TALIBON, Bohol (PIA) — National and local government officials turned over two seawater processing facilities in two off-grid islands of northeastern Bohol.
The move aims to address the perennial problems associated with fetching potable water from the mainland, some 30 minutes or an hour away, or buying processed water for P50 to P80 just to have domestic water in the island.
Provincial government authorities, Cong. Maria Vanessa Aumentado, Department of Agriculture (DA) officials, and World Bank representatives formally handed two P12,732,543.93 worth of solar-powered saltwater desalination facilities for Guindacpan Island Talibon and Bilangbilangan Island in Bien Unido.
DA representative Engr. Noel Cahiles, Talibon Mayor Janet Evangelista, board member Jiselle Rae Villamor, Aumentado, and barangay officials of the two islands cut the ceremonial ribbon to symbolize the operation of the facilities.
The facilities come with filtration tanks, photovoltaic cells, battery storage, and water reservoirs in a building solely for the safekeeping of the facility and operation.
The facilities would serve over 5,000 residents in the two islands.
Built for DA under the World-Bank-funded Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), the facilities are 80 percent grant, while 20 percent is funded both by DA and the provincial government, according to Capitol consultant and retired planning and development official Engr. Ronilita Bunado.
For Guindacpan, an island nearly 10 kilometers off mainland Talibon, the new facility would cut the domestic costs associated with potable water use, where each population is using an average of .5 liters a day for drinking.
For their kitchen, laundry and bathing use, island residents draw salty water or use the few rainwater collectors.
From the mainland, an 18-liter water container is sold here at P50, considering the costs of transport and the investment factors.
The facility, which could now supply the domestic needs of potable water for Guindacpan, Mahanay, and Calituban islands, can also supply the needs of Bansaan and Sag islets.
Capable of producing some 22,000 liters of water per day by normal use, the desalination facility here could now provide each individual some 8 liters of potable water every day.
“We still have to pick up the containers from the docking area and bring them home,” said Lorna Padillo, a septuagenarian who also earns a living in the islands’ market.
“Nagpasalamat jud kog daku nga niabut sa among isla ang tubig, mao gyud ni ang among gikinahanglan, nagpasalamat jud mig daku,” added Padillo.
(I am very thankful that this water facility has reached our island. This is what we really need.)
In the next town in Bien Unido, the team also braved a squall and rough waters to turn over another solar-powered desalination facility to Bilangbilangan Island.
Located some 15 kilometers northeast of Bien Unido in mainland Bohol, Bilangbilangan island and subdivided into two barangays, Bilangbilangan Gamay and Bilangbilangan Daku have been surviving on water from a few saltwater intruded deep wells and occasional rainwater collectors.
An 18-liter processed water bought from the mainland is sold here at P80.
Residents have to only use the water from saltwater wells to rinse sea water, which is what they use for their hygiene needs.
Now, with the 22,000 liters of water available within the island, residents decided to use the facility as an economic enterprise like the three more similar facilities the islands off here have been given under the administration of Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado and his wife, Cong. Maria Vanessa.
Aumentado has pushed for the island’s desalination facilities for PRDP Funding, knowing that residents who have to drink salty water is risking kidney diseases and a myriad of expensive complications.
Maricel Pañares, 31, of Bilangbilangan said she is happy that they have a water facility within their area as they no longer have to go to the mainland.
“Nalipay mi nga naa nay tubigan sa amo kay dili na mi moadto sa lungsod ug daku ni og ikatabang namo nga mga islahanon,” she said.
(We are so happy that we have this water facility here because we don’t have to travel to the mainland anymore.)
According to the Provincial Planning and Development Office in Bohol, other water projects in the pipeline in the province are PRDP’s P4.6B bulk water project for five towns and Tagbilaran City. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)
