<![CDATA[History]]>

<![CDATA[History]]>BAYBAY CITY

History and early beginnings Baybay was believed to be the only settlement on the western coast of Leyte known to the ﬁrst Spanish conquistadores that came with Magellan, as was Abuyog in the eastern part of the province and Limasawa and Cabalian in the south. In 1620, the Jesuit fathers formally founded the town after building a church and a mission house which belonged to the “residencia” of Carigara, the ﬁrst and central station of the Society of Jesuits in Leyte.

By superior approbation, Baybay was created a parish on September 8, 1835 with the invocation of Our Lady on theImmaculate Conception. However, the town was erected an independent parish on February 27, 1836.When the Augustinians took over the administration of the parish after the explosion of the Jesuits, they opened the ﬁrst school in Baybay. During their time, the ﬁrst road leading to Palompon was constructed, thus bringing Baybay closer to her neighboring municipalities. The Augustinian fathers stayed in the town for 75 years – all of which they devoted to the upliftment of the natives in education and in their economic standing.

Ang suba nagbaybay sa Pangasugan

The ﬁrst church of Baybay was built in Brgy. Punta where it still stands today but is in need of repair. Punta is one of the seven original barangays of Baybay and was believed to be the original site of Baybay itself, although there are others who say that it was actually in Kabkab, in the vicinity of Brgy. Pangasugan.

Chinese invaders attempted to conquer the community but several attempts were foiled by the brave and staunch natives. When the Spanish conquistadores spread themselves out to the provinces, an expeditionary force under Felipe Segundo evidently looking for a bigger settlement landed in a barangay north of the town which was and still called Pangasugan. Landing near the river, he pointed to a spot and asked a native in Spanish for the name of the place. Unable to understand Spanish and thinking that Felipe Segundo wanted to ask about the river, he answered in Visayan, “Ang suba nagbaybay sa Pangasugan”. This is how Baybay got its name.

Baybay had also suffered from Moro raids. On October 22, 1605, one such raid occurred and the pirates, after leaving countless dead, carried off 60 men as captives. Again, on November 4, 1663, Moros under the dreaded Corralat took their toll of human lives and captives after mercilessly slaughtering the handful of men defended the town with the aid of the parish priest. Baybay had suffered a great setback in 1866 when a great ﬁre practically reduced the town to ashes leaving only the chapel of the Holy Cross in a miraculous manner. The civil administration of the town during the Spanish era was placed in the hands of the gobernadorcillo, assisted by a teniente and the different jueces and cabezas. In 1892, in accordance with the provisions of the Mayura law, the head of the municipal government was given the designation of “Captain Municipal” and his assistants were called “teniente mayor indice” and the teniente de policia”. For the ﬁrst time, a muez de paz was designated and a detachment of guardians civil was placed in the town.

The construction of the church which still stands today begun under the engineering administration of Mariano Vasnillio during the term of Fr. Vicente E. Coronado in 1852. The construction lagged for ten years after the work was resumed under Maestro Proceso, who came from Manila for the purpose of ﬁnishing the work. The church was ﬁnally ﬁnished in 1870 after Capitan Mateo Espinoso, a sculptor and painter of renown, put on the ﬁnishing touches. The altar and the rails, as they stand today, are a testament to his skill and vision.As the Spanish residents moved away in the early months of 1898, the reins of the local government passed completely into the hands of the Filipino ofﬁcials. An election was held and Don Quirimon Alkuino was elected as the ﬁrst Filipino presidente. However, after about four months, Gen. Vicente Lukban nulliﬁed the results of the election and ordered one to be held, with the same results. Lukban ordered that the brgys. of Baybay be named after the tenientes thus Caridad was renamed “Veloso”, Plaridel became “Alvarado”, Bi tanhuan was named “Coronado”, San Agustin “Sabando”, Punta “Virginenza”, Pomponan “Montefolka”, Gabas “Bartolini”, etc.

City of Baybay Today

Baybay is situated on the western coast of Leyte, immediately fronting the Camotes Islands bounded by the Camotes Sea of Cebu, where it lays beyond the Queen City of the South, Cebu City.

City of Baybay has a total land area of 46,050 hectares, and is known to be one of the largest in terms of land area in the Eastern Visayas region. It is divided into ninety-two (92) barangays, composed of 10 urban barangays and 82 rural barangays.

Based on the 2007 Population Census report, the city is inhabited by 102,256 people, which is 6.93 percent higher than that of the 2000 ﬁgure. In the last 20 years, the population of Baybay has been growing at an average of 1.43 percent annually.

Predominantly identiﬁed as an agri-ﬁshery-based economy, its agricultural lands is well-suited for rice, corn, coconut, root crops, fruits, vegetables, livestock production and is abundant in ﬁsheries resources, particularly in the coastal areas.

Located along the western coastal area of the province and inter-connected by concrete road network from the east, north and south, City of Baybay’s potential as a satellite economic hub to Tacloban City is well recognized. At present, there are two big manufacturing companies and about 87 different types of business establishments operating in the city.

Endowed with a beautiful scenery and rich natural resources, the City offers a number of tourist attractions. Beautiful natural rivers, hot springs, nature pool and falls, beaches, caves, and old relics can be found within the City limits. The City is also home to the Visayas State University, a locally and internationally renowned tertiary institution that specializes in agricultural research and education.

Geographic, political and physical Setting

Regional Setting

The City of Baybay is located within the Eastern Visayas Region (Region-VIII). It is bounded by the Bicol Region in the North, Western and Central Visayas Regions in the West, the Leyte Gulf and the Philippine Sea in the East , and the Caraga, Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao Regions in the South. The region is composed of three islands namely Biliran, Samar and Leyte. It has an approximate land area of 21,431.6 km² composed of six provinces namely: Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte and Southern Leyte. As of March 31, 2009, the region is composed of 136 municipalities and 7 cities with 12 Congressional Districts. The regional center is Tacloban City which is approximately 96 kilometers away from Baybay. Component Cities include Borongan City in Eastern Samar, Calbayog City and Catbalogan City in Samar, Maasin City in Southern Leyte, and Ormoc City in Leyte (Figure 2.1).

Provincial Setting

The Province of Leyte is bounded by the Province of Southern Leyte in the South, Province of Cebu in the East, Province of Bohol in the Southwest, Provinces of Biliran and Samar in the North. It has an approximate land area of 5,712.8 square kilometers. The Province is composed of one highly urbanized city (HUC), three cities, and 40 municipalities with ﬁve congressional districts. Major urban centers include the HUC of Tacloban, and the Independent Component City of Ormoc and Baybay (Figure 2.2)

City Setting Location.

The City of Baybay is located approximately 124’47’30” E Longitude and 10’41 N Latitude. It is bounded by the Municipalities of Albuera and Burauen in the North, Municipalities of La Paz, Mac Arthur, Javier, Abuyog, and Mahaplag in the East, South by the Municipality of Inopacan and the Camotes Sea in the West.

Land area and Political Subdivision.

Based on the records provided by the City Planning and Development Ofﬁce, the City has an approximate land area of 46,050 hectares.

The City is composed of 92 barangays, 10 of which are classiﬁed as urban and the remaining 82 are rural (Table 2.1a and Figure 2.4). Land Classiﬁcation. The City’s alienable and disposable lands or lands belonging to the private domain are mostly situated along level slope areas along the coastal zone and foot hills of the Leyte Cordillera (NAMRIA, 2008). According to the Table 2.1b Land Area per Barangay, City of Baybay, 2009CENRO Environment and Natural Resources Statistical Proﬁle, about 15,556 hectares of Baybay’s land area are classiﬁed as alienable and disposable lands, which is roughly a third of the City’s total land area. These areas can also be found in relatively ﬂat to hilly portions in the southern portion of the City.

Areas belonging to the public domain include pockets of timberlands found in Brgys. Punta and Sabang, which are mostly mangrove areas and forest lands in Brgy. Monterico. Areas along slopes of Mt. Cayoguiocan, southernmost portion of Mt. Balao and most of the areas along the Leyte Cordillera are considered as unclassiﬁed public forests. By virtue of Proclamation 142, dated April 16, 1937, the Kaupnit-Balinsasayao National Park covers certain portions of Brgys. Alta Vistra, Villa Solidaridad, Higuloan, and Mailhi. Furthermore, the northwestern boundaries of the City within the Leyte Geothermal Reservation are covered under Presidential Proclamations 1112 and 1412.

Topography

Elevation and Surface Drainage.

Based on topographic maps from NAMRIA, the highest point in the City is Mount Lunas with an approximate elevation of 1,175 meters above mean sea level. High elevation zones are mostly located along the Leyte Cordillera. Other high elevation areas can also be found in the eastern and southern half of the locality. Low elevation and ﬂat areas are mostly concentrated in the western coastal portions of the City.

The general pattern of water ﬂow is from the eastern high elevation areas to the western coastal areas eventually draining towards the Camotes Sea. The City is highly dissected with natural perennial rivers and intermittent streams wherein numerous exit river points can be observed along the coast. Much of its fresh surface water can be attributed to the mountain range formation that act as a watershed providing natural irrigation water supply to cultivated lands along the alluvial plains.

Slope. The slopes in the City can be described as predominantly undulating to steep (Table 2.2 and Figure 2.8). Based from GIS based slope calculations, around 60% of the City have slopes ranging from 18% and above characterized as rolling to steep, commonly situated in the high elevation and mid slopes of the mountainous areas. Roughly 20% are considered undulating to rolling. Roughly 10% of the land area is considered gently sloping to undulating mostly situated along the foot hills. Only 8.9% of the land area is level to nearly ﬂat mostly located in the coastal areas and alluvial plains.

Soil. Soil types, suitability and fertility characteristics in the City of Baybay were derived from studies conducted by Jack Baynes, Pastor P. Garcia, Faustino Villamayor and Melissa Gordon in 2007. The said group combined Geographic Information System (GIS) and experts opinion to identify lands which are suitable for forest extension program on the Leyte Island. Dr. Asio of the Department of Agronomy and Soil Science at Leyte State University provided a general description and assisted in subjectively ascribing site suitability for soils in Leyte. Soil maps were sourced from the Farm Management Institute at the Leyte State University (FARMI-VSU). The said maps used the United States Department of Agriculture soil classiﬁcation.

Based on soil descriptions (Asio, 2007), moderately to highly fertile lands in the City belong to the Eutropept soil group mainly found along the mountain mid-slopes adjacent to foot hills. Generallyfertile lands belong to the Hapludalf and Hapludand/ Humitropepts are mostly found in high elevation areas and are presently occupied by forests. Eutropept/ Tropaquept are mostly situated in the low lying areas currently being utilized as annual and perennial crop production areas and are often water saturated.

Hapludult soils are mostly found along the mountain slopes concentrated in the mid southeastern portion of the City characterized as having low to very low fertility. Sulﬁhemist and Sulfaquents are mostly situated along the coast adjacent to river mouths mostly occupied by Mangrove forests (Table 2.3). Given the fertility and general characteristics of the soil as considerations for the identiﬁcation of possible areas for urban expansion, priority areas should be given to soils with low to very low fertility, and areas not currently being utilized as crop production zones. Areas with high to moderate fertility are better allocated for production or protection land uses, while ecologically fragile and water logged areas with Sulﬁhemist and Sulfaquents soils are best allocated for protection land uses.

Land Cover

Based from the Land Cover map sourced from NAMRIA, roughly a third of the City is covered with cultivated perennial crops. Around 11.31 percent are covered with cultivated annual crops. Approximately half of the City is covered with forest lands either closed, open or wooded grassland or shrubs. Around two percent is built up and the remaining 1.45 percent is composed of mangrove forests, ﬁshponds, rivers and waterways. Cul t ivated annual and perennial crop lands are mostly situated in the low lying areas and low elevation mid-slopes of the mountains. Forest areas are situated in the high elevation and mountain peak areas. Major built up areas can be found in the Poblacion Zone, Brgy. Caridad and the VISCA campus. (Table 2.4 and Figure 2.10)

Geologic Hazards

Ground Rupture Hazard Prone Areas.

Ground rupturing is associated with shallow seated large magnitude earthquakes, usually Magnitude 7.0 and higher, that results from the relative sliding of two adjacent fault blocks outwards from the focus or point of origin of an earthquake. The length of ground rupturing depends on the earthquake magnitude, while the relative movement of faults would depend on the type of fault. According to the fault map provided by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), a segment of the Philippine Fault Zone or the Central Leyte Fault is located in the northeastern tip of the City. Fortunately, these are areas within thePNOC Geothermal Reservation and no large scale settlements were found along the rupture zone. However, being in close proximity to the fault, higher ground shaking levels may be experienced during large magnitude earthquakes (Figure 2.11).

Liquefaction Prone Areas.

During strong ground shaking, areas underlain by loosely consolidated and water saturated deposits of ﬁne sand are likely to experience liquefaction. Sand particles in these deposits are supported partly by grain-to-grain contact and partly by water pore pressure. During vibration, sand particles in these deposits are rearranged into more compact state, squeezing water and sediments towards the surface in the form of water and sand. The consequent loss in volume and underlying support results in the subsidence of the ground on top of the liquefying sandy layers and with it, the sinking and or tilting of buildings, utility posts, towers, roads, and bridges, and irrigation canals. Liquefaction also induces lateral spreading, a type of ground failure characterized by down slope sliding of the ground surface, sub-parallel ﬁssures formed as the sliding ground breaks into pieces, sand boils, that may form on top of ﬁssures and undulating ground surface. Any structure resting on the ground surface that is affected by lateral spreading may be damaged either by cracking, breaking, tilting, toppling, or sliding into nearby river channel.

Based from the indicative maps provided by PHIVOLCS, areas susceptible to liquefaction are concentrated in the low lying central alluvial plains near the exit mouths of Pagbanganan, Has and Cablason rivers. Certain portions of the existing urban center were found to be highly susceptible to liquefaction, while other areas include the water saturated rice lands north to northeast of the Poblacion.

Earthquake-Induced Landslides Prone Areas.

Earthquake-Induced Landslides Prone Areas.

Based from Landslide Prone Indicative map provided by PHIVOLCS, majority of the high elevation steep slope areas along the Mountain Range and the mountainous areas in the south to southeastern boundaries are susceptible to earthquake induced landslides. Undulating to rolling slopes (roughly 12-15% in slope) located adjacent to level lands have low Tsunami Prone Areas . A Tsunami is a series of sea waves commonly generated by under-the-sea earthquakes with wave heights that could reach above ﬁve meters. Tsunamis can occur when the earthquake is shallow-seated and strong enough to displace parts of the seabed and disturb the mass of water over it. PHIVOLCS, under the Department of Science and Technology’s Grants-In-Aid (DOST-GIA) program, modeled potential tsunami inundation zones on selected areas in the Province of Leyte. Spatial modeling was done using the Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS), Philippine based GIS software developed by PHIVOLCS. Using a combination of empirical equations on Tsunami wave modeling and a worst case scenario earthquake emanating from major offshore fault suggest that the whole western coastline of the City is susceptible to tsunami with a hypothetical wave height of around 2.20-2.39 meters along the coast with gradual decrease in wave height further inland. Inundation zones are expected to occur within the existing Poblacion Zone and relative ﬂat to low lying areas along the coast. Estimated horizontal runoff can reach as much as 600-800 meters inland in certain parts of the City.

Meteorological Setting

Climate Type. The Modiﬁed Corona’s climate classiﬁcation by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the City of Baybay has a Type IV climate characterized as having no pronounced dry season where rainfall is generally evenly distributed throughout the year .

Prevailing Winds.

General prevailing winds in the region are northeasterly (Amihan) during the months of October to February, easterly from March to May due to the Paciﬁc trade winds and southwesterly (Habagat) during the months of June to September. Average Annual Rainfall and Temperature. Based from 35-year statistics on climatological normals from PAGASA for the years 1965 to 2000, gathered from different weather substations throughout the Archipelago and analysis maps processed by NAMRIA for the Bureau of Agriculture Research- Spatial Analysis and Information Laboratory (BAR-SAIL), the City of Baybay has a mean annual rainfall range of 171.47 to 201.913 and average annual rainfall is estimated at 2,500 mm. High rainfall levels are experienced during the months of January to February and again during the months of July to December. On the other hand, rainfall is low during the summer months of March to May (Figure 2.16). The mean annual temperature range from 27.2 to 28.2°C. Annual minimum temperature is 22.3°C while the maximum is 36.67°C. (Figure 2.17).

Meteorological Hazards

Tropical Cyclone Frequency.

The City of Baybay experiences an average of ﬁve typhoons every three years which could potentially cause associated hazards such as rain-induced landslides and ﬂooding apart fromits impacts to crop production levels and property damage (Figure 2.18). La Nina and El Nino Vulnerability. Based from the PAGASA La Niña and El Niño vulnerability maps, the City of Baybay has low vulnerability to extreme low water conditions (El Niño) but is highly susceptible to extreme rainfall conditions (La Niña). It is expected that the City may incur a minimum damage level of 30 percent on its agricultural lands during the occurrence of La Nina.

Flood prone areas.

Based on a technical study on the Nationwide Flood Risk Assessment and Flood Mitigation Plan for Selected Areas in the Republic of the Philippines conducted by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Dungcaan River Basin was identiﬁed as a major ﬂood risk in the City. Studies showed that the major cause of ﬂooding in the basin is discharge ﬂow exceeding the river ﬂow capacity. Mitigation measures have been recommended such as establishing a dam and reservoir in the upstream portions of the Basin and improving certain river channel to increase water ﬂow capacity. Furthermore, based on informal interviews, certain portions in the low lying areas along the coast experience slight ﬂooding due to overﬂowing of rivers from the discharge of water originating from the mountain range.

Natural Resources and Environmental Management

Forest Ecosystem Protection Forest. There are four distinct areas currently considered as forest protection areas due to its ecological signiﬁcance and unique biodiversity, these are the following: i)Mt. Pangasugan Protected Ranches Landscape. Situated approximately 10 kilometers away from the Poblacion Zone, the Mt . Pangasugan Protected Landscape covers three mountains namely: Mt. Panasugan, Mt. Tabaan and Mt. Lunas. It is highly regarded for its unique biodiversity and is home to a range of endemic wildlife. It serves as a habitat for several endangered animals such as the Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syricta), ﬂying lemur (Cynociphalus volans) and Fischer’s pygmy fruit bat (Haplonycterus ﬁscheri). However, the said area is not under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) but local inhabitants, stakeholders and leaders has an on-going initiative to place the area under NIPAS in order to protect the area from further signiﬁcant disruptive land development. Mt. Pangasugan is also targeted as one of the major natural attractions in the Province of Leyte.

In 1997, the Ecology of Mt. Pangasugan report compiled by Dr. Freidhelm Göltenboth under the Applied Tropical Ecology Program in the Visayas State University stated that Mt. Pangasugan’s forest types are the Lauan type dominated by Pentacme contorta, the Lauan-Hagakhak type dominated by Pentacme contorta andDipterocarpus validus, and the Yakal-Lauan type dominated by Hopea malibato and Pentacme contorta. Three major strata of plants were found in association with trees such as the Ground-living plant communities including Begoniaceae, Orchidaceae, Pteridophyta (Ferms), and Zingiberaceae. Epiphytic communities sitting on the trunks and branches of the trees including Orchidaceae, few Rubiacea, ferns, mosses, lichens and Araceae; and Creepers and lianas utilizing trees as supportive structure including Palmae in the form of rattans, f e r n s , Ar a l i a c e a e , B amb u s a c e a e , L e g umi n o s a e , Mimo s a c e a e , a n d Orchidaceae.

In terms of forest-associated fauna, the most signiﬁcant observation made during the compilation of the said report was the rediscovery of the Philippine Tarsius (Tarsius philipinensis), Philippine Flying Lemur (Cynociphalus volans), and the identiﬁcation of the Fisher’s Pygmy Fruit Bat (Haploncycteris ﬁsheri) found within Mt. Pangasugan. In 1994, the microbat Hypposideros obscurus was recorded. Thereport also mentioned that The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) regularly issues theRed List of Threatened Animals and the said list is also based from the published Philippine Red Data Book-Red List of Threatened Animals by the Wildlife Conservation Society of the Philippines Inc. Below are the IUCN status of species found in the Mt. Pangasugan derived from the above mentioned sources (Tables 2-5 and 2-6).

In addition, around 216 bird species were recorded and a number of endangered or vulnerable species were found in the Mt. Pangasugan area. Sightings of the big hornbill Buceros hydrocorax semigaleatus can still be encountered in the said area.

Furthermore, a recent study by (Denzer et. al. in press) revealed that of the 114 species of reptilian and amphibian living in Leyte, around 54 or 64% can be found in Mt. Pangasugan. The VSU museum houses 43,000 specimens of arthropods belonging to 377 families and 509 genera, only 434 of these were determined to the species level. In terms of tree composition, the report also identiﬁed six genera of important hardwood tree families in the Philippines that can still be found in Mt . Panasugan these are: A n i s o p t e r a , Ho p e a , P a r a s h o r e a , Dipterocarpus, Shorea and Vatica. The average canopy height of what is left of the forest patches on Mt. Panasugan is 20-30meters with Shorea polyosperma being one of dominant species. Around one-sixth (1/6) of the all dominant individual trees in the upper parts of the mountain belong to the Family Dipterocarpaceae. The forested areas of Mt. Panasugan show at least 160 different species with up to 100 dominant trees per hectare.

Among the most important tree species of Mt. Panasugan, 30 belong to pioneer species, 19 native tree species of Non-Dipterocarp with high commercial value and 18 belong to Family Dipterocarpaceae. It was also emphasized in the report that in one Apitong Tree (Dipterocarpus validus), around 675 individuals of arthropod live on and with this tree suggesting the need to strictly protect the remaining tree base since these are key habitat for many creatures.

Riverine ecosystem in the form of rivers and rivulets around Mt. Panasugan are home to numerous ﬁsh species, prawns and shrimps. In the Calbiga-a creek, at 300 m a.s.l, there were 11 Gobioidea recorded while at 20 m a.s.l. there were 36 soecies recorded. All recorded organisms are testament to the suitable water quality of the rivers and rivulets in Mt. Panasugan. This implies the need to further protect forest cover to minimize river sedimentation in the area.

In terms of tree composition, the report also identiﬁed six genera of important hardwood tree families in the Philippines that can still be found in Mt . Panasugan these are: A n i s o p t e r a , Ho p e a , P a r a s h o r e a , Dipterocarpus, Shorea and Vatica. The average canopy height of what is left if the forest patches on Mt. Panasugan is 20-30 meters with Shorea polyosperma being one of dominant species. Around one-sixth (1/6) of the all dominant individual trees in the upper parts of the mountain belong to the Family Dipterocarpaceae. The forested areas of Mt. Panasugan show at least 160 different species with up to 100 dominant trees per hectare. Among the most important tree species of Mt. Panasugan, 30 belong to pioneer species, 19 native tree species of Non-Dipterocarp with high commercial value and 18 belong to Family Dipterocarpaceae. It was also emphasized in the report that in one Apitong Tree (Dipterocarpus val idus) , around 675 individuals of arthropod live on and with this tree suggesting the need to strictly protect the remaining tree base since these are key habitat for many creatures. Riverine ecosystem in the form of rivers and rivulets around Mt. Panasugan are home to numerous ﬁsh species, prawns and shrimps.

In the Calbiga-a creek, at 300 m a.s.l, there were 11 Gobioidea recorded while at 20 m a.s.l. there were 36 soecies recorded. All recorded organisms are testament to the suitable water quality of the rivers and rivulets in Mt. Panasugan. This implies the need to further protect forest cover to minimize river sedimentation in the area. Cuapnit Balinsasayao National Park. This was established by virtue of Proclamation 142, dated April 16, 1937, which is located in the eastern entrance of the City. It covers certain portions of Brgys. Alta Vistra, Villa Solidaridad, Highloan, and Mailhi.

Closed and Open Canopy Forest.

Based from land cover maps, there are still broad leaved closed forests located in the high elevation areas of the Leyte Cordillera. Though they exemplify the same land cover characteristics as that of Mt. Panasugan Protected Landscape, these areas are still considered as unclassiﬁed public forests under the land classiﬁcation system.

Mangrove Forests/Nipa Areas.

Policy recommendations from the National Physical Framework Plan (NPFP) referring to areas under land use protection are the vast Mangrove Forests and Nipa areas located in Brgys. Palhi, Punta and Sabang situated along the southern coastlines. These Mangrove areas have signiﬁcant ecological roles that ensure the relative growth and survival of the marine ecosystem along with sea grass beds and coral reefs.

Production Forest.

Data on production forest were sourced from the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources-Forest Management Bureau, Forest Economics Ecological Profile of Baybay City, LeyteCommon Name Scientiﬁc Name IUCN StatusPhilippine Eagle-OwlPhilippine Hawk-Eagle

Rufous-lored Kingﬁsher Philippine Leafbird Miniature Tit-Babbler Bubo philippinensis Endangered Spizaetus philippensis Vulnerable Todiramphus winchelli Endangered Chloropsis ﬂavipennis Endangered Micromacronus leytensis VulnerableDivision-Forest Information System (DENR-FMB-FED-FIS) Central Ofﬁce. Production forest areas include the Kilim Community Based Forest Management Project (CBFM No.R08-48186) and the Sitio Cienda CBFM, which covers an approximate area of 2,236 hectares, including the mountainous areas of Brgys. Gakat, Patag, Kilim and Gabas. Some portions however are within the Mt. Panasugan Protected Landscape.

Marine and Coastal Resources

The Institute of Tropical Ecology-Marine Laboratory of VSU has made signiﬁcant mapping and inventory efforts to determine the extent and quality of marine/coastal resources of the City. The GPS survey points compiled by the said Institute were used to delineate and determine the approximate location and size of these resources.

Mangroves and Nipa Resources.

Mangrove areas can be found in the Poblacion Zone, Brgys. Palhi, Sabang, Jaena, and Punta. The mangrove zones are mostly concentrated in the southern coastal part of the City, which constitute around 261.51 hectares or roughly0.57 percent of the total land area. Aside from its signiﬁcant ecological role, these mangrove areas are also being planned to be among the eco-tourism attractions of the City.

Fish Sanctuaries.

Fish sanctuaries can be found in Brgys. Gabas, Guadalupe, Sta. Cruz, Punta, and Plaridel as well as areas adjacent to Mt. Panasugan and the VSU campus. Necessary local ordinances have been enacted to ensure the protection of these marine sanctuaries. Moreover, there are still ongoing efforts to place under strict protection status other potential sites that exemplify unique and highly diverse coastal ecosystems.

Coral Reefs. Coral Reefs can be found in the coastal areas of Mt. Panasugan, VSU, Brgys. Caridad, Hilapnitan, San Agustin, Marcos, Gabas, Sabang, Punta, and Nigad. The spatial distribution suggests that these fragmented coral reefs are found throughout the coastline, wherein large coral reef formations can be found in the southern coastlines of Brgys. Punta, Palhi and Sabang.

On the other hand, dead corals were also observed by the ITE in Brgy. Nigad. This implies that there is a need for a comprehensive coastal resource management plan to ensure the protection of the coral reef resources of the City.

Water resources

Surface water resources. The City is characterized as highly dissected with rivers and streams, wherein the Department of Agriculture had identiﬁed 27 rivers and creeks. The surface waters have been a source of irrigation water to sustain the agricultural production activities. According to Baybay Water District (BWD), the current sources of potable water of City of Baybay are the Busay, Kawayan, Hayas and Upper Hayas Springs with rated capacity of 58, 7, 20, and 10 liters per second(Lps), respectively (Table 2.8). The total rated capacity is estimated at 95 Lps

Population Composition

As of 2007, the City of Baybay host a population of 102,526 residents. This accounts for almost 6 percent of the Province of Leyte and 3 percent of that of the Eastern Visayas. Comparative to the two cities of Leyte, Baybay population is behind Ormoc (177,524) and the Provincial Capital of Tacloban (217,199).

In terms of tempo of growth, the City’s population does not follow the general growth trend of Leyte and that of Region VIII. From 1995-2000, Baybay population showed an upswing with a growth rate of 2.10 percent in 2000 as against 0.93 percent during the previous censal year. On the other hand, a decline of population growth rates was observed in Leyte (from 2.55% – 0.52%) and the Region (from 1.97-1.41%) during the same period. For 2007, both the provincial and regional population recovered and posted higher growth rates at 1.12 percent and 1.16 percent, respectively. Conversely, the population growth rate of Baybay in 2007 was at low of 0.96 percent, which is 1.14 percent lower than that of 2000.

Age-Sex Distribution.

In terms of gender distribution, Baybay males outnumber the females with a sex ratio of 104 males for every 100 females. Following the national trend wherein women generally outlive the men population, the life expectancy of females is 71.64 years old while the males is 66.11 years (Table 3.3) In 2007, Adults aged 15-64 years old, dominates the Baybay’s population with a 57 percent (58,597) share of the total populace.

Children from the age of 0-14 years, on the other hand, accounts for 37 percent (38,394) while the elderly posts the lowest contribution of about 6 percent (5,534). The age structure of the City holds great potential for an economy posed for growth.

Dependency Ratios.

The strong number of the working population against the young and old dependents has tempered down the dependency of the population. Estimates for 2007 show that Baybay’s total dependency ratio was registered at 74.48. This means that for every 100 persons in the working population age group, approximately 66 young dependents and 9 old dependents are identiﬁed.

Household size.

In terms of projected households based on estimated population of 141,655 in 2020 and average household size of 4.92, there will be 28,990 total households or an additional 9,473 households in the City of Baybay compared to the 2000 household count. In year 2020, Barangays with at least 250 households are expected in Barangays Plaridel, Caridad, Kilim, Pomponan, Hipusngo, Bitanhuan, Poblacion Zone 1, Pangasungan, Gabas, Bunga, Guadalupe, (Utod), Ga-as, Palhi, Poblacion Zone 23, Candadam, Gakat, Hilapnitan, Igang, San Isidro, Santa Cruz, Santo Rosario, Hibunawan, Maybog, Maslug, Marcos, Punta, Maitum, Patag, Sabang, San Juan, Cogon, San Agustin, Maganhan, Ciabo, Poblacion Zone 18, Kan-ipa, Makinhas, Villa Solidaridad, Amguhan, Mailhi, Poblacion Zone 4, Buenavista, Poblacion Zone 22 and Kansungka. However, certain barangays targeted as secondary commercial, residential and industrial development areas is expected to deviate from the computed households by 2020. These areas can be the possible location of planned social and economic support infrastructure for the provision of basic social services and utilities.

Population Distribution

Urban Barangays. Of the 92 barangays in Baybay, only 9 are delineated as urban areas. The urban population accounts for only 11 percent of the total population. While the rate of population growth in the last 7 years has been gradual (1.44 percent annually), nonetheless, as the City grows, issues such as congestion, water availability and trafﬁc can be expected.

Rural Barangays.

Essentially, the City remains agriculture based with the remaining 83 barangays categorized as rural areas. In the last 2 surveys, the rural barangays contribute a sizeable 90 percent of the City’s total population. In 2007, the top 9 populated rural barangays are Caridad, Plaridel, Kilim, Hiusngo, Pangasung an, Bitanhuan, Guadalupe, Gaas, and Gabas. The consistent prominence of the rural population, as observed by the high ranking of the rural barangays in terms of population, is attributed to the availability of land for residential use in the rural compared to the urban barangays.

Population Density.

Based on land area and existing population count, population density of urban barangays is estimated at 9 persons per hectare while rural barangays have an estimated population density of 2. It can be observed that certain rural barangays (namely Poblacion barangays) have a higher density than that of Urban barangays classiﬁed. This is mainly attributed in the differences in barangay land area. 61 barangays have a density of less than 10 persons per hectare. Poblacion 15, a rural barangay, has the highest population density of 368 persons per hectare. Among the urban barangays, Poblacion 23 has the highest population density of 260 persons per hectare. In general all poblacion barangays either classiﬁed urban and rural, have a population density ranging from 60-368 which is higher compared to the non-poblacion barangays. Furthermore, certain deviations from the projected population growth and densities are expected in areas depending on the pace of future development of targeted secondary commercial, residential and agro-industrial development which includes Barangays Amguhan, Ampihanon, Banahao, Bidlinan, Buenavi s ta, Ciabo, Ga-as, Gubang, Hi g u l o a n , Ka b a l a s a n , Ka g uma y, Kambong g an, Mahayahay, Ma i lhi , Makinhas, Mapgap, Matam-is, Maypatag, Monte Verde, Palhi, Pomponan, Sabang, San Juan, Santo Rosario, Zacarito, Gabas, Kansungka, Kilim, and Patag apart from the 23 Poblacion barangays. Density remains well below that of Leyte Province, which is 2.5 persons per hectare and Tacloban City (9.5 persons) and Ormoc City (2.7 persons).

From 2004-2007, the annual average CBR of the city was posted at 20.09. This means that their 20.09 births for every 1,000 persons in Baybay City. During the same period, the highest CBR level of 21.12 births per 1,000 population was observed in 2005. However in the next two years, CBRs have stabilized to 19.73, which may have contributed to the conservative growth in population of the City between 2000 and 2007.

Morbidity. While fertility results to an increase or restoration of the population, mortality corresponds to a natural reduction in numbers. Mortality is the relative occurrence of deaths within the population. Similar to fertility, the incidence of death is related to factors namely, age, sex, occupation, economic and social class.

Rates of Natural Increase. Based on the NSO Population survey, from a City of 95,630 residents in 2000, Baybay grew by an increment of 6,626 in seven years. Comparing the number of births against the number of death incidence in 2007, only 1,639 of the increment increase in population is attributable to natural factors.

Hence, the remaining 4,987 new residents can be gleaned as migrants to Baybay. The decision to change residence of an individual is determined by the push-pull qualities of locality relating to the possible economic, social, political, and cultural welfare gains resulting from migration.

Other Population Characteristics

Educational attainment.

Baybay boasts of a high level of literacy, both for functional and simple literacy. In 2000, Baybay posted simple literacy levels of 91.40 surpassing the Provincial average (90.1) and Ormoc City (88.5) by a good measure. However, Tacloban City remains ahead in literacy with 97.3 rating. Comparing the educational attainment of the City’s population against its reported literacy performance, it can be seen that almost 92 percent (77,377) of the population 5 years old and over gained a level of education. About 52 percent has reached the elementary level, 25 percent completed high school and 13 percent was able to move to college or post-secondary education.

Population Projections till 2020

For the purpose of estimating the future population levels of Baybay, the participation rate method was utilized for the following reasons. Based on the growth pattern of the city’s population for the last 12 censal surveys, Baybay has exhibited ﬂuctuating growth trend reﬂective of a low-growth scenario. Without deliberate policy intervention to improve economic conditions, the same trend can be expected sector thru mechanization and expansion to agro- industrial activities.

The dominance of the working-age population (15-64 years old) would remain over the other age groups. By 2020, the 15-64 age group accounts for 37 percent of the total population, when translated to resource it is indicative of a rich human capital for labor force.

The local economy

Current state and growth pattern

Generally, Baybay is an agricultural City. The common means of livelihood are farming, ﬁshing, hunting and forest-related activities. Rice, corn, abaca, root crops, fruits, and vegetables are the prime agricultural commodities. While bamboo, rattan craft, ceramics, dress-making, ﬁber craft, food preservation, mat weaving, metal craft, ﬁne Philippine furniture manufacturing, are among the promising industries in the region. Moreover, Baybay has great potential for tourism with its rich biodiversity, sceneries, and historical landmarks (e.g., Visayas State University – formerly the Leyte State University/Visayas State College of Agriculture and the Jungle Valley Park. Eco-parks and other tourist attractions of the City.

Performance of Economic Sectors

Primary Sector – Production Agriculture/Crop Production.

In terms of area planted, the top 5 commodities are coconut, abaca, rice, banana and corn. Coconut is the principal crop of Baybay, accounting for about 71 percent or 16,176 hectares of the total agricultural land in City. The following major crops are cultivated in the City, abaca, rice, banana, and corn. Other agricultural commodities such as vegetables, fruit trees and root crops are also locally produced.

Area coverage and volume of production shows positive correlation. Coconut ranked ﬁrst in terms of volume of production with about 64 percent of the total agricultural produce. Rice production contributes about 8,088 metric tons to the local grain supply.

There are 80 irrigation systems serving 2,221 farmers in Baybay. Of the 1,540-hectare coverage of the irrigation system, about 1431.75 hectares is serviced by gravity/communal irrigation. The rest of the 108.25 hectares is irrigated through pump irrigation (56.25 ha), small water impounding (27.0 ha) and shallow tube well (25.0 ha). The ﬁeld mapping of irrigation coverage was recommended for detailed study as part of the proposed priority projects under the Agribusiness Development Program, Rehabilitation/restoration of communal irrigation systems component to identify existing irrigation coverage and identify future irrigation systems based on the identiﬁed agricultural zones as indicated in the proposed land use and zoning maps. It was suggested that validation of these agricultural production areas should be coordinated with the National Irrigation System for possible integration in the agency’s irrigation identiﬁcation, rehabilitation and restoration programs.

In terms of market, majority of the agricultural produce are consumed domestically with exemption of coconut that are exported abroad.

Livestock and Poultry.

Baybay has been known for its livestock and poultry production. In terms of livestock production, a total of 6,692 farms reported to have reared 14,801 heads either of carabao, cattle, goat, sheep, horse and swine (Table 4.2). Swine and carabao are among the dominant livestock raised by farmers with 79 percent and 16percent of the l ives tock populat ion, respectively.

On the other hand, about 125,305 heads in 4,074 farms were recorded for poultry composed of native chicken, commercial broiler, turkey, and ducks. For poultry, commercial broiler is in the number 1 slot with more than half of the poultry population (52%), followed by native chicken found with 43 percent in 3,165 farms. The remaining four (4%) is composed of ducks and turkey with 1,240 and 3,335 heads, respectively.

Fisheries.

Fish production is one of the primary sources of livelihood and food for 42 barangays in Baybay. There are about 780 ﬁsherfolks and 926 ﬁshing households dependent on ﬁshing. As of 2008, the average ﬁsh catch was posted at 3.8 kilograms per day.

While the area is a coastal community, the ﬁsh catch is harvested from fresh water areas which accounts for 97 percent or 7,390.5 hectares of the City’s total ﬁshing ground.About 160.5 hectares of brackish water areas are utilized for ﬁsh production.

Forest Production.

According to the CENRO (2009), a total of 3,808.49 hectares has been earmarked as production forest (Table 4.4a). Of the total area, about 59 percent (2,236 ha) is classiﬁed as Community-Based Forest Management areas, 15 percent (582 ha) are watershed areas, and only 9 percent (358 ha)is allocated for timber production. The remaining 17 percent (632 ha) is categorized as forest reservation and area allocated under a private forest development agreement.

Agriculture Support Services and Facilities.

The City Agricultural Ofﬁce (CAO) of Baybay estimates there are 5,099 farming and 926 ﬁshing households in the City. Of this number, about 37.8 percent and 60 percent household, respectively, avail of agricultural extension and on-site research services from the government, namely, CAO, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Community organization among ﬁsherfolks and farmers is also evident in Baybay. To date there are 134 rural organization operating in Baybay with a membership of 1,670 ﬁsherfolks. These are Cooperatives (80), Rural Improvement Club (19), Farmers’ (15) and Fisherfolks’ (20) Association. Employing the community-based approach to coas tal resource protect ion and management, there are 11 Barangay Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (BFARMC) in the City. The 297 members of the BFARMC.

In support to promoting and improving the competitiveness of local products, the local government coordinates the provision of support services such as market ing, processing, packaging, and value-adding.

There are 179 postharvest facilities in the City, such as rice mills (51), warehouses (51) and solar dryers (77). In terms of ownership, about 80 percent or 142 of these facilities are privately owned. The remaining 37 or 20 percent are the property of cooperatives (10),national government (1).

In support to crop production there are 80 irrigation systems serving 2,221 farmers in Baybay. Of the 1,510 hectare coverage of the system, about 93 percent or 1,401.75 hectares is serviced by gravity/communal irrigation. The rest of the 108.25 hectares is irrigated through pump irrigation (56.25 ha), small water impounding (27.0 ha) and shallow tube well (25.0 ha).

Food Supply and Demand. For the purpose of presenting the food demand, the consumption requirements for rice shall be used as the indicator for food demand.

According to Food and Nutrition Research Institute, monitoring of rice consumption alone will give a good benchmark of the caloric adequacy across income and age levels. Also, rice constitutes almost 88% of the recommended daily food allowance of Filipinos as observed in the National Food Survey (1993)

Based on the rice production performance of the city, the rice sector produces an average of 8,089 MT annually. In terms of rice demand, the total rice requirement of the city is estimated at 13,324.38, 14,714.41, and 16,196.83 for 2010, 2015 and 2020 respectively. Given an annual average production volume of 8089 metric tons, there is an estimated deﬁcit of locally produced rice in within the planning period.

However, this should not be taken as indication of a rice shortage in the City as rice supply to supplement the requirements of the City can be sourced from surrounding municipalities in the province. In 2008, the province of Leyte posted a rice surplus of 4,097 MT of rice (Table 4.4b).

Secondary Sector. Based on the 2007 number of business, there are 643 business establishments operating in the City generating a gross sales of Php 498,497,908.

Out of the 643 establishments, 23 belong tothe secondary sector with a year end output of Php 82,208,011.69A total of 21.84 hectares are allocated for industrial uses where 3.24 are located in the existing poblacion and 18.60 located in Barangays Caridad, Hilapnitan and Bunga. There are only 23 identiﬁed industrial establishments. Given the aggregated industrial areas and the total number of establishments, the average lot area for industrial establishment is estimated at 9,495.65 square meters (Table 4.4c).

Tertiary Sector

Based on the 2007 number of business, there are 620 business establishments operating in the City that belong to the tertiary sector. Around Php 416,289,896.35 out of the total Php 498,497,908.04 was generated by the said sector in 2007. This indicates that the economy is mostly driven by the tertiary sector.

Based on land use survey mapping, total of 9.84 hectares of commercial areas were identiﬁed mostly located in the poblacion zone. Given the total aggregated and land area for commercial and the documented number of tertiary establishments of 620, commercial spaces have an average lot area of 158.70 square meters. However, it must be noted that this not take into account the actual ﬂoor area of the establishments .

Food and beverage-based businesses. The food-based industry is composed of various small-scale wet/dry markets. A total of 216 establishments are registered under this category earning a total sale of P153M. The top 3 earners are Drugstore/Pharmacy (P84M), grocery (P27M), and meat shops (P23M) in 2008. In terms of number, Sari-sari stores remain the most popular type of food business in Baybay. A total of 68 sari-sari stores are registered in Baybay. This is followed by small-scale food establishments (e.g. cafeteria, carinderias and eatery) with 33 establishments.

Agriculture-based Products.

Based from the 2008 data, Agriculturevet recorded the highest gross sales among the agri-based industries with a gross share of about 67 percent.

Followed by the abaca and copra industry that contributes about 20 percent. In terms of the number of establishments, abaca –based business posted the highest number with a total of 37 stores. The observed high contribution of agri-based products is considerable given that Baybay is an agricultural City.

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