Contributor
AT LEAST 45 towns in Northern Mindanao do not have access to potable water, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) told reporters during the recent roundtable talks held in Cagayan de Oro City.
Maraisa Naive, a DILG representative, opted not to name the waterless areas, but identified the town of Clavaria in Misamis Oriental, and barangays Taglimao, FS Catanico, Tuburan, and Mambuaya, all in Cagayan de Oro City.
To address the problem, Naive said the DILG has partnered with various stakeholders in the implementation of Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig sa Lahat Program (Salintubig), one of the government’s main actions in addressing the plight of Filipino households that have no access to potable water.
She said Claveria has received P10 million in 2012 and another P12 million in 2016 while P8 million was divided among the four rural barangays.
Salintubig, she added, is being managed by local water districts and DILG through the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).
She said the DILG provides the needed technical assistance through its well-trained municipal engineers and planning engineers if the recipient falls under the municipal category.
Aside from having no access to potable water, Naive said that other requirements in order to avail of the program include high poverty incidence and must passed the of Seal of Good Governance(SGLG).
In a survey conducted in 2007, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) said there were 455 waterless municipalities, waterless barangays, waterless health centers, and waterless resettlement sites in the country.
With the implementation of the Salintubig program, Naive said the figure has dramatically reduced by at least 50 percent as of today.
Earlier, Cagayan de Oro City played host to the third leg of roundtable discussions attended by key officials from various Local Government Units (LGUs) and stakeholders. The roundtable discussion series aimed at better understanding the role of LGUs in water resource management, satisfying and increasing demands for safe, affordable water in waterless areas.
Also present at the roundtable discussion were the Philippine Water Partnership (PWP), the National Water resources Board (NWRB), the League of Cities in the Philippines (LCP), and the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP).
Atty. Nathaniel Santos, PWP chairperson, said that the consultations were part of the effort to better understand and define the roles of LGUs in local water resources management. PWP is a nongovernment organization (NGO) affiliated with the Global Water Partnership that assists the Philippine government and provides a neutral venue for discussions on integrated water resources Management.
0 Comments