TACLOBAN CITY — More than 1,290 residents in three barangays of Calbiga town in Samar province are now benefiting from improved access to clean and safe drinking water following the completion of a major water system upgrade funded by the national government.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) recently turned over the upgraded Level II to Level III Water Supply System for Barangays Mahangcao, Borong, and Macaalan, an initiative aimed at improving public health, sanitation, and the delivery of basic services in rural communities.
The P13.33-million project was funded under the Local Government Support Fund–Support and Assistance Fund to Participatory Budgeting (LGSF-SAFPB). It involved the replacement and installation of 1,600 linear meters of pipelines, the construction of a water treatment facility and a management office, and the provision of 430 metered household water connections.
The turnover ceremony was led by DILG Region 8 Regional Director Arnel Agabe, together with Calbiga Mayor Red Nacario, and attended by agency and local government officials, as well as barangay leaders from the three beneficiary communities.
In his message, Agabe emphasized that the project goes beyond infrastructure development, describing it as an investment in public health and a concrete outcome of participatory budgeting and collaboration between the government and civil society organizations.
Mayor Nacario welcomed the project, noting that it addresses a long-standing concern of residents regarding access to potable water. He expressed optimism that similar initiatives would further improve living conditions in the municipality.
The mayor also thanked DILG Region 8 for its continued support in implementing priority projects in Calbiga.
The LGSF-SAFPB is part of the national government’s efforts to operationalize the localization strategies of the Philippine Open Government Partnership.
The program seeks to ensure universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation, strengthen hygiene services, and help end open defecation by 2030.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
