AID FOR WATER DISTRICTS. Engineer Jonathan De Gracia, manager of the Sibalom Water District (SWD) and president of the Association of Water Districts in Antique, inducts the SWD’s newly hired employees on Oct. 2, 2024. De Gracia said in an interview on Oct. 15 that they are hopeful the Antique provincial government could help them expand their services to other barangays. (Photo courtesy of Sibalom Water District)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The association consisting of eight local water districts in this province has sought financial assistance from the provincial government for the improvement and expansion of their services.
Engineer Jonathan De Gracia, the manager of the Sibalom Water District (SWD) and president of the Association of Water Districts in Antique (AWDA), said in an interview Tuesday that they are hopeful for government help that would enable them to reach barangays that they have not yet served.
“We are hopeful that we could get provincial government support since the water districts in Antique are non-profit corporations,” he said.
De Gracia said that although the eight water districts in the towns of Sibalom, Tobias Fornier, Hamtic, Belison, Patnongon, Bugasong, Culasi, and in Pandan are under the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) and considered as government-owned corporations, they do not not receive any financial assistance or subsidy.
He said the establishment of a pumping station is expensive, amounting to about P10 million, and this hinders the water districts from expanding their services to the other barangays.
“The SWD is only now serving 17 barangays of Sibalom and we intend to expand to three more barangays, but we have to first acquire a loan to be able to realize it,” De Gracia said.
“The government support is being much needed, considering that potable water is also a human right.”
Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Pio Jessielito Sumande Sr., who chairs the Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, said during their regular session on Monday that a request letter from AWDA has been referred to the panel.
“I will be requesting the water district general managers for a dialogue as soon as possible so we could discuss their needed funding,” Sumande said.