The Level 1 water supply system that is nearing completion in San Andres Elementary School, which presently serves as an evacuation site for residents from Brgy. San Fernando and Brgy. Fidel Surtida, Municipality of Sto. Domingo, Albay. Photo from the Office of Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Elizaldy Co
MANILA, Philippines — Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co has sought the creation of water supply systems per evacuation center in the Bicol Region to ensure that evacuees have access to clean water as Mayon Volcano’s unrest continues.
Co, in a statement on Wednesday, said that it is the duty of the government, including representatives of the province, to ensure that Bicolanos have sustainable water supply systems in evacuation centers during emergencies.
Having such a system, the lawmaker said, improves the living conditions of evacuees and avoids problems caused by poor hygiene.
“It is our duty to ensure the well-being and safety of our fellow Bicolanos, especially during times of crisis. By providing sustainable water supply systems in evacuation centers, we are addressing a critical need and enhancing the resilience of our communities,” Co said.
“This initiative will significantly improve the living conditions of evacuees and promote their overall health and hygiene,” he added.
Co was referring to a Level 1 water supply system that is nearing completion at San Andres Elementary School in Sto. Domingo town, Albay — which is currently used as an evacuation center for families from the town’s Barangays San Fernando and Fidel Surtida.
The said school has also been used in past calamities, including typhoons, which usually hit Bicol Region after the southwest monsoon season.
According to Co, this system would provide clean and reliable water access to the 1,789 individuals who are currently staying at the center.
“Access to clean water is a basic human right. It is our duty to guarantee its availability, particularly in times of adversity,” Co said.
“Through the establishment of sustainable water supply systems in evacuation centers, we are actively transforming the lives of our fellow citizens, making a tangible and meaningful difference,” he added.
Last May, Co pitched the creation of a water system harnessing solar energy to ensure that households around the country can receive adequate water amid a looming El Niño season, which is feared to trigger a water shortage.
Co said back then that the said system was already available in Bicol Region, where solar power was deemed sufficient to provide water supply to “rural, upland, and poor communities” in the area.
READ: Ako Bicol solon pitches solar-powered water system to solve crisis, protect environment
Then just this Monday, Co appealed to colleagues in the Senate to pass a bill that would mandate the creation of permanent evacuation centers, as makeshift sites like schools are not fit to accommodate displaced families.
As of now, over 20,000 individuals in Albay province have been displaced after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised Alert Level 3 over Mayon Volcano, due to an increase in rockfall incidents and possible movement of magma.
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