Bontoc addresses problem on water shortage

BONTOC, Mountain Province – The distribution of sufficient and safe potable supply of water will soon be enjoyed by the four central barangays of this capital town.

This, with the ongoing project on the installation of potable water system in Gakhan Creek in Barangay Talubin going directly to the water reservoir in Pagturao, Poblacion and to be distributed to the households, commercial buildings and institutions in Barangays Bontoc Ili, Poblacion, Caluttit and Samoki.

The Gakhan Creek water source can be reached by four to five

hours trek from the road going up the mountain.

At present, Bontoc through its water works unit relies mainly on two springs as its main water source to supply the domestic and commercial needs of the four central barangays. These are the Balabag Water Source located along Bontoc- Talubin Road and Sullong Water Source in Barangay Bontoc Ili. However, the total production of these sources is still insufficient to meet the present water demand of the consumers even in a schedule basis.

Thus, with the additional water source coming from Barangay Talubin, officials

expressed high hopes that water shortage will no longer be a problem.

According to Engineer III Caesar Kalangad of the Office of the Municipal Engineer, the funding of the project was sourced out from various government agencies. The first phase of the project was the P10 million downloaded by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to Bontoc.

Considering the terrain and distance of the water source to be connected to an existing pipe in Sitio Gasagas, Talubin, additional fund support is needed. With this, the municipal government

was able to work out for a P7 million funding from the Department of Interior and Local Government under its Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig sa Lahat (SALINTUBIG) Program.

In their fervent hope the project will come into fruition, Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey together with the members of the Sangguniang Bayan lobbied for an additional funding from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government .

In response, the municipal government was provided with a

P10-million budget from the OPAPP while P3-million was given by the DILG.

“The additional water source is enough to supply the central barangays in Bontoc. We continue to do this because we want to improve our services to our people and to our visitors considering that our municipality has always been the host to provincial activities, events and gatherings.

I want to make sure that the public has an access to one of the important commodities – water,” the mayor remarked.

According to Water Works Superintendent Julius Rhuel F. Malafu, there are 1,500 consumers being supplied with water by the municipal government. Of the total, 1,153 are residential while 347 are commercial.