Editorial of the Bohol Chronicle"Waterless municipalities", according to NAPC (National Anti-Poverty Commission), are those towns where less than 50% of HH (Households) have access to potable water.
There are currently 432 "waterless" towns in the country, 16 of which are located in Bohol-rivers, lakes and waterfalls, notwithstanding. There are also 210 such communities in Metro Manila, according to NAPC.
As of 2008, according to statistics, only 36.6% of Bohol HH have access to potable water or 32,884 HH of the 89,816 HH total. This 36.6% is below the national total of 46.32% HH with water access.
Those in Bohol with High Access (40-49%) but nonetheless below 50% access rate to water include: Loon (48%), Pilar (46%), Sevilla (46%), Ubay (43%) and Buenavista (40%).
Those with Medium Access (20-39%) access to potable water are: Ben Unido (33%), Catigbian (21%), Carmen (36%), Inabanga (35%), Jetafe (28%), San Miguel (34%).
Those with Low Access (20% and below): Buenavista (14%), Pitogo (14%), Talibon (19%) and Trinidad (7.5%).
Tagbilaran City and some parts of nearby Baclayon and Dauis are adequately serviced by the private-run Bohol Waterworks Utilities Inc. (BWUI) while the rest of the towns are run by their own municipal water systems.
The above is not too encouraging news for the province as water is essential to life and basic to minimum sanitation. There are of course current efforts of water system development to provide this basic necessity to Boholanos but we should stop entertaining silly ideas to sell the precious mineral to neighboring Cebu before our province mates.
Of total Philippine HH of 2,486,261 only 1,151,701 are classified as having a plus 50% of HH accessed to potable water.
That is the reason "Water Provision" is one of the priority goals of the government and an anti-poverty advocacy.
To get 50% of HH in the country to have potable water, water supply and sanitation facilities must be increased by 87%, according to Millenium Goal of government.
Municipalities who cannot wait for the Bohol "mega water projects" to be in place can still write to WASCO (Water & Sanitation Coordinating Office) NAPC 3/Floor ATI Bldg., Eliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City for project proposals.
Baseline information (basic) is needed like: current water coverage level, projected cost of water project, and program of work. Co-implementors with the municipalities of the water project could include NGO's, water districts or water cooperatives. Likewise, it appears that the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) can actually provide counter-part funding versus the finances provided by the LGUs.
We have always taken the position that government must ab initio take a pro-active stance as the provider of Boholano's basic needs: food, water, heath and shelter before mega projects whose pro-poor impact is not that immediate. For poor Juan de la Cruz, time is a luxury he cannot afford.
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