ILOILO CITY (PIA) – Residents from an island village in Concepcion, Iloilo are already enjoying access to clean and potable water following the inauguration of the P12.8 million solar-powered desalination water system in the village.
Provincial Administrator Raul Biñas, who led the inauguration together with other provincial government officials at Sitio Danao-Danao, Barangay Polopiña, stressed the importance of the project, noting that it is part of the goals of the provincial government towards sustainable development.
“This is part of Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.’s priorities. You are really lucky because you no longer need to go to another island just to buy water,” Biñas said, noting that previously only 37 percent of the island’s population have access to water.
The system has the capacity to produce 11,000 liters of water per day, which can benefit a total of 253 households or around 854 individuals from the said community.
Among the beneficiaries in the island is the 66-year-old Edna Patiño, who, in a media interview, shared their struggles in the past, including the need to ride a pump boat for around 30 minutes just to fetch five to seven containers of water from a nearby island.
“Mag-ulan ti gasalod kami amu na gakalipay kami kung mag-ulan kay kapagusto kami laba, pero kung wala, bisan gabukal, nabak-it dun na namon kag bulad. Bisan sa pagpaligo namon, ang mga kabataan bunlawan lang sang duwa ka kabo. Amu na di amon kabuhi. Tubig gid lang na ang diperensya di kay sa palangitan-an sa dagat maayo man,” Patiño added.
(We collect rainwaters when it rains. We are happy when it rains because we can freely wash our laundry, but if there’s no rain, we are forced to hang the clothes even if there are still bubbles. Even when we take a bath, we only wash our kids with limited water. This is our life here. We struggle with the lack of water, that’s the only problem here, because in terms of our living, we get our income from the sea.)
She also thanked the provincial government for their effort in providing them access to clean water, saying that it really helped them in uplifting their lives on the island.
“Para sa akon maayo gid nga ginpatindugan kami sining desalination project kay nakabulig gid sa amon kada adlaw kay perti gid kapigado di sang amun tubig. Halin sang una wala gid na di kami tubig, gaantos kami sang pagtabok sa piyak nga pulo nga didto kami gakuha. Subong ti maayo-ayo na kay ginpatindugan gid kami. Maayo man gid ang sabor sang tubig,” she said.
(This is really good that we have the desalination project because it helps in our everyday lives. Even before, there’s really a lack of water here, we suffer going to another island just to get water. Now, it is really good that we have here our own source of water, which tastes good.)
The facility features 36 units of 450W solar panels, a concrete water tank with a capacity of 16 cubic meters, and mechanical processing equipment that can be used for desalination at 99.40 percent rate, according to Provincial Engineering Office chief Engr. Romeo Andig.
Andig added that the system is supported by a 15 KVA generator set to support its function, while the organized officers of the Danao-Danao Solar Powered Potable Water Association (DASOPPWAS) was also trained to properly manage the project.
DASSOPWAS Secretary Domain Salvaria, on the other hand, assured the provincial government that they will properly manage the facility to ensure that the residents can benefit from the said project.
“Naka come-up nga maghimo asosasyon para nga may ara proper management nga magadala kag may rules and regulations kita nga i-implement para mangin smooth kag tanan maka-avail man. May ara man kita bookkeeping, ginalista na kung diin may daily basis kita sang sales naton kag may proper accounting procedure para ma-make sure nga tanan documented,” Salvaria added.
(We came up with the idea of forming an association so that there is proper management to implement the rules and regulations, so that the management will be smooth and everyone can benefit. We also have bookkeeping, where we list the daily basis of our sales, and there is also a proper accounting procedure to make sure that everything is documented.)
The project, funded through a loan from the World Bank, was completed in December 2023, but only inaugurated this year, uplifting the lives of the residents in Sitio Danao-Danao, and other nearby villages, which include Himulat, Pasil, and Punta Imo in Concepcion, Iloilo. (AAL/JNH/PIA Iloilo)
