"Bayanihan" spirit to bring water in the community

[MikeLigalig.com]

"Bayanihan" spirit to bring water in the community

   ISLAND GARDEN CITY OF SAMAL, Oct 1 2002 (PNA) -- Residents of Barangay
Tagbaobo, Kaputian District, in this island city, recently revived
the Filipino-style "bayanihan" spirit in working together to build a
reservoir designed to meet the daily water requirement of the small
community.

   The concrete reservoir is designed to hold 27 cubic meters of water.
A soon-to-be-installed water line from a spring one-and-a-half
kilometers from the reservoir will eventually enable the new system
to service some 116 Tagbaobo households.

   According to the Philippine Business for Social Progress-Mindanao
regional office (PBSP-MRO), the facilitators of the project, 70
percent of the beneficiaries participated in the construction of the
reservoir.

   "This is proof that local populations are not averse to unity and
teamwork if projects truly emanate from the community level," said
PBSP-MRO regional manager Marylin Muncada.

   Aside from their labor, Tagbaobo residents donated their sand and
gravel  to the construction as part of their counterpart to the
project.

   Women residents also assisted in preparing food for the workers and
in bringing supplies and materials to the construction site.

   PBSP project managers said that in order to sustain the project, the
community, through the Tagbaobo Fisherfolk Cooperative (Tafco),
decided to collect fees for the use of the water.

   Tafco's mandate to implement policies and systems regarding the use
of the water resource was supported by the barangay council.

   Over the years, PBSP has been active in Samal, where some 120
hectares have been reforested by various local partners of the
foundation.

   In the municipality of Bandera, other water impounding systems have
been constructed for household and irrigation use through the help of
PBSP.

   The foundation has also maintained some 20 hectares of reforested
land in the municipalities of Laguindingan and Alubijid as part of
its campaign to protect major watersheds in Mindanao.

   It has also been active in helping people's organizations build tree
nurseries, process food, and diversify crops to include vegetables
like eggplant, squash, ampalaya, okra and peppers. (PNA)

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=126446.0