Some 80 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Sitio Mabaang, Barangay Bamban in Quezon province will soon have their potable water supply in partnership with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). In a press release on Friday, DAR-Quezon II Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Ma. Gemma Esguerra said a memorandum of agreement (MOA) was recently signed between the DAR and members of the Mabaang Bamban Didiclim Farmers' Association Inc. (MBDFA). Under the MOA, DAR will launch a Community Managed Potable Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (CPWASH) project in the area. The CPWASH Project is a DAR innovative approach project, in partnership with the local government units (LGUs), which provides safe, clean, and accessible water for the families of ARBs in the countryside. 'For this year, MBDFA will be the recipient of the CPWASH project, where more than 80 ARB households and residents from barangay Bamban will benefit,' Esquerra said. She said the project's estimated cost is around PHP135,000. Based on the buy-in session and site validation, the identified water sanitation facilities are to be installed in Sitio Mabaang, Barangay Bamban including three bio-sand filters and three iron-removal filters. 'DAR will provide the para-engineers with logistical and technical skills training, while the barangay LGU and MBDFA will contribute manpower and labor,' Esguerra said. Meanwhile, the municipal LGU is expected to provide the materials and support to facilitate the replication of the project in other areas which need potable water. Bamban Municipal Vice Mayor Danilo Liwanag expressed gratitude to DAR saying that the project also falls under the priorities of the municipality to provide safe water security to their constituents.
Source: Philippines News Agency