Panganiban Mayor Cesar Robles last week expressed satisfaction that a project funded by the national government and implemented by his administration will now ensure that población residents will have a reliable supply of clean drinking water.
In an interview at his office, the chief executive said that the municipality is fortunate to have been one of the 75 local government units nationwide selected by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as a recipient of the P13 million grant under the Support and Assistance Fund to Participatory Budgeting (SAFPB) initiative of the DILG and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Under SAFPB, a billion pesos was allocated in 2024 to help improve water supply and sanitation through the construction, expansion, and upgrading of water supply system project in municipalities belonging to the 4th to 6th income class.
The initial 75 recipients passed the criteria of a study conducted by the DILG, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) last year.
In a monitoring and follow-up inspection on Oct. 1, 2024, the Project Development and Management Unit of the DILG Catanduanes provincial office, together with LGU representatives, trekked up a mountain in the forested barangay of San Miguel to inspect project entitled Expansion/Rehabilitation of the Level III Panganiban Municipal Water Supply System.
A thorough inspection of the intake structure, pipelines, reservoir, and distribution lines convinced the team that the project was substantially complete, with only a few minor issues needing correction before full turnover.
Once fully operational, the upgraded water system is expected to provide the community with a reliable and sustainable supply of clean drinking water by effectively harnessing nearby natural sources.
According to Mayor Robles, the project, once turned over and operational, will benefit the majority of the 10 población barangays which are currently served by the water supply system being run by the LGU.
He added that a plan to expand the coverage of the Panganiban Municipal Water System outside the población is being considered, with the needed financing to be sourced from the 20% Development Fund.
Households connected to the system pay a flat rate of P80 per cubic meter for the first 10 cubic meters, with an additional charge for any excess consumption.
Technical personnel from DILG Catanduanes – Engineer III Juan Vargas I, Engineer II Nardine Turreda, and Project Evaluation Officer II Engr. Cyrus Villacorta – participated in the implementation and monitorinf of the project along with Engineer I Ciara Mae Villamor of the Panganivban Municipal Engineering Office.
This year, an additional P700 million has been released to 44 LGUs under the same initiative of DILG and DBM.
Of these, 35 LGUs will implement projects to improve access to safe and resilient water supply and sanitation services, while nine (9) disaster-prone LGUs will receive support for climate-smart evacuation centers.
The program is part of the government’s efforts to strengthen participatory budgeting and enhance the delivery of basic services at the local level.