By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff Reporter
BURGOS, Ilocos Norte—The local
chief executive here has bared the demand for more potable water systems in
this town’s dry villages.
As watersheds and rivers are
running dry this summer, Burgos mayor Cresente Garcia on May 12 said the
provision of potable water system is a major concern in this municipality,
which is hosting the on-going construction of an 87-MW wind power project here—the
second wind farm in Ilocos Norte.
To date, Garcia said at least
P8 million is expected to be released from the Department of Interior and Local
Government’s Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig (SALINTUBIG) program to benefit Brgys. Bobon
and Paayas.
According to Garcia, they
have earlier identified a potential water source at Brgy. Agaga but the
municipal government cannot afford to put up its own water system.
As the demand for potable
water increases in this town as a new home for renewable energy, Garcia said
his administration is currently working on the inclusion of more barangays here
as beneficiaries of the Department of Tourism and Local Water Utilities
Administration (LWUA) convergence project, meant to provide clean drinking
water to poor and still waterless communities in the country.
The LWUA has been tapped to
assist in the implementation of the water supply system development projects
under the P1.5 billion SALINTUBIG program under the watch of President Benigno
Simeon C. Aquino III.
In line with the country’s
Millennium Development Goal’s target to increase access to potable water as
contained in the Philippine’s development plan for 2011-2016 which gives priority
to water and sanitation, the SALINTUBIG program provides grant financing and
capacity building for the implementation of water supply projects in poor
communities without access to safe water and with high level of waterborne
diseases.
In Ilocos Norte, the DOT-LWUA
convergence project hopes to benefit at least four more barangays in this town
including Brgys. Poblacion, Buduan, Nagsurot and Tanap.
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