FinalCapstonePaper.Chad.Noble.Tabiolo

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A needs assessment utilizing geographical-information-systems-
(GIS)-technology coupled with youth empowerment to address the
social injustices and health inequities of an informal settlement
community in the Philippines.
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by
Chad K. Noble-Tabiolo
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Submitted to the
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
John A. Burns School of Medicine
Office of Public Health Studies
Department of Public Health Sciences
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Master of Public Health Degree
in Native Hawaiian & Indigenous Health
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Committee Members:
Dr. Maile Taualii, PhD, MPH
Dr. Treena Delormier PhD, MSc
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April 2014
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Youth Empowerment & GIS Technology! ! Noble-Tabiolo, 2014, 1

Table of Contents:
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Table of Contents: 2
Funding & Sponsorship Disclosure 3
Thank You 3
I. Abstract 4
II. Introduction 5
III. Background 6
Relocation Policies for Informal Settlers in the Philippines 7
A Failed Relocation Program in Southville 7 9
IV. Public Health Focus 13
Public Health Question 13
V. Intervention 14
VI. Methods 15
Focus Groups and Interviews 16
Youth Leadership Program (YLP) 16
Needs Assessment, Data Collection & Advocacy 18
VII. Data 19
Results 20
VIII. Discussion & Public Health Recommendations 22
The Millennium Development Goals 23
IX. Conclusion 25
X. Personal Reflection 26
XI. Appendix 27
XII. Bibliography 28

Funding & Sponsorship Disclosure
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The Consuelo Foundation, which is a non-governmental organization based in Hawaiʻi, was
the primary sponsor and funder for the youth leadership program and needs assessment
project in the Philippines during the summer of 2013. The mission of Consuelo Foundation
is to operate and support programs in Hawai'i and the Philippines with a focus on the
prevention and treatment of abuse, neglect and exploitation of children, women and
families.
The project was also funded in part by the following: 1) Offices of Public Health Studies
and Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 2)
Don Bosco Salesians in Calauan, 3) Map Your World and the Revolutionary Optimists, 4)
Office of Mayor George Berris of the municipality of Calauan, Laguna, Philippines, and 5)
Youth and Adult leaders of Accelerating Forward - Unlad Bayan.
Thank You!
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First, I would like to thank the youth and adult leaders of Accelerating Forward - Unlad
Bayan for seeing this project through from planning to implementation. Secondly, thank
you to the people, mentors and advisors at Consuelo Foundation and the Offices of Public
Health Studies and Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work at the University of Hawaiʻi
at Mānoa for creating an opportunity to engage in public health practice in the Philippines.
Thirdly, thank you to Don Bosco Calauan, a faith-based organization of the Salesian Order
of Catholic Priests, for providing the physical space for meetings and training, technological
equipment, guidance and logistical support from planning to implementation of the youth
leadership program and needs assessment. Fourthly, thank you to Map Your World and the
Revolutionary Optimists, a non-governmental organization based in California, for donating

GIS-enabled android mobile phones and for providing media-communication, technical
support and a film crew for a short documentary. Lastly, thank you to the Office of Mayor
George Berris, National Housing Authority and Home Owners Association for expressing
written and verbal support for supporting the project and its commitment against social and
health injustices in Southville 7, Philippines.
I. Abstract
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Background: Social and political factors that shape relocation policies have shown to
negatively impact the health of informal settlers in developing countries. Informal settlers
are people who suffer from displacement, visibility and denial of rights for health and social
services. This paper focuses on the work of a youth centered intervention to address the
injustices caused by the improper relocation of informal settlers. The intervention
implemented engaged communities by reinforcing existing resources — mainly the youth —
to tackle the poor public health and social challenges. The paper examines how a needs
assessment, powered by geographical-information-systems (GIS technology) and youth
empowerment was effective for solving the public health concerns for a community in the
Philippines.
Methods: A youth leadership program called Accelerating Forward - Unlad Bayan
(meaning prosperous community in Tagalog) was developed to empower youth to collect
data about employment, education, water, electricity and health, among others, in order to
bring visibility and raise awareness. Through this process, youth developed valuable
personal, social and professional skills. The four steps that guided the intervention focused
on capacity-building by: 1) partnering with the community; 2) identifying their concerns; 3)

developing a youth leadership program; and 4) raising awareness for health and social
justice through dissemination of data and advocacy.
Results: Approximately 3000 families were surveyed by the youth leadership
program. Data about employment, education, water, electricity and health were some of the
key indicators collected. By encouraging communities to see youth as an asset rather than a
nuisance proved successful for identifying the social and health injustices faced by informal
settlers. Community engagement strategies of needs assessment, youth empowerment and
technology offer a promising intervention that looks at existing resources to promote health
and justice.
II. Introduction!!
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According to the Constitution of the World Health Organization, health is “a state of
complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of
disease” (WHO,1946). Health is no longer an isolated ideology, but rather one requiring an
ecological understanding (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Health is access to clean water, adequate
housing, education, gainful employment, opportunity, visibility, justice, civic and political
engagement (Sheuya, 2008; Gracey & King, 2009). Individually, these social ecological
factors influence one’s behavior and development (Bronfenbrenner, 1979).
Health promotion is “the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to
improve, their health” (WHO, 1986). Health promotion sees health as a “resource for
everyday life and not the objective for living,” implying that peace, shelter, education, food,
income, sustainable resources and social justice and equity are positive influences on health
(WHO, 1986). Health is not a simple model of causality, but rather a system that relies on

the interdependence of the biological, social, cultural and political environments
(Kickbusch, 1989).
It is critical for communities to be in control of their lives, which includes the ability
to access adequate public health and social services, jobs and opportunities. This paper
presents an intervention that addresses the unmet health and social needs of Southville 7
(SV7), Philippines. SV7 has no comprehensive population data available, and complaints
about poverty, sickness and hunger have been left unresolved. According to residents,
families lack access to clean water, adequate housing, gainful employment, health care and
other social injustices. In the summer of 2013, the community of SV7 and its stakeholders
proposed a solution. The solution was a needs assessment about the poor living conditions
concerning the community’s health and social status. Additionally, the presence of out-of-
school youth or tambay, suggested a prospective role that they could play in the project.
This paper explains the strategies used to develop a needs assessment project as four
critical steps. The process of community engagement can be explored as four steps taken
during the development of the needs assessment: 1) building partnerships among the
stakeholders: community, government and non-government organizations; 2) determining
the needs and concerns of the community through focus groups and interviews, which were
the lack of community data and out-of-school youth; 3) developing a youth leadership
program that utilized strategies of empowerment and geographical-information-systems or
GIS technology to build leadership and social and workforce skills; and 4) building a team
of young advocates and leaders eager to create positive change for health and social justice.
III. Background
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Relocation Policies for Informal Settlers in the
Philippines
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The Philippines is an archipelago composed of 7,000 islands with a population of 92
million people (Philippine Statistics Office, 2010). Colonization, war, political instability
and natural disasters repeatedly transformed the social and political climate over the past
500 years (Ragragio, 2003). Following World War II, the Philippines underwent rapid
modernization. The population grew in metro Manila, and so did poverty and the number of
informal settlers (ATD Philippines Fourth World, 2013; Riturban, 2010). According to the
Human Development Report in 2008, the Multidimensional Poverty Index showed that
18.4% of Filipinos live below the income poverty line, measured by making less than US$
1.25 per person per day (UN, 2013a). Gross poverty remains an issue and millions are
stricken with inadequate shelter, health, education and food (Ragragio, 2003).
In Manila, 27% (2.54 million of 9.4 million) reside in 526 slums (Ragragio, 2003).
This compares to the global rate of 15% (1 billion of the 7 billion people on earth) in slums.
Slum dwellers are also called informal settlers or squatters (Ragragio, 2003). According to
the UN, slums are characterized by: 1) a lack of basic services; 2) substandard housing or
illegal and inadequate building structures; 3) overcrowding and high population density; 4)
unhealthful living conditions and hazardous locations; 5) insecure tenure; 6) irregular or
informal settlements; 7) poverty and social exclusion; and 8) minimum settlement size (UN
Habitat, 2006). This paper will use informal settler instead of squatter or slum dweller.
Globalization has been a dominant force in the 20th century as the world’s
economies and peoples are moving towards economic sustainability, growth and wealth.
With this growth comes rapid migration of people into urban areas for jobs and

opportunities, many of whom become impoverished and lived in informal settlements.
Governments have been slow to introduce policies to combat rising poverty (WHO Kobe
Centre, 2005). Policies and programs have been proposed by governments to upgrade
informal settlements, however, challenges have arisen, raising questions critical of their
effectiveness and fairness (ATD Philippines Fourth World, 2013). In the Philippines,
policies have been in place to protect the rights of informal settlers, especially when it
comes to eviction and relocation; however, the Filipino government has struggled to uphold
these polices. Much of the failure of relocation programs are due to unethical and
inadequate relief packages and improper negotiations and participation between residents
and project developers: government, monolithic businesses or non-government
organizations (ATD Philippines Fourth World, 2013).
The laws relating to the legal eviction and protection of informal settlers were
enacted in Article XIII, Section 10 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. It states, “Urban or
rural poor dwellers shall not be evicted nor their dwellings demolished, except in
accordance with law and in a just and humane manner. No resettlement of urban or dual
dwellers shall be undertaken without adequate consultation with them and the communities
where they are to be relocated.” Two concepts are critical in these policies, and they are
humane manner and adequate consultation. The law calls for humane treatment and proper
consultation between residents and governing authorities before any eviction, demolition
and/or relocation can take place; however, there is almost no opportunity for residents to
participate on the decision-making processes (ATD Philippines Fourth World, 2013).
The UN Habitat and Cities Alliance published a Pro-Poor Slum Upgrading
Framework that provides case studies on effective relocation. They propose that community
engagement, community mobilization, empowerment, capacity building, networking,

financial strategies, and partnerships were effective strategies for relocation (Riturban,
2010). Additionally, other researchers show that increased participation, engagement and
decision-making on the part of informal settlers can be critical for effectively and ethically
relocating families (ATD Philippines Fourth World, 2013; Asian Development Bank, 2006;
WHO Kobe Centre, 2005).
A Failed Relocation Program in Southville 7
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The public health intervention developed and discussed in this paper takes place in a
failed relocation program for informal settlers in Southville 7 (SV7), Calauan, Laguna,
Philippines. SV7 is located two and a half hours south of Manila by bus, and is composed
mostly of informal settlers. The first residents arrived in the early to mid-2000s from
surrounding areas, but over the last few years, they saw an increase in residents from metro
Manila. SV7 was created by the National Housing Authority (NHA), which is under the
Office of the President, and the ABS-CBN Foundation, which is a Filipino corporation that
owns TV, media and entertainment entities.
Relocation of families to SV7 continued as part of the government’s response to
clean up the Pasig River, but in 2009, Typhoon Ondoy ravaged the city of Manila and forced
homeless families to relocate (Asian Development Bank, 2006; Vallarta, 2013). According
to the ABS-CBN Foundation’s website, almost 1,200 families were relocated with a promise
of financial support, services and opportunities. Today, families from informal settlement
communities in Manila still continue to move to SV7, either voluntarily or involuntarily.
A review of the literature revealed limited information about SV7. Key concerns
that emerged from personal interviews and the local newspaper revealed the poor state of
the living and health conditions such as limited water and electricity, low vaccination rates

and food insecurity in SV7. Population demographics, essential for program planning,
assessment and monitoring, had not been collected or disseminated, and based on local
accounts from stakeholders the data is either unreliable or questionable, which poses a
critical public health concern for future program development and implementation.
Therefore, it was necessary to obtain a comprehensive understanding, whether quantitative
or qualitative, about community concerns and needs for the purposes of program planning,
distribution of resources, and educating stakeholders on the wellbeing of the community.
The lack of information on the health conditions in SV7 proved difficult for
government and non-governmental organizations to effectively invest and provide the
necessary resources. Once a visual, firsthand account of SV7 was performed through
stakeholder interviews and focus groups, it was evident that the living conditions were
appalling due to the lack of basic public health and social services available. After thorough
discussions with local government officials, non-governmental stakeholders and community
leaders, a needs assessment was determined to be the best course of action to address the
knowledge gap of systematic and comprehensive data on the basic and health needs of the
people of SV7.
Youth came into focus for this project as many of the stakeholders had a concern
about the tambay, who are unemployed, unskilled youth in need of job training and
opportunities to generate income. For this reason, community stakeholders suggested that
the intervention be focused around the youth. An opportunity to develop a program that
would engage and put youth at the forefront of change and hope for the community was
envisioned by all. The vision for the identified needs assessment project was to engage and
empower youth so that issues that they understood to be relevant to their families, friends
and community. Youth involvement, would garner support from the wider SV7 community

and advocate for accountability and action from both government and non-governmental
institution to address the poor public health infrastructure, and the benefits promised in
return for relocation. The Youth Leadership Program developed from this vision was called
Accelerating Forward - Unlad Bayan.
Youth Empowerment and Technology as Strategies to
Address Health & Social Injustice
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In 2009, young people ages 10 to 24 years old, accounted for about 1.5 of 6.7 billion
people in the world; and among them, 70% were in developing countries who faced social,
economic and health challenges far greater than those of industrialized nations (UN, 2009).
Globalization, increasing urbanization, media communications, economic challenges and
health disparities are radically transforming the landscape for youth. The new landscape of
globalization is affecting the physical, psychological, economic and social transition from
adolescence to adulthood. Young people will have to acquire relevant attitudes,
competencies, values and social skills to become fully functional adults (Pittman, 1991;
Fatusi & Hindin, 2010). Community organization is an avenue for youth to participate,
where they are empowered and provided with the skills to produce positive outcomes
(Checkoway, 2011). A recent review on youth participation looks at the long-term effects on
the personal and social development. They observed an improvement in knowledge and
skills, academic achievement and performance, a sense of direction, self-confidence, social
connectedness and psychosocial well-being, and critical thinking, public speaking, and civic
competencies (Checkoway, 2011). Additionally, youth participation is shown to positively
correlate with self-esteem, ability to overcome adversity and leadership qualities (Fatusi &
Hindin, 2010).

Young people are the future, and everyone in society must recognize that training
and professional preparation are essential for youth development; otherwise, youth who are
sent to live in poor communities will be destined to repeat the cycle of poverty and miss out
on opportunities. Youth empowerment strategies can be effective for adolescents to acquire
leadership, workforce tools, social skills, competencies, and foresight to create change
(Morton & Montgomery, 2013). Programs that include youth in the decision-making
process of program design, planning, and implementation are good for community
development (Morton & Montgomery, 2013). Checkoway states that youth participation
cannot be measured by attendance, but instead by the quality of participation and influences
they impart on their neighborhoods (Checkoway, 1998).
When young people identify, understand and describe their own issues, it awakens
the spirit and propels them to motivate change, transformation and action (Checkoway,
2011). A community needs assessment is one strategy to engage youth in assessing
community needs. One example is an assessment project in Iran that uses participatory
action research or PAR (Ahari et al, 2012). PAR is a process that involves commitment,
collaboration and partnership from all stakeholders. The project shows how building upon
existing resources and empowering people can be beneficial for identifying the needs of a
community.
Technology is another strategy to engage youth in assessing needs and making
contributions to their communities (Santo et al., 2010). A PBS documentary, entitled “The
Revolutionary Optimists” demonstrated the potential for GIS technology as a revolutionary
way for youth in developing countries to map, track and improve the health of their own
communities (Revolutionary Optimists, 2013). Information and communication
technologies, applied to research such as photo-voice and community mapping, which uses

GIS technology, can proivide avenues for mobilizing and empowering disengaged youth
(David et al, 2013; Castledon et al, 2008). Participatory photography, community mapping
and interviews to understand lived-experiences offer the opportunity to capture both the
qualitative and quantitative dimensions of people’s experiences with place and health
(Dennis et al., 2009). According to The Youth Neighborhood Mapping Initiative, urban
teens were fully engaged in community asset building that told stories with photos, maps
and blogs (Santo et al., 2010).
GIS technology is a specific method that offers an opportunity to highlight
community needs spatially. GIS technology is a tool that looks at collected data and affixes
queries to a time and place on a map. GIS technology engages youth as community health
workers to collect asset-map data (Santilli et al., 2011). Programs that encourage youth
participation show how youth perspectives can influence decision-making and improve
planning outcomes, support the development of sustainable and family friendly urban areas
and foster civic-minded leaders (Santo et al., 2010).
IV. Public Health Focus!
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Public Health Question
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The problem faced in SV7 was the lack of visibility around the poor living
conditions affecting health. The solution presented engaged communities by reinforcing
upon existing resources and assets — mainly the youth and community. The public health
question is: how does a needs assessment utilizing geographical-information-systems or GIS
technology, coupled with youth empowerment strategies, address the social injustices and
health inequities in one impoverished, resettlement community in the Philippines?

V. Intervention !
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Accelerating Forward - Unlad Bayan (which means prosperous community in
Tagalog) was envisioned by the youth leaders in the summer of 2013. The two program
goals were: 1) to elucidate the community needs in relation to employment, electricity,
water, health, food, education and trash; 2) to empower and engage youth in leadership, data
collection, capacity building and advocacy.
The first goal was to conduct a needs assessment aimed at elucidating the
community’s needs for employment, electricity, water, health, food, education and trash, that
had been neglected by government and non-governmental organizations, among other
indicators that revealed the existing living conditions. The needs assessment brought
visibility around the gaps in health and social services. The needs assessment integrated
GIS technology, deploying about 30 youth leaders to survey 3000 homes in SV7. The
survey contained questions that were identified by key stakeholders, and was uploaded to
android phones asked questions from food insecurity to access of clean drinking water. The
questions were tailored accordingly to the needs of the community as indicated by the initial
interviews and focus groups.
The second goal was aimed at engaging the youth in performing the needs
assessment. Because of high unemployment and lack of participation among the tambay or
out-of-school youth, stakeholders agreed that the project would center on the youth. By
utilizing empowerment and technology strategies, the goal was to create a youth leadership
program (YLP) that revolved around leadership, data collection and advocacy. The YLP
consisted of activities and opportunities for youth to be a part of the decision-making
processes of program planning, implementation and dissemination of data. As a result, the

youth developed invaluable personal and workforce skills such as accountability,
management, technology, communication and advocacy.
VI. Methods!
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The needs assessment was incorporated with the youth leadership program in order
to address the limited data on health and social services and lack of involvement of youth.
The first step included focus groups and interviews with residents, youth, community
leaders, government and non-governmental organizations, where they identified the public
health problem. The second step was the development and conceptualization of the
intervention that would address the problem. The solution was a youth leadership program
that utilized youth empowerment and GIS technology to conduct a needs assessment. The
third step was the implementation of the program and data collection. The fourth and final
step was the dissemination of data and advocacy about the social and health injustices
revealed from the survey.
The project was stewarded by Accelerating Forward - Unlad Bayan, Consuelo
Foundation and Don Bosco (DB) Calauan. Official support, by way of a written
endorsement and letter, came from Mayor George Berris, National Housing Authority, and
all nine leaders of the Home Owners Association (HOA). In addition to financial support as
a practicum site, a grant of about PhP150,000 (US$ 3,570) was provided by Consuelo
Foundation to fund and support 29 youth and adult leaders. The funds provided a basic
wage, uniform, training and food and water. Map Your World and Revolutionary Optimists
donated eight GIS-enabled android phones and provided funding for documentary film crew
that totaled PhP70,000 (US$ 1670). The Don Bosco Salesians in Calauan provided
logistical support and the physical venues for meetings and events. The University of

Hawaii at Manoa provided mentorship and advising. Lastly, various friends and colleagues
in the United States donated an additional eight GIS-enabled android phones.
Focus Groups and Interviews
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The first three weeks were spent conducting interviews, focus groups and meetings
with the stakeholders: residents, youth, local government and nongovernmental
organizations. The first month was spent getting to know the community, and fostering
relationships that would earn the community’s trust. Through these discussions, it was
evident that a needs assessment would be done and that the youth would be at the center of
it. The needs assessment would highlight the top community concerns and produce a
comprehensive community profile about the population, employment, housing, electricity,
water, health, food and trash for SV7.
Youth Leadership Program (YLP)
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The YLP had a hierarchical structure, with eight leaders serving in leadership
positions and the remaining 21 leaders served in supporting positions. There were 26 youth
and three adults who conducted the needs assessment. Adults involvement served in a
special capacity to mentor and guide the youth. Adult mentorship was critical because it
bridged a once-divided relationship that resulted in a false perception that the youth were the
problem rather than the solution.
The eight star leaders, ages 17 to 23, were delegated with additional responsibility as
compared to the other 21 leaders, who were ages 16 to 45 years old. Two were in charge of
food, water and media equipment for the work day, workshops and trainings. Another two
were in charge of attendance and the dissemination of information and reminders. Others
were in charge of phone assignments, and the upload and removal of completed surveys.

The last two star leaders were in charge of marking the map for completed, missed, empty
or declined households, and for creating a spreadsheet of this record. All of the star leaders
were trained in troubleshooting and the operation of the android phones, and therefore,
responsible for training the other leaders.
Throughout the program, participants attended a series of lectures and workshops.
The first lecture was an introduction and a visioning workshop. This drew 60 participants,
which had to be narrowed down to 30. Other lectures were on smoking and nutrition — two
topics that Don Bosco Calauan, an NGO and stakeholder, had requested. The third lecture
was on financial responsibility because many of the youth had never worked or earned a
paycheck before. Additionally, two reflection and evaluation workshops were conducted.
The first occurred after the first week of surveying, and the second occurred a week after the
completion of the surveying. Both reflections were planned and facilitated by the star
leaders. The reflections focused on the experiences of the youth. The first reflection
workshop focused on the learning experiences and challenges while working with their
partners and other youth leaders, communicating effectively with each other and families,
time management and accountability.
The second reflection workshop focused on both personal and community goals.
The idea of this second workshop was presented to the YLP by one of the star leaders. He
saw that it was necessary that his peers identify first their personal challenges and struggles
before they could identify the struggles of the community. He said that they all needed
personal healing, before they could start healing the greater community. The morning was
spent on the youth writing letters of forgiveness, or either a list of negative attributes and
attitudes about themselves that they wanted to change. They wrote this list on a piece of
paper and burnt it in a group ceremony. The next part was focused on writing down the

steps and action plan that each youth would undertake to address them. Finally, that
afternoon, the youth broke up into teams to identify the three top concerns for SV7 as
observed from the surveying, and to choose one for which they could devise an action plan
that addresses the problem. They were introduced to the SMART model for planning a
program, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results, and Timeline.
Utilizing this framework, they worked in groups to develop a feasible plan to solve one
community problem that they deemed necessary.
Needs Assessment, Data Collection & Advocacy
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The youth walked door-to-door with a name badge, uniform, android phone and a
clipboard that contained letters from critical stakeholders, including the Mayor, HOA, CF
and DB. The letter outlined the project’s purpose and goals. The letter brought legitimacy,
authority and security for the 29 youth and adult leaders who went door-to-door. For three
weeks, the 29 leaders canvassed 107 hectares and interviewed 3000 families. The
household surveys asked questions about health, employment, water, electricity, food, and
other population data. The household surveys were uploaded to an android mobile phone
using the Open Data Kid (ODK) application found in the Google Marketplace. The surveys
were written and created using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and later uploaded to
formhub.org, where it was later accessed on ODK on the android phones.
There was a thank-you luncheon and presentation of the data at the conclusion of
the three months. The three-hour program was organized and hosted by the youth leaders.
The stakeholders that attended were the Mayor, two council members, Local Government
Unit, National Housing Authority, Ayala Foundation, Consuelo Foundation, ABSCBN
Foundation, and Don Bosco Salesian Church. The agenda consisted of musical

performances by the youth leaders and reading of personal experiences from three
perspectives: Star Leader, Youth Leader and Adult Leader. It also included a short
presentation of the preliminary data from the needs assessment and survey. At the
conclusion, letters that were written by all 29 leaders were given to the stakeholders present.
The letter written by the leaders gave them the opportunity to synthesize their
experiences and to express their personal stories of struggle and triumph. The leaders
reflected upon what they considered as the most pressing issues faced by families in SV7.
More importantly, they were able to write about their hope and vision for SV7. The letters
were presented to local government officials and community stakeholders such as Mayor
George Berris, two Councilmen, National Housing Authority Officials, Don Bosco Calauan,
Ayala Foundation, Consuelo Foundation and the Life Project for Youth.
Finally, the first part of the two-part report was completed in November 2013 and it
highlighted the concerns relating to employment, water, electricity, food and trash. The first
report was shared the participants of the youth leadership program, Don Bosco Calauan,
Consuelo Foundation, Ayala Foundation, Life Project 4 Youth, Mayor George Berris and
other stakeholders who have expressed an interest in the development of Southville 7. The
second part of the report will be finalized and disseminated to the same partners in the
spring of 2014. This report will contain information regarding youth and health.
VII. Data !
!!
A total of 3015 families were surveyed in SV7 in the summer of 2013. The dataset
was analyzed upon return from the Philippines to Hawaii using the statistical software
STATA, Version 13.1. Descriptive data was produced and some of the results from the

needs assessment are provided below. The results highlight some of the basic
demographical information about the population.
Because of the large dataset, only some of the results will be shared in this paper.
The full report will be shared with the community and its stakeholders. The responses from
the survey that were to be shared in this paper concern only: 1) the composition of the
number of families surveyed; 2) the top seven concerns per family; and 3) the accessibility
of clean water per family. Personal identifiable information of residents remains
confidential.
Results
Number of Families Surveyed
!
A total of 2639 homes were surveyed. Several homes contained two or more
families, and a total of 3015 families were surveyed. Of the families surveyed, 56% live in
Site 2, 42% live in Site 1, and 2% live in Site 3 (Fig 1a and Fig 1c). The number of families
surveyed at Site 2 is smaller because it is considered the newest community. The three sites
can be broken down into nine phases (Fig 1b and Fig 1d). Site 1 is composed of five
phases: Firstville, Starville, Solkia, Mount View (SMC), and Apama; Site 3 is composed of
four phases: Phases 1, 2, 3 and 4; and Site 2 has no phases indicated by ‘no phase.’
Top Community Concerns
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Families were also asked to rank their top three concerns. They were given eleven
choices to choose from. In order to rank the top concerns, a simple formula was created and
it gave weight to each response with a score of 3, 2 and 1 for first, second, and third choices,
respectively. The cumulative scores were compiled and ranked from highest to lowest

priority (Fig 2a): 1) jobs, 2) electricity, 3) water, 4) health, 5) food, 6) education, 7) trash, 8)
safety, cigarettes, alcohol and drug use, 9) physical and/or sexual abuse, and 10) gambling.
The top five concerns per family were further broken down per Site (Fig 3a). According to
all respondents, jobs were the primary concern. It varied thereafter, where Site 1 indicated
the second top concern was water, then electricity, health and education. For Site 2, the
second top concern was also water, then electricity, health, and food. However, for Site 3,
the second top concern was electricity, then health, food and water. According the survey,
families living in Site 1 had more access to electricity, but not water; whereas, Site 2 had
more access to water, but not electricity.
Water
!
Water was the third top concern for SV7. Approximately 34% of families have
direct water-pipe access through a main line in their home, compared to 66% who do not
(Fig 4a). When stratified by site, Site 3 had a higher proportion of families with direct
water-pipe access when compared to the other sites. Site 3 has 58% access, while Sites 1
and 2 have 2% and 4%, respectively (Figs 4b and 4c). A map highlighting the disparity in
direct water pipe-access can be seen in Fig 4c.
After stratifying by phase, the disparity was more pronounced. In Site 1 (Phases
Firstville, Starville, Solkia, Mount View, Apama), direct water-pipe access at home ranged
from less than 1% to no more than 7%. Site 2 reported only 4% of families having direct
water-pipe access at home (Fig 4d), whereas Site 3 (Phases 1,2,3 and 4) had at least 50% of
total families reporting direct water-pipe access at home.
Due to the lack of direct water-pipe access, families fetch water either from a spring,
water-well, tank, or filtered/alkalinized water. Fig 5a depicts the average distance to the

nearest water source (potable or non-potable use). Site 3 has more proximal water sources,
whereas, Sites 2 and 3 have less. In Fig 5b, families from Firstville and SMC reported
traveling the farthest distances for water.
Lastly, the majority of families reported drinking spring water and Centennial water
(Fig 6a). The majority of residents who drink Centennial and spring water live in Site 3;
whereas, the majority of Manila Water consumers live in Site 1 (graphs not shown).
Centennial Water and Manila Water are both private water utility companies in the
Philippines.
VIII. Discussion & Public Health
Recommendations!
!!
When families relocated to SV7, they encountered poor living conditions, such as a
lack of jobs, clean water, electricity, healthcare and other basic public health and social
services. Although the residents came from already abject conditions in the city, they had
not encountered such extreme poverty, injustice, hopelessness, and neglect on this scale
before. Therefore, in order to effectively and ethically work with a resettlement community,
one must fully engage communities by first listening to their concerns and secondly, by
building upon existing resources and infrastructure through partnership, training, leadership,
and youth engagement.
The intervention discussed throughout this paper were set out to utilize existing
assets — the youth and community — in order to collect data on critical population
demographics and to address the social and health issues that were neglected by both
government and non-governmental organizations. This section examines how data from the

needs assessment can be critical for future community development and planning to
leverage resources and demand accountability by governments and non-governmental
organizations in Southville 7. Table 1 summarizes the current status of Southville 7
according to the most recent data collected through the needs assessment, and its
correspondence with seven of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015
and public health recommendations.
!
The Millennium Development Goals
!
The MDGs established by the United Nations, have set eight priority goals for 2015.
It establishes benchmarks for reducing global poverty: from global hunger to restoring the
environment. According to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, the MDGs can be
achieved “through accelerated action.” He continues, “now is the time to step up efforts to
build a more just, secure and sustainable future for all” (UN, 2013b). His remarks herald the
importance of why not to slow down and wave in our global efforts to end extreme poverty.
The MDG benchmarks represent the goals and commitments for public health, and
particularly for SV7, which Accelerating Forward - Unlad Bayan fought hard to address.
The aim of MDG 1 is to reduce extreme poverty, as defined by persons living with
less than $1.25 per day. According to the needs assessment in SV7, the primary concern for
all families was jobs. The average monthly income per family living in Southville 7 was
between P3000 and P5000 (P=Philippine Peso) or $4.76 to $5.95 per day. During the
summer of 2013, the average exchange rate for $1 USD was P42. About 29% of families in
Southville 7 made less than P1000/month or about $1.19 per day, which falls under extreme
poverty. According to the UN, 14% of people in South-Eastern Asia live in extreme
poverty. The 29% proportion for families in SV7 is well above the average for this region.

The low family income can be attributed to the high unemployment rates.
Particularly for mothers of the household, unemployment is at 73%, where it is 20% for
fathers. MDG 1 also looks at hunger and approximately 22% of families have reported
“going hungry without any food for more than 2-days in the last-6 months.” Additionally,
the percentage of families who “have a vegetable garden” was 45%. Food was ranked the
fifth top concern in SV7.
MDG 7 looks at ensuring environmental sustainability, and one of the indicators is
access to safe and clean drinking water. Approximately 38% of the 6.2 billion people
worldwide do not have the convenience of a direct drinking water source at home. In
Southville 7, 66% of families reported having a direct water-pipe in their house; but that not
all water sources were safe for drinking. Access to safe and clean drinking water was the
third top concern for SV7; but upon stratification, it was the second top concern for Sites 2
and 3 and third top concern for Site 1. When you look at direct water-pipes in the home,
Site 1 had at least 50% of families with direct water-pipe connection at home, whereas Sites
2 and 3 were almost at zero percent. This revealed a big disparity gap. Additionally, at least
25% of families fetch water from the local spring or water reservoir, 30% from a municipal
source, and only 9% from bottled or filtered water. The other 36% reported a combination
of water sources. Not having access to clean and safe drinking water runs the risk for
gastrointestinal diseases such as diarrhea, which can be fatal for young children and the
elderly. Another concern is that inaccessible water sources forces residents to travel far
distances to fetch water, which may remove them from important activities like income-
generating work.
Lastly, MDG 8 calls for global partnership for development. Governments and non-
governmental organizations focusing on humanitarian aid and sustainable interventions can

help raise countries get out of poverty. MDG 8 offers the opportunity for non-governmental
organizations like Consuelo Foundation or Don Bosco Calauan to partner with communities
to strengthen their workforce, improve health and provide opportunities for personal and
community development. Because SV7 now holds data about its own population, it can
now show existing and future partners, whether government or nongovernment, the gaps in
health and the challenges residents face. This data provides the ability to leverage financial
resources or demand action by governments to implement programs that bring jobs or
strengthen the public health infrastructure for clean water, housing and health. Building
cross-country partnerships, evident in the collaboration between the US and Philippines in
SV7, can offer benefits to the health of the poor and marginalized, such as informal settlers.
IX. Conclusion !
!
Youth empowerment strategies coupled with GIS technology offer a different, but
effective approach to conducting a needs assessment in an informal settlement community.
Strategies that allow youth to tackle social injustice and health inequity in their own
communities require innovation and a different outlook on youth by maximizing youth
participation. The youth leadership program and GIS technology were vital in not only
engaging youth in community affairs, but also for building capacity and a workforce that
was empowered to stand up and advocate against inequity and injustice.
The 3000 families surveyed by the youth is a testament to their capabilities. The
youth diligently collected valuable data that advocated for jobs, access to clean water, or
healthcare and social services. The youth had the power to demand accountability from the
government and non-governmental organization, as evidenced by the Mayor and

stakeholder’s commitments to addressing the needs of SV7 at the final presentation and
luncheon.
The leaders of Accelerating Forward-Unlad Bayan transformed the thinking of many
in their community who thought that they were incapable of creating positive change in their
community. Instead, the youth developed into responsible young leaders who completed the
first comprehensive survey of SV7. They were the voices for their families, friends, and
neighbors. They were empowered to lead, demand change, and advocate for better health,
jobs, access to clean water and electricity. They did this because they believed in
themselves. They were hopeful of a better future. The intervention showed how a needs
assessment coupled with youth empowerment and GIS technology were effective strategies
for addressing social injustice and health inequity in an informal settlement community,
offering an opportunity for similar strategies to be implemented in other marginalized
communities.
X. Personal Reflection
!
Accelerating Forward - Unlad Bayan was a youth leadership program led by 29
youth and adult leaders. The YLP was developed in partnership with the community of
Southville 7 and key stakeholders from the government and non-governmental
organizations. The community were the stewards of the YLP and needs assessment project,
but they were guided by my role as project manager. From the onset of my arrival, I helped
conceptualize the project by facilitating the partnership, planning, development and
implementation of the two programs. As a public health graduate student, I was guided by
mentors and advisors at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Consuelo Foundation to
execute what I acquired from my academic coursework and professional experiences

regarding ethical research, community engagement and program planning and
implementation.
During the three months I was in Southville 7, I built trust and genuine relationships
with the community leaders, youth, government and non-governmental organizations; and
because of this, I was entrusted with the task to engage and empower the community to
develop a youth leadership program and a needs assessment in order to address their social
and health concerns. My role in the project is highlighted in Table 2.
XI. Appendix
! See pages 27a-28f for tables and graphs.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

XII. Bibliography
!
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!
Noble-Tabiolo, 2014, 27-aYouth Empowerment & GIS Technology! !
Fig 1a. Percentage of Families Surveyed per Site
Site 3!
56%
Site 2!
2%
Site 1!
42%
Fig 1c. Map of Three Phases
Fig 1b. Number of Families Surveyed per Phase
NumberofFamilies
Surveyed
0
150
300
450
600
Firstville
Starville
Solkia
MountView(SMC)
Apama
Site2(nophase)
Phase1
Phase2
Phase3
Phase4
Fig 1d. Map of Nine Phases

Noble-Tabiolo, 2014, 27bYouth Empowerment & GIS Technology! !
Fig 3a. Top 4 concerns Per Site
Fig 2a. Cumulative Score for Top 7
Community Concerns per Family
0
1500
3000
4500
6000
Jobs Electricity Water Health Food Education Trash
Jobs
Electricity
Water
Health
Food
Education
Trash
Fig 4a. Percentage of Families with Direct
Water-Pipe Access at Home
No!
66%
Yes!
34%
Fig 4b. Proportion of Families with Direct Water Pipe-
Access at Home per Site
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Number of Families
0 450 900 1,350 1,800
Yes No

!
Noble-Tabiolo, 2014, 27cYouth Empowerment & GIS Technology! !
Fig 4d. Percentage of Families with Direct Water-Pipe Access at
Home per Phase
Firstville
Starville
Solkia
Mount View (SMC
Apama
No Phase, Site 2
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Percentage of Families
0 25 50 75 100
Direct Access
No Direct Access
Fig 5a. Distance to Nearest Water
Source Among Families with No
Direct Water-Pipe Access
PercentageofFamiliesperSite
0
17.5
35
52.5
70
Distance (meters)
Less than 25 50 to 100 Greater than 500
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Fib 5b. Map of Distance to Nearest Water Source
(potable and/or non potable) per Family without
Direct Water-Pipe Access
Fig 4c. Map of Families with Direct Water Pipe-
Access at Home

!
Noble-Tabiolo, 2014, 27dYouth Empowerment & GIS Technology! !
Fig 6a. All Sources of Drinking Water per Family
Combination of Water Sources!
8%
Lake, River or Rain Water!
0%
Home Water Pipe!
0%
Filtered/Alkaline & Centennial!
1%Spring & Centennial Water!
2%
Artesian Well!
2%
Other - Not Speciﬁed !
21%
Filtered or Alkaline Water!
9%
Manila Water!
11%
Centennial Water!
21%
Spring Water!
25%
Spring Water Centennial Water
Manila Water Filtered or Alkaline Water
Other - Not Speciﬁed Artesian Well
Spring & Centennial Water Filtered/Alkaline & Centennial
Home Water Pipe Lake, River or Rain Water
Combination of Water Sources

Noble-Tabiolo,2014, 2014, 27eYouth Empowerment & GIS Technology! !
Table 1 Current Status of Southville 7 in 2013 and corresponding them to the MDGs and relevant public health recommendations. Data was collected from
the needs assessment conducted by Accelerating Forward - Unlad Bayan.
Current Status of Families in SV7
(according to data from the needs assessment)
Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs)*
Public Health Recommendations
Living Wage
• 29% of families reported living under $1.25/day MDG 1-Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger • To improve the living wage of families are to
create more employment, skills training &
development, and education opportunities
Employment
• 73% of mothers (per family) reported as unemployed
• 20% of fathers (per family) reported as unemployed
• Employed mothers made $18-30/week compared to
$30-48/week for fathers
MDG 1-Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
MDG 3-Promote gender equality and empower
women
• To increase employment is to expand jobs, educational & employm
Education
• 45% of mothers (per family) reported having “less than a
high school education”
• 22% of mothers (per family) reported having “only an
elementary education”
• 44% of fathers (per family) reported having “less than a
high school education”
• 23% of fathers (per family) reported having “only an
elementary education”
MDG 2-Achieve universal primary education
• To address low educational attainment would be
to lax the requirement of school uniforms,
offering stipends for school supplies or a
cleaning-house to access affordable or used
supplies, and better public transportation for
getting to school.
Food
• 22% of families reported “going hungry for more than 2
consecutive days in the last 6 months”
• 45% of families reported having a “vegetable garden at
home”
MDG 4-Reduce child mortality
MDG 7-Ensure environmental sustainability
• To address food insecurity would be to establish
effective feeding programs for children, farming
and community garden initiatives, and
aquaponics projects.
Water
& Electricity
• 66% of families reported “no direct water access at
home”
• 13% of families reported “no access to electricity source
at home”
• 21% of families reported only “access to generator power
at home,” (non-continuous during the day)
MDG 4-Reduce child mortality
MDG 5-Improve maternal health
MDG 7-Ensure environmental sustainability
• To address access to clean water and electricity
would be to build more wells, subsidize drinking
water, improve infrastructure for water &
electrical connection inside the homes, solar
panels and/or generator installation.
Family
Planning
• 55% of families reported “not practicing any method of
family planning”
• <1% use condoms
MDG 3-Promote gender equality and empower
women
MDG 5-Improve maternal health
MDG 6-Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
diseases
• To address sexual reproductive health would be
to educate safe practices for family planning and
sexual reproductive health, condom distribution
and improve access to health services.
*The Millenium Development Goals or MDGs are established by the United Nations, Millennium Development Goals Report 2013.

Table 2: My Role in the YLP and Needs Assessment Project
1 engaged and recruited stakeholders
2 listened to the community’s actual needs
3 included the community and stakeholders in the planning, development, implementation and
dissemination phases of the intervention
4 obtained funding for stipends, t-shirt design contest, activities, food and water
5 coordinated with Map Your World and colleagues in the US to donate 16 android phones
6 conceptualized the YLP, hierarchy structure, and responsibilities for the Star Leaders
7 developed the curriculum and training modules for use of GIS technology, communication,
computers and personal financial responsibility
8 developed the time table
9 empowered the star leaders to train the other leaders in GIS, surveying and communication skills
10 taught youth leaders the importance of health and social justice through writing letters and a final
presentation to the government and non-governmental organizations relevant for SV7’s
development
11 helped coordinate the final presentation that included the dissemination of preliminary data,
letters by youth and adult leaders and a celebration for all their accomplishments
Youth Empowerment & GIS Technology! ! Noble-Tabiolo,2014, 2014, 27e

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