MATI CITY, Davao Oriental (PNA) – Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon Malanyaon recently led the groundbreaking ceremony for a water supply expansion and improvement projects in the municipalities of Lupon and San Isidro, funded and technically supervised by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).

The P18-million water grant was given to the municipality of Lupon while the town of San Isidro received P12 million of the P30 million water grant from LWUA.

The water projects include the drilling of additional well sources, provision of electro-mechanical and chlorination equipment, the installation of additional transmission and distribution pipelines and the construction of several reservoirs.

Malanyaon said the water project is part of the 10-point agenda of President Arroyo to provide safe and potable water to all waterless villages in the country.

It is also part of the 220 water supply system development projects that LWUA has targeted to complete soon.

Malanyaon told the people of Lupon and San Isidro towns that the water projects will surely make a difference to their lives as many more villages, especially those located in far-flung areas, will be regularly provided with safe drinking water.

“We thank Governor Malanyaon for this very meaningful project that will greatly help the poor people like us. Water is the most basic human need. With this water project, we can now be regularly provided with safe drinking water,” a resident of Lupon, which is a first-class municipality of Davao Oriental, said.

“With this water project, we can now clean the house and take a bath any time of the day. This project truly gives us lots of happiness and comfort as water is very essential for a clean and healthy community,” said another female resident of San Isidro town who lives in a waterless village.

For her part, Davao Oriental tourism consultant Cynthia Rodriguez said the town of San Isidro, which is host to the mystical Mount Hamiguitan, badly needs the water project owing to the expected influx of foreign and local tourists to the area once the mountain will be officially declared as a world heritage site by the United Nations (UN) Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.