenry. The preponderance of
development advancement came with the development decade as propounded by a
University Professor and writer Briones, there is no doubt that the identified means
to develop or progress presented above have been in the forefront of development
efforts by almost all administration since then. One document to prove this is the
formulation of a development plan as basis of implementation to address the
problem of poverty for our country. It should be emphasized that almost all
administrations manifested their concern towards poverty alleviation especially in
the countryside over the past several years.

6. The MTPDP 2004 - 2010 also includes 13 key issues that will guide the
Macapagal administration in its development and peace efforts, such as: 1.ensuring
sustained growth with equity and macroeconomic stability; 2.Promoting full,
decent and productive employment; 3.enhancing capacities through health,
education and housing; 4.protecting vulnerable groups; 5.accelerating
comprehensive rural development; 6. gearing for international competitiveness in
industry and services; 7. putting the Philippines in the international tourism map; 8.
strengthening private-public partnership in infrastructure development; 9.bridging
the digital divide, information and communication technology; 10.reducing the
regional disparities and spatial development; 11.creating competitive and livable
cities and urban areas; 12. Pursuing sustained peace and development in Mindanao,
and 13. Improving the quality of life through good governance.
The four primary strategies concomitant to the solving of poverty are:
1) Macroeconomic stability and equitable growth, using sound fiscal and monetary
policies to keep inflation low and avoid surges in unemployment; modernize all
sectors through HR development and technology; 2) Comprehensive HR
development, basic education, health, shelter, water, electricity; safety nets for
most vulnerable sectors; encouraging poor to participate in governance;
3) Modernization of agricultural sector with social equity; agrarian reform,
improving rural infrastructure, implementing land reform; and 4) Effective

7. governance through transparency, reducing graft and corruption, strengthening
partnerships with civil society and the private sector.
Poverty is conceptualized broadly, taking into account not only income but
its impact in terms of human deprivation, development, and quality of life.
Likewise, in her inaugural address she delivered on June 30, 2004, President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo unveiled her administration’s Ten-Point Agenda for
development, as follows: 1. Create 6 to tem millions jobs until 2010; 2. Education
for all children in computer-equipped schools; 3. Balanced budget by 2009;
4. Connecting the country through transportation networks and technology;
5. Providing power and water to every part of the archipelago; 6. Reduce
congestion in Metro-Manila by creating government centers in Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao; 7. Develop Subic and Clark into service and logistics centers in
Southeast Asia; 8. Automation of the electoral process; 9. Reach just conclusion
to separate peace processes with the communists and Muslim rebels; 10. Reach
“just” closure of the divisive issues generated by the people power of 1986 and
2000.
Statement of the Problem
This study assessed the implementation of the millennium development goal
on poverty alleviation in Pangasinan specifically under the agriculture sector
program of government.

8. Specifically, the study sought to answer the hereunder sub-problems:
1. What is the status of the province of Pangasinan relative to the
Millennium Development Goal on poverty alleviation in terms of:
a. Survival Indicators
1. Access to food
2. Water
3. Health services
b. Livelihood
1. Education
2. Income
3. Access to electricity
2. What are the programs and projects being implemented by the
Provincial Government of Pangasinan to alleviate poverty and hunger
along the aforecited indicators?
3. What are the strengths and weaknesses in the implementation of the
programs and projects by the province of Pangasinan as perceived by
the following respondents viz: government organizations, private
sectors and civil societies?
3.1 Is there a significant difference among the perceptions of the
three (3) groups of respondents regarding the strengths and

9. weaknesses in the implementation of the programs and projects
in the province of Pangasinan?
4. What are the policy reforms which can be proposed to ensure
sustainability of the implementation of the programs and projects to
alleviate poverty and hunger?
Figure 1. Paradigm Showing the Schematic Relationship
of the Variables in the Study
The descriptive research method was utilized in the study. Documentary
analysis was conducted based on the data or information contained in the annual
reports of current years 2004 to 2009 being submitted by the Provincial

10. Government of Pangasinan to the National Economic and Development Authority,
Regional Office I, San Fernando, City, La Union.
Pangasinan is composed of four (4) cities (1 independent component city and 3
component cities, and forty four (44) municipalities. It ranks 3rd in terms of
population and 14th in terms of area among the provinces Only the 4th to 6th class
municipalities are selected for purposes of the study. This is because the mentioned
lower class municipalities are considered to have a higher degree of poverty and
hunger incidence that those developed or progressive municipalities with the four
cities of Pangasinan. The study will involve five hundred ten (510) respondents
equally distributed with ten (10) respondents per sector viz: government
organizations (GOs), private sector (PS) and civil society organizations (CSOs)
Summary of Findings
Millennium Development Goals. The study revealed that the top five (5)
disbursements made relative to the implemented MDGs for the six (6 year) period
includes the construction, repair and maintenance of provincial, municipal and
barangays roads in the province; construction of new school buildings, repair and
maintenance of old and dilapidated ones; provision for skills training or the
Pangulong Gloria Scholarship Program; maintenance; construction of multi-
purpose buildings, repair and maintenance of dilapidated ones; and enrolment of
indigents to the health insurance program of the government.

11. Indicators of the Study. In terms of the disbursements made relative with
the indicators of the study arranged from the highest to the lowest are access to
education -P272,755,092.63; access to food – P176,533,754.13; access to health –
P113,647,122.75; access to income – P11,299,500.00 and access to water –
P11,254,131.53 and zero to access to electricity. The total disbursement made
reflected above is P539,600,403.48 out of the total disbursement of
P950,647,329.96 for all implemented MDGs in the province.
Areas Covered. In terms of the areas covered during the three year period
of the study, the top five (5) disbursement made in the order from highest to lowest
was given to Lingayen – P44,241,764.00; Asingan – P37,524,606.00; Dagupan
City – P36,500,000.00; Urdaneta City – P27,248,492.00; and Binalonan –
P9,025,740.00. On the other hand, the municipalities of Agno, San Fabian,
Bautista, Sto. Tomas and Villasis during the three year period also had not received
any disbursement relative to the implemented MDGs in the province. Note here,
that no one among those which received the highest disbursement belongs to the 4th
to 6th class municipalities.
The total disbursement made determinable for the three year period in the 4 th
to 6th class municipalities is P92,853,485.00 only. The disbursement made does not
necessarily relate with the indicators of the study. The largest amount therefore
was disbursed to the four (4) cities and 1st to 3rd class municipalities of the

12. province. Corollary to this, the top five municipalities belonging to the 4 th to 6th
class municipalities in the order from largest to the smallest disbursement are
Dasol (P13,242,526.94 -15.85%), Balungao (12,244,511.00 – 14.71%), Mabini
(11,415,043.00 – 13.68%), Infanta (9,418,659.00 – 10.95%) and Burgos
(P9,083,635.00 – 10.88%) while the lowest in the ascending order are Sto. Tomas
(0), Bautista (0), Agno (0), San Quintin (P901,444.00 – 1.07% and Anda
(P1,500,00.00 – 1.80%).
Status of Implementation. Most of the implemented MDGs were
undertaken for several months by contract or direct implementation and some took
more than a year for their completion.
Strength and Weaknesses. In terms of the strength and weaknesses the
study revealed that the three groups of respondents (GOs, PS, and CS) had an
overall average weighted point of “3.52” for the strengths with a descriptive value
of “moderately agree” while the average weighted point for weaknesses is 2.76
with the same descriptive value of “moderately agree” to that of strengths.
Conclusions
On the basis of the summary of finding in the study, the following
conclusions were made.
Millennium Development Goals. The disbursement for the implemented
MDGs were mostly related to infrastructure, social and economic development, all

13. of which are related to the indicators of the study but to certain degree the top five
disbursement do not include access to food, access to water and access to
electricity.
Indicators of the study. On the indicators of the study, the provincial
leaderships concentrated to the disbursement for the top three related poverty
alleviation programs such as education, food and health. A smaller amount of
disbursement related to the indicators of the study was given to water and income.
Areas Covered. In terms of areas covered the implemented MDGs related
disbursements during the three year period embraces all the cities and
municipalities but the 4th to 6th municipalities got a much smaller disbursements
than the cities and the 1st to 3rd municipalities in the province.
Status of Implementation. In terms of the status of implementation, most
of the projects undertaken were accomplished through contracting and some are
not. There are similar projects which took a longer period of completion while the
others are updated in their contract commitment.
Strength and Weaknesses. In terms of strengths and weaknesses, there is
an appreciation by the three groups of respondents that the strength and
weaknesses are just moderate. The three groups of respondents had not indicated a
so much difference in their rating as shown by the descriptive value of “moderately
agree.

14. Recommendations
On the basis of the summary of findings and conclusions, the following are
the recommendations.
1. There should be a proportionate distribution in the allocation of funds
in the disbursement in terms of projects and activities being for the poverty
alleviation program as called for in the commitment for the MDGs.
2. Since food problems affect every sector of the society, it should have
a larger share in fund allocations, followed by education, health, water and income.
Maintain the non-allocation and disbursement related with access to electricity to
the power sector.
3. Strict implementation of the period required for undertaking projects
and activities should be observed.
4. The policy reforms arrived at in the analysis should be adopted to
strength and improved the implementation of MDGs in the province.
Policy Reforms
Hereunder are the policy reforms proposed to ensure sustainability of the
implementation of the programs and projects to alleviate poverty and hunger.
1. More financial resources should be allotted for the 4th to 6th class
municipalities to support the delivery of the minimum basic needs of the
marginalized members of the society.

15. 2. Create more jobs by encouraging the business community to establish
their business in the province to allow job seekers the opportunity to improve their
living conditions.
3. Institutionalization of lending assistance to micro enterprises such as
women’s clubs, associations, cooperatives and small medium scale enterprises.
4. Proportionate allocation of resources on a mandatory basis based on
the classification of the 4th to 6th class municipalities.