9. PUBLIC HEALTH.

Field dispensaries and government hospitals have continued during 1916 to be highly important factors in the establishment of effective government control throughout Mohammedan and pagan territory.

The jurisdietion of the insular bureau of health was extended by act of the Philippine Commission on October 14, 1916, to include all the Provinces in Mindanao-Sulu, and accordingly the authority of the department government over the public health service ceased on that date. As the chief health officer for the department will render his annual report for 1916 to the director of health, statistics and other detailed data will not be included here as in previous annual reports of the department government.

This

For the year 1916 provincial and municipal governments were required to provide in their budgets special funds for public health service expenditure. These funds were provided by setting aside 5 per cent of the general fund revenue of each organized municipal government, to which were added by the respective provincial governments equal amounts from provincial general fund revenue. system of providing in the regularly organized Provinces for the apportionment of provincial and municipal funds in support of the public health service has thus been put in operation throughout the Provinces of this department. The estimated aggregate amount of these provincial-municipal health funds for 1916 was P28,322.48. As stated elsewhere in this report there was appropriated by the Philippine Commission from the insular treasury a total of P208,121.96 for the public health service, including support of hospitals in the five Provinces of the department which were comprised in the former Moro Province; the public health service in the Provinces of Agusan and Bukidnon having continued as for many years previously directly under the insular bureau of health and provided for in the general appropriation for that bureau.

The extension of public health activities throughout MindanaoSulu during 1916 has been coordinate with the extension of government control in territory not previously occupied by the constabulary and other government agencies.

There were established during the year 31 dispensaries, making a total of 86 in operation at the close of the year.

There was established and formerly inaugurated on December 30, 1916, a hospital at Dapitan, Province of Zamboanga, the Rizal Memorial Hospital, which provides hospital facilities for the wellpopulated coast district of northwestern Mindanao, including several municipalities of the Province of Misamis, as well as those of the Province of Zamboanga and the considerable pagan population in the interior to the southward of these municipalities.

The work of officers and employees of the health service during the year has been excellent and of inestimable value to the government in the application of its policy of attraction, aside from the great benefit directly received by the people in the form of medical and surgical relief.

There has been a constant remarkable increase in the popular demand especially among Mohammedans and pagans for modern medi

cine and surgery. The facilities of both hospitals and dispensaries have generally been taxed to the utmost of their capacities and increases of present hospital facilities, especially in Lanao, are urgently needed. At both Zamboanga and Davao, where the government maintains no general hospital, the private hospitals maintained by missions or other private philanthropy have rendered great public service and are deservedly popular. The general hospital facilities at Zamboanga have been increased during the year by the establishment of the Hospital del Pilar by the Roman Catholic bishop of Zamboanga.

No dangerous communicable disease has been present in the department during the year to a degree occasioning serious apprehension since the cholera epidemic in Lanao was brought under control early in 1916. A number of cases have occurred subsequently in the Margosatubig and Dapitan districts. These cases appear to have originated in cholera-infected territory outside the department, and prompt action by local health authorities controlled and apparently eradicated the disease. A few cases are still reported by the local health authorities in the Dapitan district. No cholera is known to have existed during 1916 in the Provinces of Cotabato, Davao, and Sulu. A total of 636 deaths from cholera occurred in Lanao and 91 in Zamboanga Province. Smallpox appeared during the year in Sulu, where 347 deaths were due to this cause, and also in Zamboanga where it occasioned 12 deaths. There were no deaths known to have been due to smallpox in the Provinces of Cotabato, Davao, and Lanao. Vaccination against smallpox was actively carried on during the year, 45,170 vaccinations having been made in the Province of Sulu alone. The deaths which occurred from smallpox were almost wholly confined to Mohammedans of the more remote villages and of the fanatic type who opposed vaccination on alleged religious grounds. Through the training and utilization of Mohammedan vaccinators this opposition appears to have been overcome to a great extent. A few cases of typhoid fever occurred in Zamboanga, but were apparently due to infection from some remote outside source, as repeated careful examinations of water and milk supplies failed to reveal any suspicion of either of these being at fault. The government laboratories at provincial capitals and other important centers of population have rendered great service in the diagnosis and combating of water-borne and other diseases.

The improvement of water supplies has been carried on during the year to the fullest extent possible with the limited financial and other resources available. Great improvement has been effected in the water supply of the important villages of Parang, Maimbung, Bual, and Siasi, all in the Province of Sulu. The construction of waterworks for Jolo, the provincial capital, has been undertaken and should be completed early in 1917. The municipal water supply project for the city of Zamboanga was completed to a point permitting the beginning of service from public hydrants and installations in private homes about the middle of the year, the main pipe line having been connected with the Santa Maria Canal outside the city and practically beyond serious danger of contamination. This temporary source of supply will be substituted by water brought by the pipe line from the river at a point well above probability of contami

nation about April, 1917. Artesian wells have been opened in the upper Cotabato Valley and in the Agusan Valley with noteworthy improvement of health conditions in the communities served. The municipal water supply for Parang, Province of Cotabato, was completed and began operation during the year. The civil population of the village was thus relieved from dependence upon the water-supply service of the adjacent post of Ludlow Barracks which, in addition to being a mutually unsatisfactory arrangement, proved inadequate during periods of drought. Investigations and preliminary work have been concluded or are in progress to provide the provincial capitals of Cotabato, Davao, and Lanao, and also several other organized municipalities and centers of population with potable water. The public health service throughout the territory comprising the former Moro Province has contributed greatly to the extension and establishment of definite government control which has now been concluded throughout Mohammedan territory. The progress made was such that it became opportune that the jurisdiction of the insular bureau of health should be extended as it was in October last. The record of public health service activities here is one of efficient constructive work of which all responsible may with reason feel greatly proud. In order to assure continued progress in the carrying out of the general program of government here, it is important that the necessary aid from the insular treasury be continued for some time to come, and it is hoped that ample provision therefor will be made in the appropriations for the insular bureau of health for 1918 and succeeding years.

The hospital ship mentioned in the annual report for 1915 was not placed in commission during the past year because of delays in securing the necessary marine engines. Delivery of this machinery in the near future seems assured and it is expected the ship may be in commission by July 1.

10. PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

The most serious and urgent problem of government in MindanaoSulu continues to be the extension of public schools, primary and intermediate agricultural. At least primary school instruction must be provided for the majority of Mohammedan and pagan children if these important elements of population are to be made a strength rather than permitted to continue a weakness and potential danger to the fabric of Philippine government. The inadequacy of local revenues now and for some time to come for the extension of schools and for fully meeting the expenses of maintenance of existing schools in these regions necessitates the adoption of a definite plan of considerable financial aid annually from the insular treasury, not, however, proportionately greater than that heretofore and by the current general appropriation bill provided for schools in the remainder of Philippine territory.

Of the P1,000,000 appropriated by the Philippine Legislature for extension of primary public instruction in Mindanao-Sulu and other specially organized Provinces by Act No. 2531 there was allotted to Mindanao-Sulu the sum of P800,000, of which P400,000 were to be available for 1916 and the remaining equal amount in 1917. How

ever, due to subsequent developments in the finances of the insular government but 235,000 was actually made available for expenditure here and the balance reverted to the insular treasury. This reduction in financial resources for extension of primary instruction necessitated leaving in abeyance in great part the plan of school extension and that of the creation of a normal school for the training of primary school-teachers, especially Mohammedans and pagans, until such future time as further appropriation shall be made for school extension.

There was included in the act making appropriations for the department government an appropriation of P225,000, which was required in addition to local revenues to meet the expense of maintenance of existing schools and, if possible, provide for the establishment of some additional schools.

In addition to the insular aid above stated, there was appropriated from local revenues the estimated sum of 96,323 for primary schools.

The foregoing discussion of school finances refers to the five Provinces-Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Sulu, and Zamboanga-whose schools are administered by the department superintendent of schools stationed at Zamboanga under the general supervision of the director of education. The Provinces of Agusan and Bukidnon continued as in previous years to be administered directly from the central office of the Bureau of Education in Manila. There is not available at this time information as to the amount of insular funds expended by the Bureau of Education in the maintenance and extension of schools in Agusan and Bukidnon during 1916.

Complete and exact statistics regarding schools in Mindanao-Sulu will, I assume, be embodied in the report of the director of education, which is the central office to which department and division superintendents report. From incomplete data available it appears that there was an increase during the year 1916 of about 50 per cent in the number of teachers, number of schools, and number of pupils enrolled, but the increase in daily attendance of pupils was somewhat greater.

It has not been practicable heretofore to determine even approximately the number of children of school age and the number of primary schools and teachers required reasonably to provide this fundamental feature of public instruction throughout Mohammedan territory. However, it is now possible by reason of the extension of government control throughout all such territory to proceed without further delay, and it is certainly of prime importance that schools and teachers be provided at once in adequate numbers commensurate to the needs of the population. If the schools be established at wellselected points, provincial and municipal district officers can assure attendance of pupils in numbers fully equal to the facilities provided. It is also urgent that the normal-school project at Zamboanga proceed to the extent at least of construction and equipment of the necessary school and dormitory buildings. A well-situated tract of 27 hectares has been purchased and improved preliminary to building construction, which was necessarily suspended by the reversion of funds to the insular treasury as hereinbefore related. In the ap

propriation of insular aid for public schools in Mindanao-Sulu for 1917 there is included authorization for the construction of the school building and one dormitory with an appropriation of funds which will, perhaps, permit the construction of the buildings if especially advantageous arrangements may be made as to construction expense. There is insistent demand by Mohammedan leaders for public-school teachers from among their own people, and the noteworthy acceptance by them of public schools under Christian Filipino teachers is in considerable part due to their assurance that normal-school training in due course will be given their young men and women, qualifying them to return to their native villages as teachers.

The system of scholarships for intermediate and high-school grades and vocational training in Zamboanga and Manila has been continued with good results. The number of scholarships should be increased materially, especially for high-school and special-school courses in the cities and college towns of Luzon and the Visayas, where the environment of more modern civilized communities is an important factor in the development of young men and women who should, by reason of their leadership and influence, become important factors in the near future for the economic, social, and political development of their people in the present Mohammedan and pagan regions of Mindanao-Sulu.

A girls' dormitory has been established in Jolo, especially for the training of girls selected from among the daughters of the leading Mohammedan families in the Sulu Archipelago. An encouraging beginning has been made by this institution, which was inaugurated in the latter part of the year under the direction of Miss Sergia Rodrigo, a native of Luzon, who had had excellent training as assistant matron of Normal Hall, Manila.

The greatest economy has been exercised in the acquisition of school sites and the construction of school buildings and their equipment. Sites for primary schools have, as a rule, been donated, limiting their cost generally to the expense of survey. These sites are rarely less than 5 hectares in area and in some instances exceed 16 hectares, thus affording adequate opportunity not only for buildings and play grounds but also for practical instruction in the cultivation of farm crops. The proceeds of the latter are an increasing factor in the maintenance of schools where subsistence in part or entirely must be provided for the children whose parents reside at too great a distance from the school to permit their boarding at home; and also for the maintenance of plant nurseries for the distribution of coffee and other fruit trees for subsequent cultivation by the children and their parents on their own lands. The people locally have generally contributed to the extent of their ability, material obtainable locally and their own labor in putting up buildings as well as the cleaning of school sites. It is the rule to endeavor, by the use of selected local materials and excellence of work in construction, to make school buildings instructive to the people, encouraging and helping them to provide for themselves better types of houses than the very poor structures generally used. No concrete-building construction has been undertaken during the past year, due to the lack of funds.