Zero Poverty PH 2030
La Union
The Community
The City of San Fernando is the capital of La Union Province and a coastal city along the West Philippine Sea. Its coastal communities depend on fishing and other marine-based livelihoods, while its surrounding coastal areas support critical ecosystems, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves. These communities and ecosystems face increasing threats from overfishing, pollution, and climate change.
The convergence operates in six priority barangays of San Fernando City: Lingsat, Poro, Biday, Langcuas, San Agustin, and San Vicente, which are home to vulnerable fisherfolk communities and critical coastal ecosystems.
Thematic profiles
Findings
- 110 school-age children (5–18 yrs) or 33% are not currently enrolled in school, ALS, or TVET/TESDA.
- 45 (21%) out of 218 enrolled students are in school‑based feeding programs.
- 37 out of 218 were found to attend school less than three days per week.
Key Issues
- None stated for the period.
Partnership Opportunities
- None stated for the period.
Findings
- 145 families reported living in hazard‑prone areas.
- Typhoons emerged as the most common disaster, affecting 318 families, which is equivalent to 91% of all profiled families.
- The most common environmental problem reported was solid waste issues, with 293 family respondents.
- 247 families (70%) reported active participation in environmental programs, while 104 families (30%) indicated non‑participation.
- A strong majority of 290 families (83%) perceived these environmental programs as effective, with only 8 families (2%) expressing otherwise, and 53 families (15%) remaining uncertain.
- Most families reported a moderate level of knowledge on climate change (220), while some indicated limited knowledge (70) or extensive knowledge (47). Only 14 reported having no knowledge at all, suggesting that while awareness is generally present, deeper understanding remains limited and requires further capacity‑building efforts.
- Families relied most on social media (83%) and the barangay (82%) for disaster information. TV/Radio (51%) followed, while fewer cited neighbors (24%), newspapers (6%), and other sources (2%). This shows a clear dependence on digital platforms and local governance as primary communication channels during emergencies.
Key Issues
- Coastal and upland areas are under environmental stress due to overfishing, plastic waste, and degraded ecosystems, such as declining fish stocks, eroded upland areas and loss of biodiversity due to infrastructure projects, including coastal roads and buildings.
Partnership Opportunities
- Climate resiliency and sustainable development through nature-based (NbS) solutions.
- Conduct of capacity-building initiatives.
- Co-invest in livelihood incubation and NbS initiatives.
- Provision of technical expertise in enterprise development, CRM, climate adaptation, data management, and monitoring.
Findings
- 12% of children aged 0–59 months are stunted and 10% are wasted, indicating persistent nutrition and growth challenges among young children.
- 129 families (37%) have not received any form of social protection in the last 2 years.
- 183 (52%) of the profiled families reported having no access to PhilHealth.
- 19 out of 24 identified PWDs (79%) have received assistance from PWD‑specific support programs, reflecting notable progress in extending assistance to vulnerable groups.
- Only 27 families are recorded as 4Ps/MCCT beneficiaries despite high poverty incidence.
- 28 families lack their own sanitary toilet.
Key Issues
- None stated for the period.
Partnership Opportunities
- None stated for the period.
Findings
- 315 families earn below the ₱14,356 monthly poverty threshold for Region I (Ilocos Region), revealing that 90% of the profiled families fall below the poverty line.
- 772 individuals have no source of income.
- Only 9 families reported receiving assistance through the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) within the past two years, reflecting very limited program reach.
Key Issues
- Declining fish catch due to degraded coral reefs and mangroves.
- Limited livelihood options.
Partnership Opportunities
- Mangrove rehabilitation, alongside reef and seagrass monitoring.
- Further provision of biodiversity‑friendly livelihoods through conservation-performance scorecard, salt‑making (Kasay), recycling enterprise (DOERs), eco‑tourism and mangrove propagation (Lingsat), and solar‑powered desalination (Poro).
- Provision of additional salt beds, replacement of damaged materials, greenhouse structures, storage facilities, and salinity monitoring tools.
- Strengthen the salt-making livelihood project, through livelihood management training, financial recording, marketing support, mentoring, coaching, and organizational strengthening.
- Co-invest in livelihood incubation and nature-based solutions (NbS) initiatives.
About the local convenor(s)
The ZeP2030 Local Convergence in San Fernando City, La Union is a multi-stakeholder platform convened by Institute of Social Order, Inc. (ISO) to address poverty, environmental degradation, and climate vulnerability through integrated, nature-based solutions. It links poverty reduction with biodiversity conservation by advancing nature‑based solutions (NbS), participatory governance, and sustainable livelihoods for coastal and fisherfolk communities.
To achieve these goals, the project will focus on five key components:
- Community-Based Data and Planning
- Citizen Science and Marine Conservation
- Livelihood and Enterprise Development
- Strengthening Local Convergence
- Capacity Building and Governance
Milestones & Activities
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Community Coordination and Baseline Profiling (March–May 2026): Conducted courtesy calls and orientations with 11 barangays and the LGU, and refined the household profiling tool with the ZeP2030 Secretariat. Mobilized 21 enumerators and completed face-to-face profiling of 352 households, exceeding the target of 300, with support from 10 UCC student encoders trained in KoboToolbox.
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Citizen Science and Coastal Resource Management (April–May 2026): Coordinated with CENRO and DENR on citizen science and Marine Protected Area (MPA) support, trained and certified three local divers, and conducted coastal and underwater clean-up activities. Partnered with DENR Region 1 to develop a community-friendly ecological monitoring toolkit covering coral cover, seagrass condition, and coastal waste.
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Coastal and Underwater Clean-Up and MPA Engagement (May 2026): Conducted a Coastal and Underwater Clean-Up Drive in Barangay San Agustin on May 22, engaging more than 200 participants from government agencies, schools, MPA councils, fisherfolk, and partner organizations. Ten divers participated in the Scuba Surero underwater clean-up, collecting over 30 sacks of coastal and marine waste, while securing approval for integrated sea patrols through engagement with CARBASAN MPAN.
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Biodiversity-Friendly Enterprise Development (April–June 2026): Initiated an HDPE salt-making pilot with BFAR and KMPA and developed an enterprise workflow covering training, financing, and marketing. Facilitated coordination among PPMC, PMPA, PSLA, and CENRO for a proposed community-managed restroom social enterprise at the Poro Point Baywalk, supported the development of its business plan and feasibility study, and endorsed the proposal to PPMC on June 9, 2026.
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Network Engagement and Institutional Strengthening (May–June 2026): Strengthened partnerships with local and regional stakeholders through the CARBASAN MPAN and secured NGO representation in the BFAR FMA6 Board. Initiated LGU accreditation processing for three CSOs and continued coordination with LGUs, government agencies, MPAs, and partner organizations to advance integrated sea patrols, environmental governance, and community-based initiatives.
Members
- Union Christian College (UCC)
- Poro Point Management Corporation (PPMC)
- Philex Mining Corporation
- Lorma Foundation
- Ocean Deep *
- Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc. (JVOFI)
- Poro MPA Management Council, Inc. (PMPA)
- Kasay MPA Management Council, Inc. (KMPA)
- Lingsat MPA Management Council, Inc. (LMPA)
- Mameltac Rural Improvement Club (RIC)
- Dalumpinas Oeste Environmental Rangers (DOERs)
- Catbangen Persons with Disabilities (CPWD)
- Cabaroan Rural Improvement Club (CRIC)
- Lingsat MPA
- Bukas Palad Foundation
- Senior Citizen Association
- Mameltac Farmers Association
- Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
Partners
- Foundation for the Philippine Environment
- Peace & Equity Foundation
- Forest Foundation Philippines
ZeP2030 Co-Secretariat
Follow Us
Association of Foundations
14/F Aurora Tower, General Malvar Avenue, Araneta City, Brgy. Socorro, Cubao, Quezon City, 1109
ZeP2030@afonline.org
Philippine Business for Social Progress, Inc.
7/F Citynet Central, Sultan Street, Brgy. Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City 1550
ZeP2030@pbsp.org.ph