President Arroyo breaks ground for Estancia water supply improvement project

Iloilo City (17 October) — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo congratulated the people of Estancia, Iloilo for being able to have a better water supply through the improvement and expansion of their local water district.

President Arroyo visited the municipality, October 17 to lead the groundbreaking of the improvement and expansion of the water supply system of Estancia Water District with a P30-million financial assistance from the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).

LWUA Chairman Prospero, who joined the President at the groundbreaking ceremony at the project site in Barangay Bayuyan, said the project is part of the Ten-Point Agenda of President Arroyo particularly in enabling all barangays in the country to have access to potable water supply.

Pichay said the President is doing this because water is a basic necessity of the Filipinos. “Kinakailingan ito ng mga tao,” added Pichay.

Estancia Mayor Restituto Mosqueda thanked President Arroyo for helping the people of his municipality in having the project for their water district.

In his briefing on the project for President Arroyo, Water District General Manager Engr. Rodney Agregado said the major components of the project include the following: (a) construction of four dug wells and pumping station with appurtenant facilities; (b) construction of a second ground reinforced-concrete reservoir with a capacity of 250 cubic meters; (c) construction of pipelines and valves including blow-offs and hydrants; (d) installation of 364 service connections; (e) acquisition and installation of power generator set; (f) implementation of non-revenue water reduction program; (g) interconnection of pipeline along two service areas; (h) replacement of existing 150 millimeter ACP pipes; and (i) acquisition of lots for the dug wells and reservoir sites.

Pichay said the water district would be able to enhance its system with the financial assistance P25 million of which is a grant with the P5 million as loan component.

Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas and other local government and LWUA officials joined the President at the event that took place about a week after the local water district marked its 22nd founding anniversary. It was formed on October 9, 1987 and started operations a year later.

The President’s presence in Estancia town was part of her two-day visits, October 16-17 to Negros Occidental and Iloilo provinces in Western Visayas to inaugurate, inspect and launch various development projects as part of her resolve to push economic development and fight poverty.

From said town, the President proceeded to Passi City to be briefed on the jathropa plantation project of the Philippine National Oil Company-Alternative Fuels Corporation (PNOC-AFC) by board director Jesry Palmares.

She timed her visit yesterday, October 16 to Negros with the world-wide celebration of the International Day to Fight Extreme Poverty. The President said that one way to fight poverty in the country is helping farmers boost their productivity and income through agricultural support systems embodied in the F.I.E.L.D.S. program of the agriculture department.

While in Negros, President Arroyo also lauded the small but hardworking town of Moises Padilla for rising from a humble beginning to become a progressive community. It is now the livestock center of the province. (PIA 6-JSC)