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 Quezon
City--- The Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has announced
that it will spend P868 million for water infrastructure development
projects to activate ninety-four currently non-operational water
districts to enable them to provide piped potable drinking water
supply to some 246,000 people in their areas within the year.
LWUA Board
Chairman Prospero A. Pichay, Jr. said the projects to activate
the non-operational water districts is part of the PGMA administration's
legacy program to provide safe water supply to all barangays by
2010.
Pichay said
another P447 million has been earmarked under the same DOH-LWUA
locally funded investment program for the construction
of potable water systems for the so-called waterless municipalities
within the area of responsibility of LWUA.
This is on
top of the P500 million fund from the Department of Public Works
and Highways (DPWH) under the Presidential Priority Program on
Water (P3W ), P69 million of which have already been released
to LWUA for other waterless municipalities as earlier identified
by the National Anti-Poverty Commission or NAPC, Pichay added.
LWUA Administrator
Orlando C. Hondrade said funds for these projects to activate
the non-operational water districts, many of which established
in the 80s and the 90s yet but have remained inactive due to the
lack or inadequacy of water systems, are included in the P1.5
Billion Locally Funded Investment Program under the CY 2009 Budget
of the Department of Health (DOH).
In July
last year, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo placed LWUA as an
attached agency under the DOH in line with the government's program
of improving public health through the adequate provision of safe
drinking water supply and sanitation facilities.
Hondrade
said the projects for the non-operational water districts would
primarily be the construction of their municipal-level water supply
systems which would cost an average of about P9 million each.
Works would include the harnessing and development of surface
or groundwater sources, construction of pumping and storage or
impounding facilities with provision for water treatment; laying
of transmission and distribution pipelines and the installation
of individual household metered service connections.
Target non-operational
water districts include Magsingal, Santa, Santa Cruz, Sta. Maria
and Sto. Domingo, all in Ilocos Sur; Caba in La Union; Dasul,
Infanta and San Jacinto, all In Pangasinan in Region 1; Boliney,
Bucay, Lacub,
Luba, Manalo, Pidigan, San Juan, San Quintin and Tayum, all in
Abra;Itogon, Benguet; Tabuk and Lubuagan in Kalinga; and Bontoc
and Paracelis in Mt. Province in the Cordillera Autonomous Region;
Alcala, Cagayan; Benito Soliven, Cabatuan, Delfin Albano, Diadi,
Gamu and Luna, all in Isabela in Region 2; Sto. Domingo, Nueva
Ecija, Arayat, pampanga and Botolan, Zambales in Region 3;
Mabitac,
Magdalena and Sta. Maria, all in Laguna; Burdeos, Quezon; Jala
Jala, Rizal; and Bansud and Victoria in Oriental Mindoro in Region
4; Piodoran, Albay; Pamplona, Buhi and Bula, all in Camarines
Sur; Bagamanoc, Baras, Gigmoto and Panganiban, all in Catanduanes
ad San Jacinto, Masbate in Region 5;
San Remigio, Antique; Sibunag, Guimaras; Guimbal, Lemery, San
Dionisio and Tagbauan, all in Iloilo; and Isabela and San Enrique
in Negros Occidental in Region 6; Balamban, Cebu in Region 7;
and Dolores, Lawa-an, Llorente, Hernani, Mercedes, Oras and San
Julian, all in Eastern Samar; Babatngon and La Paz, Leyte; Gandara,
Samar; Allen and Mondragon, Nothern Samar; and Zumarraga, Western
Samar in Region 8;
Labason,
and Salug, Zamboanga del Norte; and Labangan, Lakewood and Mahayag,
all in Zamboanga del Sur in Region 9; Cabanglasan and Quezon,
Bukidnon; Kauswagan and Kolambogan in Lanao del Norte; and Aloran,
Misamis Occidental in Region 10; Malalag, Davao del Sur and Malapatan,
Saranggani in Region 11 and Cabadbaran, Magallanes and Tubay in
Agusan del Norte; Alegria, Gigaquit and San Jose ( Dumagat Island)
in Surigao del Norte; Cagwait, Carrascal, Lingig and san Miguel,
all in Surigao del Sur, in Region 13.
January 30, 2009
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