Isabel, Leyte - The Local Government Unit (LGU) of this town has realized the benefit of having a water system run by a technically expert agency as it turned over to the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) the Bgy. Bantigue water system and have it annexed to the Isabel Water District.

LWUA Administrator Lorenzo H. Jamora said that Isabel Mayor Roberto P. Fuentes Jr. sought the help of LWUA to rehabilitate the water facilities of Bgy. Bantigue, a kilometer away from the western coastline of Isabel town proper and can be reached by land using the more than five kilometer unpaved road and by sea through a 10-minute motor boat ride, after recognizing that some 500 households or roughly 2,300 residents suffer from having potable water at a cost of almost P150 per container.

Jamora disclosed that through a P .5 million financial assistance from LWUA, the Isabel Water District has rehabilitated the Bgy. Bantigue water facilities consisted of pipelines, two deep wells and two concrete tanks turned over by Bgy. Chairman Jose U. Dionzon.

The LWUA Chief and Isabel Vice-Mayor Greg Cerillo with Ret. Col. Raymundo Padua Sr. and Engr. Camilo Echavia, Board Chairman and General Manager, respectively, of the Isabel Water District inaugurated over the weekend the 1.5 liter per second (lps) concrete tank.

Engr. Ma. Eda Emma Censon, LWUA Advisor for Area 6 and also a sixth member of the Isabel Water District Board, said that the rehabilitation of the Bgy. Bantigue water system resulted after residents of the remote barangay complained of expensive water which they fetch from the poblacion. A container of water costs P45 and almost P100 are spent for the motor boat and its personnel to carry the water container, Censon added.

Jamora commended Mayor Fuentes and the Isabel Water District Board and Management together with barangay officials of Bgy. Bantigue for completing the project. The LWUA chief, in particular, commended the mayor for the P1 million grant to the Bgy. Bantigue water system improvement.

Jamora at the same time called on the residents of Bgy. Bantigue to cooperate fully with the Isabel Water District by way of judicious and proper water consumption. He also urged them to be vigilant against illegal tapping, leakages and wasteful water consumption.

Board Chairman Padua and GM Echavia reported that the Bgy. Bantigue Water Project had an initial 56 service connections which added to the 2,135 total connections and the additional 2,300 residents in said barangay also added to the 9,974 total number of population served by the Isabel Water District.

After the Bgy. Bantigue Water Project, four more projects are projected by the Isabel Water District in Bgys. Anislag, Apale, San Francisco and Antipolo and at two more sitios in Bagy. Bantigue, GM Echavia added.
c July 10, 2006