AKB Party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon (Photo courtesy of Sally Luces/AKB)
LEGAZPI CITY – Residents of different areas in the Bicol region now have access to clean, safe and potable drinking water from solar-powered water system facilities provided by the Ako Bicol (AKB) Party-list.
In an interview on Monday, AKB Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon said the water system facility projects are part of their group's infrastructure program implemented in almost 400 sites to address water problems across the six provinces in the region.
"Majority of our water system projects are in far-flung areas in the region. They are the areas that are deprived of water connections. Some of our water system projects are installed and situated inside the school premises. Aside from the necessity of school buildings, they also need clean, safe drinking water," Bongalon said.
He said they anticipate completing over 65 percent of the sites this year.
"We are already on the 31 percent stage or more than 120 sites from the 400 water system facility projects were completed. They are now being used and benefited by the people where it was constructed. Some are ongoing construction, nearing completion, and continuous site validations," Bongalon added.
Each water facility project has a budget ranging from PHP5 million to PHP10 million.
Bongalon said the water system projects can be used to irrigate ricefields during El Niño.
On Jan. 19, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 53 to streamline, reactivate and reconstitute the old El Niño task forces under EO No. 16 (s. 2001) and Memorandum Order No. 38 (s. 2019).
Under EO 53, President Marcos directed the task force to develop a comprehensive disaster preparedness and rehabilitation plan for El Niño and La Niña to provide “systematic, holistic, and results-driven interventions” to help the public cope and minimize their devastating effects. (PNA)
