Studies presented at the first Visayas Policy Research Forum (VPRF) in Iloilo City have identified gaps between public spending and development outcomes in Western Visayas, underscoring the need to more closely link infrastructure, financing, monitoring, and program delivery to local economic activity and community needs.
Held on September 22 as part of the 24th Development Policy Research Month, the forum brought together researchers, policymakers, development practitioners, and government officials to discuss research findings and their implications for regional planning and implementation.
Development spending needs to go beyond physical infrastructure
A study by Rhodella Ibabao, a professor at the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV), found that infrastructure monitoring largely focuses on physical outputs, such as kilometers of paved roads, rather than on functional economic connectivity.
The research found that rural agricultural hubs lack complementary facilities such as cold storage and reliable electricity, limiting the economic benefits of new roads.
“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 linking road investments to productive infrastructure so rural communities can retain more economic value locally.
A complementary study by Mary Rose Rebueno, assistant professor at UPV, examined regional development spending from 2023 to 2025 and found that infrastructure development spending substantially exceeded allocations for economic development, social development, development administration, and the environment sector.
An inventory of 2025 Department of the Interior and Local Government-funded projects included 362 roads, 194 buildings, 110 water supply facilities, and 32 electrification projects. Ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, and long-term skills training were far less frequent.
Local government units averaged 89% utilization of their local development funds, leaving 11% unspent within the budget year.
The study also found no explicit tagging of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for LGUs, making it difficult to track how public funds contribute to specific SDG targets.
Housing gains do not automatically translate into socioeconomic recovery
An impact evaluation of the Yolanda Permanent Housing Project (YPHP), presented by Elaine Grace Fernandez of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Region VI (DEPDev VI), similarly found that physical project outputs did not automatically translate into broader socioeconomic gains.
As of December 31, 2024, the project had a 96% regional completion rate, but occupancy stood at 70%.
“High completion does not automatically mean sustained habitation,” Fernandez said.
The evaluation found improvements in housing materials, land tenure, and vulnerability to floods and coastal storms among beneficiary households. Treatment households also showed improvements in sanitation and toilet use, while differences in access to water and electricity were limited.
Livelihood and income gains were small or indistinct, while education and health outcomes showed little difference between treatment and control households.
“Overall, YPHP performs more clearly as a housing and resettlement intervention than a stand-alone driver of long-term socioeconomic recovery,” Fernandez said.
The study recommended a settlement functionality model covering site readiness, access to services and livelihoods, valid occupancy, and continuous outcome monitoring, as well as clearer housing delivery roles.
Geographic barriers can be hidden by regional averages
Research by Juhn Chris Espia and Rodelia Ibo of UPV examined how geographic isolation affects uneven SDG progress in Western Visayas.
The researchers argued that regional planning needs to account for geography and geographic data, particularly in areas where terrain, sea crossings, and travel times affect service delivery.
“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.
The study found that existing monitoring tools do not adequately account for “geographic friction.”
Current metrics track population but not factors such as mountain terrain, sea crossings, and travel time, which can affect the delivery of 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 also documented local initiatives addressing these constraints, including the Purok Resilience Program in Iloilo Province, the Kapatiran project in Aklan, and the Guimaras Health Insurance Program for isolated farmers and fisherfolk.
Strengthening the systems behind development
Mary Rose Bañares of UPV, meanwhile, found institutional gaps in SDG monitoring in Western Visayas.
In a multisectoral workshop conducted as part of the study, 57% of participants identified mismatches in reporting formats, while 43% cited technical-capacity bottlenecks involving specialized skills, infrastructure, and human and financial resources.
The study also identified gaps in SDG indicators for clean water and sanitation, life below water, life on land, and partnerships.
Bañares recommended harmonizing cross-agency monitoring, strengthening institutional capacity, and designating personnel responsible for SDG-related tasks.
“I think it all boils down to interoperability,” Bañares said during the forum’s panel discussion, referring to the need to align the mechanisms of different agencies.
The studies presented at the VPRF underscore the importance of using localized evidence not only to measure development progress but also to determine whether public investments, infrastructure, and programs are producing the intended outcomes across different communities.
The VPRF was organized by the DEPDev VI, in cooperation with the Socioeconomic Research Portal for the Philippines of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, UPV, UP-Center for Integrative and Development Studies, and the Philippine Information Agency Region VI.
Catch the playback of the first VPRF here: https://bit.ly/pidslive092226. ### — MJCG
