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 Quezon
Clty- An additional almost half a million Filipinos in the
provinces have been given access to clean drinking water supply
In 2008 with the completion of sixty-nine infrastructure projects
and the approval of P800 million in loans by the Local Water Utilities
Administration (LWUA) for the development and expansion of water
supply systems across the country.
This was
reported to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by LWUA Administrator
Orlando C. Hondrade who said that the agency is gearing for more
accomplishments in 2009 with the committed funding support from
the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Public Works
and Highways (DPWH) amounting to a total of P2 billion for the
development of potable water supply systems especially for the
still numerous waterless communities. Waterless communities as
earlier identified by the National Anti.Poverty Commission (NAPC)
are those with less than 50 percent access to safe potable water
supply.
Hondrade
said LWUA was able to complete 69 water supply improvement projects
in 2008, Including five in erstwhile waterless communities covered
by water districts thereby giving access to piped potable water
supply to an additional 450,000 provincial residents. Since the
start of the PGMA administration In 2001, LWUA has already completed
a total of 449 water supply improvement projects to include 62
in former waterless communities. An additional 4.9 million people
have been provided access to piped potable water supply during
the same period bringing the overall total to more than 15 million
nationwide since 1973, Hondrade added.
LWUA also
approved the grant of P798 million in additional loans to 70 water
districts to finance the development or expansion of their water
supply systems bringing to P8.5 billion the total loans granted
by the agency since 2001, Hondrade also reported.
According
to Hondrade, the main objective, of LWUA for 2009 is the acceleration
of the expansion of water service coverage to help achieve the
goal of the government of providing water for the entire nation
by the year 2010. This will be achieved through the completion
of a total of 258 water supply projects nationwide targeting specifically
119 waterless municipalities and 101 still non-operational water
districts to provide access to an additional 560,000 service population.
"This
year, LWUA is also geared towards the development of a bulk water
supply project to maximize water production", Hondrade reported
adding that the agency is starting the sewerage development for
a water district on pilot basis to address sanitation and environment
concerns to protect natural water resources.
January 6, 2009
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