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Biliran registered a 3.5% unemployment rate as of 2023 — the fourth highest in Eastern Visayas during that year
BILIRAN, Philippines – Many elections have already passed, yet the same problems are still being experienced by local communities in the municipality of Almeria in the province of Biliran in Eastern Visayas.
Local officials and community members interviewed by Rappler said unemployment, water shortage, and improper waste disposal are among the challenges they continue to face.
Barangay captain Dante S. Cairo of Poblacion, the most populated barangay in Almeria with 2,219 residents as of 2024, emphasized that unemployment is a major problem faced by community members until now, even after the three terms of the incumbent mayor who’s now seeking a vice-mayoral seat in the 2025 polls.
According to the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report, the Philippines’ unemployment rate rose to 3.9% in March 2025 from 3.8% in February 2025, recording a total of 1.93 million unemployed Filipinos. Biliran registered a 3.5% unemployment rate as of 2023 — the fourth highest in Eastern Visayas during that year.
“Trabaho gyud ang problema sa amoang barangay. Naay uban makatrabaho sa munisipyo pero after three months, ma-lay off pud,” Cairo said in an interview. (The problem of our barangay is really the lack of work opportunities. There are some who work at the municipal hall but after three months, they are laid off.)
He also said that in terms of livelihood programs, there is a lack of support from the government for farmers and fishermen. “Before, we had livelihood programs for farmers and fishermen, but they were not successful and sustainable,” he said in Cebuano.
He added that the income earned by farmers and fishermen could not sustain their needs, especially since some farmers don’t have their own land and are only working for others to earn a living.
In addition, residents of Brgy. Caucab — the second most populated barangay in Almeria with over 1,700 residents as of 2020 — also said they face the same difficulty. Job opportunities are rare among its residents, even for college graduates, compelling them to establish a personal business, such as sari-sari stores, to pursue online selling, and even plant vegetables in their backyard to sustain their needs, a barangay official said.
Water shortage
On the other hand, water shortage also plagues the different barangays in Almeria.
Although the municipality is rich in terms of water sources— in Caucab, Matanggo, and Iyusan — water shortage is common among barangays and sitios such as Poblacion, Jamorawon, and Matanggo.
In Poblacion, there are portions of the barangay, specifically Riverside and Upper Poblacion, where constituents experience little to no water running from their faucets for hours or even a day. Cairo said that this problem has long been the issue of their barangay and has not been resolved until this time.
Residents of Talahid and Matanggo also face the same issue. Daily routines such as taking a bath in preparation for school and work, and washing their clothes and dishes have been adversely affected.
Further, in Brgy. Jamorawon, local officials also raised concerns about the water shortage in two housing projects located in their community. They said that though water is not a big problem in their barangay, the addition of two housing communities poses threats to water supply in the future. As of now, the residents from the housing projects tap the barangay for temporary supply of water, but they still experience water problems.
Improper waste disposal
Local officials in Brgy. Jamorawon said in an interview that waste disposal is a concern because of the inconsistent and irregular collection of trash by municipal garbage collectors.
The municipality has implemented a program for scheduling of garbage collection every week — Mondays are intended for collection of biodegradables, Wednesdays for plastic trash, and Fridays for recyclables.
“The municipal garbage collectors don’t follow the schedule set for collecting garbage. Before, every Monday they collect biodegradables, every Wednesday they collect plastic trash, and every Friday they collect recyclables. But now they are not following this scheme,” barangay councilor Brian Gler of Jamorawon said in Cebuano.
“There are others who put their trash near the road because they know the schedule of its collection. Now, if the garbage collectors don’t collect the trash on the set schedule, stray dogs will rummage through the trash and scatter it, which causes dirty surroundings and foul smell spreading in the area.”
Residents said they want their next set of leaders to look at the problems besetting communities at the barangay level, to immerse themselves with the people, and make sure that programs for solving the community problems are sustainable. – Rappler.com
Junmark Cabalquinto is a BA Communication student at Biliran Province State University Main Campus. A staff writer of The Pillar Publication, he is an Aries Rufo Fellowship candidate from April-May 2025.
