BRGY. BACALON
Feast of Our Holy Family:
Last Saturday of April
In 1950, Pedro Dino Desierto came to Bacalon from Barrio Cabid-an together with his wife Remedios Bueza. In July 1949, when the barangay became accessible to vehicles, it was only then that the first bus passed by the barangay. But before, only people and carts were able to pass by.
As Pedro Desierto recalled when he first transferred in the place, there were around 10 families inhabiting the barangay. Some of them were Nasyon, Hinto, Andes, Bonagua, Fortes, Boral, Bon and Mella families.
Little has changed in the areas land use since his migration in 1950. The forest area is almost the same as today. Some of the trees that can be found in the forest are Antipolo, Dau, and Naga; Bamboo grass and abacca also dominates the area. The farmland occupied a bigger area as compared to coconut.
VISION STATEMENT
“A peaceful and progressive Barangay with God-fearing, environment-friendly and participative people under an empowered and able leader.”
MISSION STATEMENT
“To promote effective delivery of basic services, to a peaceful and progressive Barangay.”
It has a total population of 676 individuals composed of 360 males and 316 females and a total household of 148 with an average household size of 5 individuals based on Rapid Community Based Monitoring System Census of 2014.
Barangay Bacalon has 19 children under 1 year old and 80 children 0-5 years old. Children 6-12 years old is composed of 129, these are the children in elementary years while there are only 69 members 13-16 years old in high school years. There are 195 members of the labor force.
The Barangay Health Center of Bacalon is the primary health care provider in the barangay administered by the Barangay Health Worker and assisted by Midwife from the Municipal Health Office. There is also a Barangay Nutrition Scholar who organizes nutrition-related programs, projects and activities in the barangay. Based on the result of the 2016 Operation Timbang, there is one (1) malnourished child in the barangay and there are no record of under 5 years old who died and women who died due to pregnancy related causes.
The barangay is accessible through motorcycle, tricycle or jeepney with regular trips going to and from the barangay. There are no credit institutions in the barangay however it is only 10 minutes away from the Central Business District of the municipality of Magallanes where lending institutions are present.
The barangay’s source of water came from its own water source wherein 140 households have access to potable water supply.
Electricity in the barangay is accessed only by 67 households through the Sorsogon Electric Cooperative I (SORECO I), the local electric cooperative servicing the southern part of Sorsogon province. However, at present, the barangay had availed of the program for indigent household electrification which will be implemented this year, 2015.
Seventy seven percent of the households are burning garbage, 22% are composting, and 15% are dumping in a closed pit, while other are recycling, segregating, dumping in an open pit and throwing garbage in river.
Barangay Bacalon is generally a peace manageable community with only one household recorded as being victimized by crime. There are 15 Barangay Tanods that conducts regular patrolling to ensure peace and safety in the barangay.
The result of the 2016 Operation Timbang conducted by the Municipal Nutrition Council showed that in Bacalon there is one (1) malnourished child in the Barangay which is lower in proportion compared to the benchmark. Despite intensive monitoring and campaign in terms of proper nutrition as well as implementation of supplemental feeding program, malnutrition is still present due to inadequate food intake in the household level. There are no recorded cases of child deaths below 5 years old and women who died due to pregnancy-related causes in the past twelve months. This can be attributed from the regular programs conducted by the Municipal Health Office such as regular check-up and immunization of pregnant women and monitoring of the health condition of children.
In Bacalon, there are two (2) households identified as living in makeshift houses and with 19 households identified as informal settler.
The water need of the locality is sourced mainly from its spring which serves all of the households in the barangay wherein 60% are accessing Level II potable water supply and 13% are accessing Level 1 water source. There are 31 households in the barangay without access to sanitary toilet facility which constitutes 21% of the total household.
In the barangay, there are two (2) children aged 6-12 and seven (7) children aged 13-16 not attending elementary and secondary with nine (9) children age 6-16 years old not attending school. The accessible school facility is one of the factors that encouraged children to attend school although there are some who quit schooling due to financial difficulty.
Based on the result of the survey, there is one (1) victim of crime recorded in the barangay. According to the Punong Barangay, intensive surveillance of Barangay Tanods and Kagawad will be strengthened.