Clean water flows in remote Agusan Sur village
Photo by: DSWD-Caraga
BUTUAN CITY – Residents of Barangay Panagangan in the town of La Paz are now enjoying the hand washing facility installed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
At least 730 households in the community benefit from the facility which now provides clean water supply and enables them to observe proper hygiene through hand washing. Barangay Panagangan is among the 15 barangays of La Paz that needed clean water.
Through the DSWD’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan - Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Program, Barangay Panagangan was able to carry out the construction of the said subproject worth P1.29 million, which was turned over on Tuesday, October 17, by DSWD assistant regional director for administration (ARDA) Tristan Telen.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program switched to the National Community-Driven Development Program - Additional Financing (NCDDP-AF) modality to address pandemic-induced needs of communities. One of the sub projects implemented under such modality was a hand wash facility.
Sourcing potable water still remains a challenge for the residents of the said barangay, so the facility is built with a rainwater collector that will provide the needed water supply.
Both the municipal and barangay local government units have also contributed in cash and in-kind as their counterparts to complete the subproject. The MLGU, in particular, delivered a counterpart totaling to P437,636.
Both LGUs are thankful for the service extended by the DSWD to the benefitting community especially at the height of a global health crisis.
Municipal Mayor Michael Lim, expressed his deep appreciation and gratitude for this project that will help the locals, especially the children, among other vulnerable sectors in the area.
“The local government unit is delighted to have this project in your barangay and we really hope that you would be taking good care of this hand wash facility, so this will sustain and be beneficial to all of you,” said Lim.
Also, Sangguniang Bayan (SB) member Albert Justo, elaborated that this hand wash facility has given hope for the locals considering the many years of not having a good source of water supply.
Meanwhile, Telen expressed his appreciation to the community for completing the project. He likewise called on the people to help maintain the facility.
"Amo nalang hangyo karon sa inyuha nga ampingan ninyo ning maong subproject para mapuslan kini sa umaabot na henerasyon sa mga lumulupyo diri ug para usab makita pa nila ang bunga sa pagtinabangay nga miresulta sa kabag-ohan ug kalambuan nga ilang nasinati sa ilang panahon (We only ask of you to take care of this subproject so that succeeding generations of the residents here can still use the facility, and see the fruits of your combined efforts that resulted in the development they have experienced in their time)," he said.
The Kalahi-CIDSS is one of the poverty alleviation programs of the Philippine Government being implemented by the DSWD. It uses the community-driven development (CDD) approach, a globally recognized strategy for achieving service delivery, poverty reduction, and good governance outcomes.
Started in 2003, its scale-up was approved on January 18, 2013 by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board, which was headed by President Benigno Aquino III. (JPG, PIA-Caraga/DSWD-Caraga)
