Seven Bohol barangays launching sites of coin-assisted water system

The provincial government of Bohol has launched a coin-assisted water system project, the first in the province, to solve the problem on potable water in far-flung villages.

Governor Arthur Yap on Thursday led the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Salintubig water system rehabilitation project under the "Accessible, Reliable and Timely (ART) Water for All" program in Barangay Guinobatan, Trinidad town.

In the coin-assisted system, one will just have to insert a PHP5 coin in the machine and water will flow, enough to fill up two 20-liter containers.

The project in Trinidad is only the beginning and the rest of the barangays in the province will be next in line.

In the said town, seven barangays have been listed for the ART Water for All program. These are Guinobatan, La Union, Kinan-oan, Tagum Norte, Sto. Tomas, Hinlayagan Ilaud and Banlasan.

“If we are going to evaluate the total water resources of Bohol, the surface water resource (those that need no drilling), the open water sources such as streams and rivers, Bohol has overcapacity in terms of water,” Yap said.

He said that during his visits to the villages before he became governor, he observed that the common problem in far-flung areas was water supply. Because of this, he made water one of his administration's priority projects.

Yap said water is significant not only for the people's daily routine but also in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), both in the efforts to contain it, and for food security. He said water is necessary to maintain hygiene and sanitation, and for the cultivation of rice, crops, fruits and vegetables.

The water projects will also be a revenue-generating venture for the barangays and the municipalities, he said.

Also present at the launching were Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes, Vice-Mayor Manuel Garcia, former Second District Rep. Roberto Cajes, Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO) head Tata Ganub, Guinobatan Barangay Captain Esteban Ibaoc, and 19 other village chiefs of Trinidad. (Content reposted from Philippine News Agency)

In photo: Governor Arthur Yap fills a container with water from the coin-assisted system in Barangay Guinobatan, Trinidad town in Bohol on Thursday (June 25, 2020). Yap led the inauguration of the first-ever coin-operated communal water system that is expected to solve the water supply problem in far-flung areas of the province. (Photo courtesy of Bohol Provincial Capitol PIO)