Water for remaining unserved barangays

P43 M Dagohoy processed water

expansion project breaks ground

MAHAYAG GAMAY, Dagohoy, Bohol (PIA)—From their local development funds, Dagohoy funded a P43 million expansion and upgrading of its level 3 waterworks system which would now potentially deliver to 15 of its barangays potable water comparable to a commercial bottled-water quality.

During the ground breaking ceremony of the water reservoir that forms a critical part of the expansion, which could deliver the service to the remaining 4 underserved barangays of the town, Dagohoy mayor Sofronio Apat said that they have to scour all the savings they can get to fund the upgrading.

A project that has caught the attention of municipal waterworks systems in Bohol, Dagohoy Waterworks initially started with a seed infrastructure of two gigantic water reservoirs which then congressman now governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado gave to the town, the next phase was what defined the innovation.

Contracting a loan plus local savings for the ambitious local waterworks project which would be the town’s major own-sourced water supply, was a long time dream of the local government unit to provide sufficient and potable water to the Dagohoynons, and through Mayor Apat, this was realized, shared municipal engineer Engr. Myrna Figueras.

With two old sources of water, Dagohoy Waterworks found that the San Vicente source had insufficient filtration while a water source from Pilar can only supply a limited quantity, Figueras added, laying the premise why the town has to start its own reliable and clean water supply.

In 2022, with the town’s savings, Local Development Fund and a loan, the idea of a 2 million liters per day of treated water supply for households started with the P74 million, and by February 2023, the new 9 stage filtration process of treated water system of the waterworks started to be operational.

By then, of the 15 barangays of the town, 9 were initially served, with 2,233 household consumers, which comprises 65 percent of the total households of the town.

The waterworks also happened to serve 22 more households in the adjoining barangay of the next town.

Built from the initial two steel bolted reservoirs which then Congressman Aumentado gave, the succeeding congresswoman Vanessa Aumentado added funds to help complete the project, according to Mayor Apat.

The town has no other reliable source of income, the mayor said and the abundant water could also help other people other than the Dagohoynons, the mayor, beginning yet another possible complete three term said.

As the remaining barangays envy the service of the low lying areas where the gravity maximizes the water flow, upland barangays can only get the water if fed with pressure, and another reservoir to bring the water closer.

Water is life, it has to be given to everyone, Mayor Apat agreed.

With the expansion and upgrade on a build and design contract allocated some P 43,896.00 entirely from the town’s local development fund, program of works include pipe-laying activities, construction and installation of water tanks, interconnection of the two 500 cubic meter tanks of the water treatment plant and an additional intake structure installation as a redundant back-up system.

Contracted to ESR construction and Development Corporation, Marlyn Nadala Revelo, promised the project to be completed, if now earlier than agreed.

For his part, governor Aumentado also contributed P5M from the provincial government, adding that Bohol indeed has a lot of water sources that are just allowed to spill into the sea, no one initiating.

Bohol will help in tapping these surplus water, so we can share this to towns that still have water problems, Aumentado said.

He emphasized that making the towns keep sufficient water supply also helps earn investor confidence, something that could bring in the much needed perk in the local economy. (PIAbohol)

LEADING THE CHARGE. Dagohoy mayor Sofronio Apat, despite steering a fourth class town, managed to scour its local resources to set up a multi-stage filtration system of its local waterworks, to make potable and sweet water available to his people’s households. The move has since generated commitment from the provincial government support, especially to similar good governance initiatives. (PIABohol/RVO)