Western Visayas bets big on health, disaster readiness for 2027

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

ILOILO CITY — Government agencies in Western Visayas are proposing more targeted investments for 2027, with health, disaster resilience, education and inclusive growth emerging as key priorities, according to the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Region 6.

DEPDev-6 said the 2027 budget proposals of agencies in the region aim to address indicators identified as lagging or regressing under the Western Visayas Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Catch-Up Plan for 2026-2030.

DEPDev, formerly the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), was elevated to full department status under Republic Act 12145, signed into law in April 2025. The reorganization expanded the agency’s mandate to more closely align local and national development plans with the government’s long-term strategies.

“[The] budget proposals demonstrate a strategic shift toward evidence-based investments by prioritizing lagging and regressing SDG indicators while balancing resilience-building and inclusive growth objectives,” DEPDev-6 said in a 16-page brief.

The assessment covered budget proposals from 34 agency regional offices and nine state universities. Combined, the proposals involve PHP 258.39 billion in proposed programs, activities and projects.

DEPDev-6 said agencies have also improved their SDG expenditure tagging and targeting, allowing proposed investments to be linked more directly to measurable development outcomes.

“This reflects a shift toward evidence-based and outcome-oriented budgeting, where resources are directed to indicators that require urgent attention,” the agency said.

Investment opportunities, urgent challenges

Health-related interventions received the largest funding allocation at PHP 68.31 million, covering road safety, universal health care, maternal and child health, and non-communicable diseases.

Among specific indicators, road traffic deaths received PHP 32.47 million, social health insurance coverage received PHP 24.37 million, and non-communicable diseases received PHP 9.17 million.

DEPDev-6 said these investments are intended to improve health outcomes, strengthen service delivery, reduce preventable risks and improve overall well-being in the region.

Disaster resilience and climate adaptation also emerged as dominant priorities.

The largest single allocation among the identified SDG indicators was PHP 65.02 million for resilience to natural disasters, followed by PHP 57.61 million for deaths, missing persons and people affected by disasters.

Combined investments for SDG 11 and SDG 13 — Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Climate Action — exceed PHP 126 million, accounting for nearly half of the total allocations for lagging indicators, according to the brief.

DEPDev-6 attributed the focus to Western Visayas’ vulnerability to extreme weather events, flooding and other climate-related risks that could threaten development gains.

Education ranked third in terms of funding but generated the highest number of proposed interventions, particularly those addressing inequality in education.

The indicator on inequality indices for education received 111 proposed programs, activities and projects, followed by unemployment with 78, poverty with 75 and malnutrition with 68.

The education-related proposals cover completion and dropout rates, technical-vocational education and training certification, licensure examination performance, and access and participation, among other measures aimed at improving learning outcomes and human capital development.

Despite the focus on resilience and human development, the assessment identified poverty, unemployment and malnutrition as continuing major concerns.

Programs addressing unemployment include employment facilitation, enterprise development, skills upgrading, livelihood assistance and workforce development.

Interventions targeting poverty and malnutrition, meanwhile, are expected to support poverty reduction, food security, nutrition improvement and social protection, particularly among vulnerable communities.

SDG 1, SDG 2 and SDG 8 — No Poverty, Zero Hunger, and Decent Work and Economic Growth — account for PHP 30.56 million in proposed investments, the brief said.

Shift toward evidence-based budgeting

DEPDev-6 described the 2027 proposals as reflecting a “dual investment strategy” that balances the need to protect development gains with the goal of expanding opportunities for inclusive growth.

A significant share of resources is directed toward protecting development gains, the agency said, through investments in disaster resilience, climate adaptation and infrastructure strengthening meant to reduce vulnerability to climate-related risks and safeguard communities, assets and essential services.

The proposals also focus on expanding opportunities by strengthening human development and economic participation, according to DEPDev-6. These investments are meant to build human capital, enhance economic inclusion and reduce vulnerability among disadvantaged groups.

“This combined approach enables the region to address both immediate risks, such as disasters and climate shocks, and long-term challenges, including poverty, inequality, and low productivity,” DEPDev-6 said.

DEPDev-6 said improving the quality and consistency of SDG reporting will remain a priority moving forward.

Better SDG tagging, multi-indicator reporting and efforts to address data gaps are expected to improve accountability and the measurement of development outcomes, the agency said.

The budget proposal now moves into the national budget process, particularly the National Expenditure Program (NEP), where it will undergo review, refinement and possible approval for funding. The NEP outlines the executive branch’s proposed spending plan and is the basis for the General Appropriations Act, the law that authorizes the government’s annual spending.

The NEP is now in Congress, where lawmakers will scrutinize the administration’s proposed spending plan before it can be finalized into law.