Oas municipal hall. (Photo by Connie Calipay)
OAS, Albay – After a month of suffering from water shortage, residents in three villages here heaved a sigh of relief as their water supply has started to improve.
Noel Nieva, a 33-year-old resident of Barangay Rizal, who owns a "carinderia" (eatery), expressed relief over the availability of water starting last Sunday.
“Okay na ang tubig, malaking bagay na may tubig na at hindi na kami na magagastusan sa pagbili ng tubig (It’s good to have water, it’s a big thing to have water, we can save now by not buying water)” Nieva said in an interview on Friday.
He hopes that the supply will continue and not just for a short time.
Nieva said in the past weeks, his PHP800 income from his food business went down to PHP600 because of water expenses.
"Since water supply is back, I think my daily income will be better now,” he said.
Another villager, Celso Reamon, shares the sentiment.
“Salamat sa lahat ng tumulong para maibalik ang supply ng tubig, sana dirediretso na ang serbisyo ng tubig (Thank you to all who helped to bring back the water supply in our barangay, I hope this is for good),” he said.
Rizal village chief, Crispin Sotto, thanked the officials who helped solve their water shortage problem.
“We’re happy that water is back in our barangay, after almost a month of suffering, it is good now,” he said.
Sotto lauded Albay 3rd district Rep. Fernando Gonzales’ effort to bring back the water supply in their area.
He said the 270 households or 1,094 people in their village are now happy.
“Hindi na kami nahihirapan mag-igib ng tubig at balik na sa normal (We are okay now, no more struggle in fetching water and no more additional expenses, it’s all back to normal),” he said.
Consorcia Ranosa, Ligao City Water District general manager, said some areas still experience low water supply.
"It is not yet enough, water supply is being distributed to severely affected barangays," she noted.
Ranosa said the water district supplies water to Ligao and the three villages of Rizal, Calzada and part of Bongoran in Oas town.
“Nagkataon talaga na kulang talaga (supply of water is really low)… malayo pa tayo sa supply compared sa demand kaya hinati-hati muna natin sila, (Sharing of water is what we are doing here. Water supply is not enough to meet the demand, that is why we need to share and schedule the distribution of water),” she added.
Ranosa said their office is continuously monitoring the supply of water which is expected to further improve with the onset of rainy season.
Gonzales said, “I was happy that the Ligao City Water District (LCWD), with strong and effective emergency measures to resolve the water shortage in their service area in Ligao City and the accompanying rains, has partially restored water services in the affected areas”.
He said he requested the LCWD to provide water to residents of barangays in Oas even at night, in the meantime.
Gonzales' former chief of staff, now Rep.-elect Fernando Cabredo, in a separate interview, said a PHP40-million fund is included in the province's budgetary allocation for the repair, rehabilitation and improvements of the water system in Oas.
“The implementing agency is the Department of Public Works and Highway with regards to the projects and assuming that the project is completed, the problem now is the source of water,” he added.
Cabredo denied speculations that politics is the reason for the water shortage in the villages.
“Ang arog kaiyan na problema dai ninda pagpara lagan ki motibo sa politika, tapos na ang politika (With that kind of problem, let’s not put politics in it) Let's work together for the betterment of the people of 3rd district,” he said.
Oas Mayor Domingo Escoto Jr., meanwhile, said: “Our priority is to ensure that the pipelines of our water system are clean and usable. I need the cooperation of the people to ensure the connection is okay”.
He assured the villagers that his office is doing everything to help and serve the people with their basic needs. (PNA)
