1. Development and Utilization of Socio-Economic Database System in Olongapo City for Development Planning and Programming

The Socio Economic Database System was created by an ordinance aimed to strengthen the planning and investment programming in Olongapo City. This database system includes the establishment and maintenance of a consolidating system that supplies relevant and updated data for development (sectoral and inter-sectoral) at the city down to the barangays levels.

This initiative was an outcome of the capacity-building and communication strategies on population and development integration involving the city planners from various development sectors. With a high appreciation of the need to integrate the interrelationships of population and development in all development initiatives in the city, the POPDEV trained local planners of Olongapo City institutionalized this database system to come up with responsive interventions towards improving the quality of life of the people in the city.

This database system is composed of sectoral data and information from the existing databases such as the CBMS, LGPMS, DevInfo, among others. Data from database system have been efficiently used and being used in the following initiatives:

• Demographic targeting (e.g. PGR and CPR);
• Environmental planning, land use and zoning (especially at the barangays level);
• Development of health interventions (including the establishment of the birthing centers);
• Investment programming and budgeting per sector (e.g health, housing, social, education); and
• Situational analysis for more efficient planning and programming (at the city and barangays level);

2. Improving the reproductive health of the people in Talibon, Ubay and Carmen in Bohol Province through the Reproductive Health Ordinances

The passage of the Reproductive Health ordinances in these three pilot municipalities was made possible by the aggressive advocacy initiatives of the Local Advocacy Teams, composed of multi-sectoral agencies and representations, and the RH champions in these localities. The RH ordinances provides for the sustainable provision of RH information and services through comprehensive reproductive health programs including the establishment of birthing centers and community-managed Maternal and Newborn Care Facilities and other health facilities, training of service providers, provision of family planning and ASRH information and services. Not only that advocacy initiatives for the passage of these ordinances built RH advocates and champions among local legislators and other sectors but these policies have more importantly ensured the sustainable allocation of budget for these reproductive health initiatives.

As a result, an increase in the demand and utilization of comprehensive, high quality reproductive health services in these localities have been realized as manifested by increasing number of women availing of RH services such as pre- and post-natal care and family planning. RH indicators such as CPR, number of deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants and increasing facility based deliveries. These trailblazing initiatives in reproductive health, through the RH ordinance, have resulted to zero (0) – maternal deaths particularly in Carmen and Talibon.