DILG awards P7-M to each waterless municipality in Quezon

By Ruel M. Orinday

Tuesday 26th of June 2012

LUCENA CITY, Quezon, June 26 (PIA) -- Nine identified waterless municipalities in Quezon Province will soon receive P7 million each from the national government through the, “Sagana at ligtas na tubig para sa lahat” or "Salintubig Project" of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

According to DILG Quezon Director Pedro Mendoza, the program is designed to provide water supply systems to 455 waterless municipalities, barangays, centers, and resettlement sites nationwide. It also aims to enhance the capacity of the local government units/ water service providers in the planning, implementation and operation of water supply facilities.

In Quezon, nine municipalities - Buenavista, Candelaria, Catanauan, Dolores, Lucban, Perez, Sariaya, Tiaong, and Unisan will benefit from the project.

These municipalities are required to submit to the DILG Quezon Provincial Office - certification of compliance on full disclosure policy; creation of Municipal Water Sanitation Council; Memorandum of Agreement (MOA); project proposal; detailed engineering design and memorandum of agreement with DILG, National Anti-poverty commission, and DOH regarding capacity building.

The program has two major components: the infrastructure investments for water supply systems which covers the following: rehabilitation/ expansion and upgrading of level III water supply systems including appropriate water treatment systems; construction of level II water supply systems including appropriate water treatment systems and in areas where only level I system is feasible and construction and rehabilitation of level I systems.

Another component is institutional capacity development, a provision of training for existing and newly organized water user associations and community-based organizations.

The fund will be released to said municipalities by DILG Regional Office 4-A upon submission of requirements.

In December 2010, the DILG entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with DOH and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) for the implementation of the provision for water supply, also known as the Sagana at ligtas na tubig para sa lahat Program. (CPG/RO-PIA 4A, Quezon)