SALINTUBIG: Sustaining Life in the Outskirts of Town

 

Implementation of DILG Projects

SALINTUBIG: Sustaining Life in the Outskirts of Town

 Humans need water for countless reasons. Water is needed for the hydration of the human body, for cleaning and sanitation, and even for agriculture. It is water that replenishes our body when we are thirsty, and it is water that gives life to the plants and animals that humans consume for food. Needless to say, water is an essential requirement in the everyday life of every person. However, the sad fact is that many people still do not have access to potable water.

The Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig (SALINTUBIG) sa Lahat Program of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) being implemented by the Local Government Unit of Bayambang aims to give every households a chance to live better lives by providing them with clean and safe water to drink and to use for sanitation and other needs. This project, which is made possible through the collaborative efforts of the DILG and the National Anti-Poverty Commission, and through the support and legwork of the Municipal Local Government Operations Office, is beneficial to the overall wellbeing of the people because it prevents the transmission of water-borne diseases and it gives children the opportunity to grow up healthy by keeping them away from hazardous water sources.

Four barangays, namely Bical Norte, Sancagulis, Dusoc and Sanlibo, were the chosen beneficiaries for this P8,000,000 project. These four barangays were chosen because of their distance from the town proper and the elevation of their locations. For years, residents of these barangays complained about losing access to water for an entire day, or worse, for several days, and not being able to do their tasks that require the use of water. These residents, who frequently experienced water deprivation before, now don’t have complaints regarding the issue. The provision of the Level II of the potable water system in these barangays solved the problem that many Bayambangueños have been complaining about.

Feedback from residents has been no less than jubilant. Their messages were variations on “Maraming maraming salamat po sa napakalaking tulong na ibinigay ninyo dahl hindi na kami iigib pa sa malayo!” These messages of gratitude, in fact, made residents from other barangays feel envious that they couldn’t help but register their protest, openly expressing their feelings of being left out from the program – which is, of course, a false claim.

This DILG program follows three levels: the first is the construction of a water reservoir, second is the installation of pipes in the community, and the third is supplying water access to the households. Now on Level II, the completion of the program on the four aforementioned barangays will give way to the implementation of the same project in other barangays. Its implementation means that the LGU can hire more people for labor, thus providing more jobs for more Bayambangueños.

Providing access to potable water in every household in the municipality is also part of the Bayambang Poverty Reduction Plan, the 10-year action plan of the LGU and the different sectors of the community that aims to eradicate poverty by 2028. Aside from being a basic social program, the SALINTUBIG Program is also a way for the LGU to provide a sustainable source of life for every Bayambangueño.

(by Patricia M. Espino and Resty S. Odon/photo courtesy of MPDC)