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"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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