THE Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has wrapped up projects worth P1.045 billion for the year 2023 — more than double the disbursements from the year before.
According to LWUA administrator Vicente Homer Revil, these include eight completed water supply projects that benefited an additional 95,000 households from the previous year. These projects are part of the agency’s master plan called “Patubig Para Sa Buong Bayan at Mamamayan” or PBBM, which will continue until 2028.
This marks the beginning of the five-year program, which aims to ultimately serve an additional 670,000 households or around 2.7 million Filipinos nationwide, equivalent to a 12 percent increase in nationwide household coverage of Local Water Districts (LWDs).
Additionally, LWDs have initiated their own projects for the next five years, aiming to serve an additional 1.14 million households or 4.67 million Filipinos, equivalent to a 21 percent increase in the number of households served.
Overall, the package of projects is expected to serve an additional 1.8 million households or 7.5 million individuals, translating to a 33 percent increase in households covered.
This year, LWUA will focus on mitigating the effects of El Niño and improving Filipino people’s access to safe and affordable water through high-impact projects such as operationalizing non-operational water districts, bulk water supply, and water treatment facilities, in line with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.’s call to ensure water security for the country.
Currently, LWUA oversees and regulates 533 water districts spread among 648 cities and towns in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
