By Franklin P. Gumapon
PAGADIAN CITY – Cases of waterborne diseases in San Pablo, Zamboanga del Sur have gone
down after the P2 million water system project became operational, said a
report released by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-9.
DILG-9 Regional
Information Officer Lemuel Mejares said the newly completed water system
supplies potable water to the Rural Health Unit (RHU) and 90 percent of the
residents of Barangay Poblacion in said town.
“The beneficiaries are
now enjoying 24-hour supply of potable water,” Mejares reported.
Implemented under the
2012 Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig sa Lahat (Salintubig) program, the project aims
to provide the people in waterless communities access to safe water.
One beneficiary even
said the people in the area would no longer fetch water from afar as the water
is now right in their households, giving them more time to attend to other chores.
Dr. Hermeraldo M.
Catubig, Municipal Health Officer, also disclosed that with the municipality’s
water system, San Pablo had become one of the top five local government units
(LGUs) in the country being declared “champion for health governance,” the only
awardee from Mindanao.
Mayor Belman Mantos, on
the other hand, assured that the municipal government shall improve on the
collection system to maintain continuous and efficient supply of potable water
to the community. (PIA9)