CABANATUAN CITY—Central Luzon may have produced six out of the country’s 16 presidents but the region, the country’s largest plain and third largest region, remains dirt-poor with 244,593 poor households, some 67,489 of whom have no toilets.
The home region of Presidents Manuel Quezon (Aurora), Ramon Magsaysay (Zambales), Diosdado Macapagal (Pampanga), Corazon Aquino (Tarlac), Gloria Arroyo (Pampanga) and Benigno Aquino III (Tarlac) has 25,600 households with no access to safe water and 51,557 without electricity.
This in spite of the fact that the combined terms of the six former chief executives span 47 years, including the 19 years of Quezon as Commonwealth president and the nine years of Arroyo.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development reported that in Tarlac, which produced the mother-and-son Corazon and Benigno III, there are 41,124 poor households, 11,988 of which are without toilets.
In Pampanga, 10,432 of 47,831 poor households have no toilets. This despite the nine years of Arroyo and the four years of her father Macapagal.
In Magsaysay’s Zambales, 6,360 of 18,430 poor households have no toilets while in Aurora, Quezon’s hometown, 2,797 of 9,609 poor households have no toilets.
The report was contained in the “Listahanan” program of the DSWD in the region.
Gemma Gabuya, DSWD regional director, said the scheme, also known as the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, was established by the DSWD to reach the comunities where the poor people are.
It serves as the basis for selecting the beneficiaries of the government’s social protection program and services such as the 4Ps or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
Jessa Marzan, DSWD statistician, said that in Tarlac province, 2,530 households in Tarlac City, 1,710 in Capas, 1,332 in Concepcion, 912 in San Jose, 809 in Victoria, 751 in Gerona, 625 in Moncada, 566 in Camiling, 505 in La Paz, 417 in Mayantoc, 368 in Santa Ignacia, 338 in Paniqui, 324 in Bamban, 315 in San Manuel, 176 in Pura, 146 in San Clemente, 120 in Ramos and 44 in Anao are similarly inconvenienced.
In Pampanga, households with no toilets include 1,319 in Arayat, 1,214 in Candaba, 1,122 in Lubao, 737 in Floridablanca, 637 in Porac, 610 in Masantol, 597 in Macabebe, 504 in Magalang, 482 in Sasmuan, 475 in San Fernando, 458 in Mexico, 452 in Angeles City, 332 in Mabalacat City, 235 in San Luis, 220 in San Simon, 218 in Apalit, 190 in Minalin, 167 in Santa Rita, 153 in Bacolor, 118 in Guagua, 116 in Sta. Ana and 76 in Santo Tomas.
In Zambales, households without toilets number 1,413 in Botolan, 758 in Subic, 704 in Santa Cruz, 532 in Masinloc, 497 in San Marcelino, 477 in Palauig, 463 in Cabangan, 342 in Candelaria, 312 in Olongapo City, 295 in Castillejos, 271 in Iba (271), 110 in San Antonio, 110 in San Felipe and 76 in San Narciso.
In Aurora, 458 households don’t have toilets in Dipaculao, 457 in Casiguran, 451 in Dingalan, 397 in San Luis, 385 in Dilasag, 278 in Baler, 271 in Maria Aurora and 100 in Dinalungan.