The provincial government of Palawan inaugurated two more water system projects in the municipality of Araceli on Thursday, bringing the total operating water systems in the town to six, with two additional under construction.
The solar-powered deep well water system project in Barangay Mauringen will also cater to its neighboring barangay of Balogo, while the San Jose de Oro water system will serve residents of Brgy. Taloto as well.
The Araceli Waterworks System consists of six water system projects funded by Palawan Water, financed with a P78 million loan from the local government of Araceli.
Palawan Water program head Engr. John Gil Ynzon mentioned that the Araceli water systems took quite some time to complete due to challenges encountered, particularly the topographical location of the town being an island municipality.
“It’s been a long process that we’ve faced. Transporting materials was very difficult, which was one of the reasons for the project’s execution delay,” Ynzon said.
He also explained that the project has a lifespan of 25-30 years but can last even longer if properly maintained.
“There’s an annual allocation for maintenance and improvements to sustain the operation and facilities like solar panels and pumps,” he added.
Ynzon further stated that Palawan Water has already constructed a total of 90 water systems in 18 municipalities.
Meanwhile, Mayor Sue Cudilla expressed gratitude to the provincial government for the project, describing it as a long-awaited dream come true for the residents.
“While there may have been previous water system projects in the town, we were unsure of their quality,” she noted.
“Now, we have achieved our long-held dream since our childhood days, a dream that our forefathers may have passed away without seeing fulfilled—the dream of having clean and potable drinking water,” she added.
“We have missed out on a lot, with many deaths due to water-borne diseases. But today, we are happy because we now have access to clean water,” she emphasized, highlighting that the project not only addresses the issue of water-borne diseases but also signals progress for the town.
The mayor also stated that potable water systems are among the facilities that will attract more investors to the town in the future.
With the completion of the Mauringen and San Jose de Oro water systems, Cudilla confirmed that all 13 barangays now have access to potable water, except Dalawanon where the project is still under construction, and in the island barangay of Calandagan where Palawan Water will construct a reverse osmosis desalination system.
