I. DEMOGRAPHY AND SETTLEMENT AREAS

The demographic features of SINP are characterized into three major groups and these are (a) protected area residents; (b) buffer zone residents; and (c) resource users but are non-SINP residents.

II. ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS AND POVERTY LEVELS

Samar Island is predominantly agricultural in economy dominated only by three to five main crops.  
(Tables2)

Upland communities such as those occupying SINP   are engaged in livelihood activities that are directly affecting the protected area and its Buffer zone such as:

1. shifting cultivation;
2. cutting of timber;
3. gathering of non-timber forest products like rattan, bamboo, abaca and almaciga resin;
4. gathering of wild plants like  orchids and other ornamental plants;
5. wildlife hunting particularly wild Pigs;
6. freshwater fishing;
7. collection of firewood
8. permanent agriculture; and
9. livestock and poultry raising
10. Upland families have very meager incomes with an average monthly income of PhP 1,500 to PhP 1,800.
11. Poverty incidence among the households is very high with an average household income of less than PhP 30,000 annually
12. About 90% of them are largely dependent on the forest and other natural resources for livelihood
    (images3)

III. SOCIAL INDICATORS

1. Samar Island has all the basic services in education, health, water, electricity, transportation and communication including welfare programs for the local residents. However, both the availability and quality of physical, material and human resources of these services have been generally low outside of the provincial capital towns and cities, particularly in remote municipalities and barangays especially in upland communities covered by SINP.
2. Generally, low education in the uplands of Samar Island
3. Functional literacy rate of the household population (10 to 64 years old) is 76.4% for Western Samar, 86.3% for Eastern Samar and 73.6% for Northern Samar.
4. Most of the residents of the COP barangays have elementary level of education.
5. In barangays where there are school facilities, the multi-grade system is common where two grades are combined for lack of classrooms and teachers.
   (images3)
6. Most of the households in the COP barangays have no toilet facilities and no garbage disposal area leading the residents to dump their garbage into the rivers.
7. The roads connecting from the province of Western Samar to Northern Samar is classified as national road while the road from Western Samar to Eastern Samar is classified as provincial road. Most of the barangay roads are graveled, while some are concrete and the rest are still waiting for construction.
8. There are about 2,597 bus/jeepney/motor vehicles registered for the three provinces of Samar Island.
9. Communication between each town and outside the island is through cellular phones and telephone landlines.
10. All of the 37 Municipalities and one city have electric power provided by SAMELCO, ESAMELCO and NORSAMELCO electric cooperatives and their sources are supplied from Tongonan Geothermal Plant at Ormoc City. Most of the barangays are still using kerosene lamp and power generators.
11. The main source of drinking water is from shared faucet supplied by the community water system followed by spring, lake, rivers and rain. The rest of the households fetch water from deep wells, dug wells and pump.

IV. LAND OWNERSHIP AND TENURE

1. Within the protected area, about 3,606.87 hectares are classified as alienable and disposable lands and some 4,659.93 hectares at the buffer zone that are already subject to private land ownerhip and/or applications.
2. Generally, other areas of SINP is free of ownership being classified as timberlands or forestlands, although they cover certain resource use permits such as MPSAs, TLAs and rattan cutting permits.
3. There are approximately 22 CBFM areas covering approximately 21,099 hectares in the PA and another 8,017 hectares in the buffer zone
4. land tenure instrument was also issued for a military reservation covering some 288.84 hectares of SINP
   (images3)

V. RESOURCE USE PRACTICES

1. Timber Cutting
2. Gathering of Non-Timber Forest Products
3. Rattan Cutting Permits (table1)
4. Almaciga Tapping Permits (table1)
5. Wildlife Hunting, Gathering and Poaching
6. Other Resource Use Practices (guano limestone extraction and other small-scale mining products such as stones, sand and gravels.)