Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II. INQUIRER.net file photo
MANILA, Philippines- The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has allocated P578 million for various potable water supply projects nationwide.
Under the program “Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig” (SalinTubig) 2014, potable water is provided to poor communities with limited or no access to safe drinking water as part of the government’s effort to achieve its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II said in a statement that a total of 54 towns have been identified by the DILG and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) as recipients of program for 2014.
Roxas said that 64 percent of these towns do not have a water district and the beneficiaries belong to the poorest of the poor with no access to potable water and with high incidence of water borne-diseases.
Roxas added that the program is part of government efforts to save families and communities from health risks posed by water-borne diseases.
“This is part of our program to save families and communities from diseases brought by unsafe water,” he said.
The DILG chief hopes that this program would provide potable water to Filipinos especially those in remote areas.
He cited that the program partially fulfills the government’s international commitment to reduce the number of Filipinos with no access to potable water supply.
The DILG will grant subsidy to eligible local government units (LGUs) for the implementation of potable water projects.