Western Visayas studies flag gaps in development spending

ILOILO CITY — Public investments in Western Visayas need stronger links to livelihoods and basic services, studies presented at the first Visayas Policy Research Forum found.

For farming communities and resettled families, the benefits depend on whether roads connect to facilities that support production and whether housing sites provide access to services and work. The findings call for spending and project monitoring to address those needs alongside construction targets.

Researchers, policymakers, development practitioners, and government officials discussed the findings at the Sept. 22, 2026, forum in Iloilo City. The event formed part of the 24th Development Policy Research Month.

A study by University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) professor Rhodella Ibabao found that infrastructure monitoring concentrates on physical outputs, including kilometers of paved roads. It pays less attention to whether those roads create useful economic connections.

Rural agricultural hubs lack complementary facilities such as cold storage and reliable electricity, limiting the economic benefits of road projects, the research found.

“Constructing paved roads in isolation or without concurrent investments in cold storage facilities, stable power grids, or processing centers is insufficient to stimulate local manufacturing employment,” Ibabao said.

The researchers recommended pairing road investments with productive infrastructure so rural communities can retain more economic value locally.

UPV assistant professor Mary Rose Rebueno examined regional development spending from 2023 to 2025. Her study found that infrastructure spending substantially exceeded allocations for economic development, social development, development administration, and the environment sector.

An inventory of projects funded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government in 2025 listed 362 roads, 194 buildings, 110 water supply facilities, and 32 electrification projects.

Projects involving ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, and long-term skills training were far less frequent.

Local government units (LGUs) used an average of 89% of their local development funds, leaving 11% unspent within the budget year.

The study also found no explicit tagging of LGU spending to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), making it difficult to trace funds to specific targets.

An impact evaluation of the Yolanda Permanent Housing Project (YPHP) found a similar gap between physical accomplishments and broader socioeconomic outcomes.

Elaine Grace Fernandez of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Region VI (DEPDev VI) presented the evaluation. The project had reached 96% regional completion as of Dec. 31, 2024, but occupancy stood at 70%.

“High completion does not automatically mean sustained habitation,” Fernandez said.

Beneficiary households recorded improvements in housing materials, land tenure, and reduced vulnerability to floods and coastal storms.

Households covered by the intervention also showed improvements in sanitation and toilet use. Differences in access to water and electricity were limited.

Livelihood and income gains were small or indistinct. Education and health outcomes showed little difference between the treatment and control households compared in the evaluation.

“Overall, YPHP performs more clearly as a housing and resettlement intervention than a stand-alone driver of long-term socioeconomic recovery,” Fernandez said.

The evaluation recommended assessing whether settlements function through site readiness, access to services and livelihoods, valid occupancy, and continuous monitoring of outcomes. It also called for clearer housing delivery roles.

UPV researchers Juhn Chris Espia and Rodelia Ibo examined how geographic isolation contributes to uneven progress toward the SDGs in Western Visayas.

“But to really address the gaps that we have identified, and achieve what we call spatial justice, then we need to take into account geography and geographic data, because geography matters,” Espia said.

Their study found that monitoring tools do not adequately capture geographic friction. Population-based measures miss mountain terrain, sea crossings, and travel times that affect health, education, infrastructure, and other services in mountain and island communities.

“We need a policy mandate that targets individual [Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas] directly, rather than relying on regional summaries,” Espia said.

The study documented local responses, including Iloilo Province’s Purok Resilience Program, the Kapatiran project in Aklan, and the Guimaras Health Insurance Program for isolated farmers and fisherfolk.

Another UPV researcher, Mary Rose Bañares, identified institutional gaps in regional SDG monitoring.

In a multisectoral workshop conducted for her study, 57% of participants identified mismatched reporting formats. Meanwhile, 43% cited technical-capacity bottlenecks involving specialized skills, infrastructure, and human and financial resources.

The study also found gaps in indicators for clean water and sanitation, life below water, life on land, and partnerships.

Bañares recommended aligning monitoring across agencies, strengthening institutional capacity, and assigning personnel to SDG-related tasks.

“I think it all boils down to interoperability,” Bañares said during the panel discussion, referring to the need for different agencies’ mechanisms to work together.

The findings point to a common need for local evidence that shows whether investments deliver their intended benefits across communities, beyond reporting how much was built or spent.

DEPDev VI said the research could help refine priorities and identify implementation gaps as the region updates its Regional Development Plan, Investment Program, and SDG Catch-Up Plan.

DEPDev VI organized the forum with the Philippine Institute for Development Studies’ Socioeconomic Research Portal for the Philippines, UPV, the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies, and the Philippine Information Agency Region VI. (PIDS)