Quezon City--- Bannered by the P600-Million Metro Roxas Comprehensive Water Supply System Improvement Project that was inaugurated last August by no less than the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself, the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) reported the completion last year of P1.2 billion worth of water supply projects in 47 provincial areas to include a few communities formerly classified as "waterless."

LWUA Administrator Orlando C. Hondrade, who took over top management helm in January 2007, said the agency continued to intensify its water supply development efforts to help pursue the Arroyo administration's legacy program of providing safe potable water supply to all barangays particularly in the countryside to include the so-called waterless areas as identified by the National Anti-Poverty Commission or NAPC.

Of the completed projects in 2007, Hondrade said nine were undertaken in Northern and Central Luzon amounting to a combined P152.4 million; 17 in South Luzon to include the Bicol Region worth P190 million; 10 in the Visayas with the biggest total project cost of P714.4 million; and 11 in Mindanao worth P113.8 million.

The Metro Roxas Project which was jointly funded by LWUA and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) featured a modern water treatment plant which is capable of processing 30,000 cubic meter of raw water per day to serve the potable water needs of some 200,000 residents in Roxas City and the towns of Ivisan, Panitan and Panay in the province of Capiz. President Arroyo personally presided over its inauguration last August accompanied by Senator Mar Roxas, Governor Victor Tanco, Rep. Antonio del Rosario, Roxas City Mayor Vicente Bermejo and LWUA officials that included Hondrade and Board Chair Proceso T. Domingo.

The other completed projects last year which were funded by LWUA with its own internal cash generation or assistance from official development assistance (ODA) funds coming from the German Kreditanstalt fur Weideraufbau (KfW), JBIC and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), involved the development of water sources, construction of pumping and storage facilities, installation of chlorination/treatment facilities, transmission and distribution pipelines, fire hydrants andl metered household water service connections.

Aside from Metro Roxas, the other completed projects were undertaken in Ramon, Isabela worth P19.7 million; Ifugao, Ifugao (P11.4M); Maddela, Quirino (P13.7 M); Bugallon, Pangasinan (P25.06M); Palayan City (P5.6 M); Guagua (P24.7M) and Candaba (P13.2 M), both in Pampanga; San Antonio, Zambales (P19.9M); Angat, Bulacan (P19M); Indang (P11.4M) and Silang (P15.1M), both in Cavite; Mabini, Batangas (P5.3 M); Roxas, Palawan (P7.6M); Guinayangan (P13.7 M) and Gumaca (P6 M), both in Quezon Province: Sipocot (P15M), Baao (P2M), Libmanan (P18.1M), Ragay (P28.2M) and Pili (P1.5M), all in Camarines Sur; Tabaco ( two projects worth P40.3 million ), Bacacay (P14.9 M) and Daraga (P5.8 M), all in Albay; and Aroroy, Masbate (P2.9M);

Miag-ao (P8M), Lambunao (P17.5M), Banate (P15.02M), Zarraga (P11.7M) and Tubungan (P9.9M), all in Iloilo; Silay City (P10M); Malay/Caticlan, Aklan (P9.4M); Dumaguete City (P17.7 M); Catarman, Northern Samar (P13.1 M); Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental (P1M); Butuan City (P33.5M) and Nasipit (two projects worth P9.9M), both in Agusan del Norte; New Corella, South Cotabato (two projects worth P16.5 million ); Hagonoy, davao del Sur (P0.4M); Dapitan City (P22.5M); Ipil-Titay, Zamboanga del Sur (P3M); Kapatagan, lanao del Sur (P17.5M) and Misamis Occidental (P9.3M).

c January 10, 2008