by Breezy C. Jimenez
IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay, Oct 15 -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)-Zamboanga Sibugay has established a Community-Managed Potable Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (CPWash) in Barangay Tambanan, Naga to implement programs and projects that would ensure social development and economic sustainability.
The project aims to install low-cost water supply technology and sanitation systems that address the agrarian reform beneficiaries’ (ARB) requirements and provide households access to safe drinking water and sanitation, Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Rizzel B. Villanueva said.
Villanueva said it also geared to influence local government unit (LGU) support by way of financing and providing technical support and prioritizing the establishment of infrastructure for water sanitation.
Low-cost, indigenous based materials and pro-poor technology aimed at improving access to water supply and proper sanitation services under the CPWash consists of spring-box and water reservoir, biogas digester, iron removal filter and bio-sand filter.
Installing such indigenous water supplies will eliminate too much iron and bacteria found in most water-wells in the rural areas, studies made by DAR said. The device can also help reduce greenhouse emissions in the environment.
The project will likewise enable farmers to learn how to construct the bio-gas digester which converts human wastes and other biodegradable trash into bio-gas, which in turn may be used by residents when cooking as a cheap alternative to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
As DAR continues to undertake agrarian reform communities (ARC) development, to date, from the original six water reservoir installed in Barangay Tambanan, another six has been added in the community as source of potable water supply for everyday use.
One of the stakeholders of CPWash is the Philippine Center for Water and Sanitation (PCWS), a non-government organization engaged in the development and promotion of community-based water supply and sanitation system, provide capacity development trainings for organizations managing PWSS and advocacy of pro-poor equity enhancing policies and regulations. (ALT/BCJ/DAR/PIA9/alt)