The United States government will finance the implementation of a five-year, P870-million “Safe Water” project in Palawan, Negros Occidental and Sarangani to address the recurring water shortages in those areas.
This became known after the US Agency for International Development signed a memorandum of agreement with the three provinces on the project.
USAID Acting Mission Director Patrick Wesner led the signing ceremony together with representatives from the Philippine government and the private sector, including National Economic and Development Authority Assistant Director General Roderick Planta, Palawan Gov. Jose Chaves Alvarez, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Sarangani Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon.
“The US government is proud to support the efforts of Palawan, Negros Occidental and Sarangani to achieve water security. USAID will work with partners to maximize the use of data and sound analytics to guide informed decision-making, identify lasting solutions and prioritizing investments,” Wesner said.
“Palawan, Negros Occidental and Sarangani all face recurring water shortages amid rising water demand, degraded watersheds, and inadequate access to water supply and sanitation services,” Wesner said.
Through its five-year, P869-million Safe Water project, USAID said it will provide technical assistance to help the communities in these provinces gain reliable access to clean water. Rey Requejo
In his speech during the signing ceremony, Lacson praised the partnership as “a milestone and a significant step towards a more serious and in-depth water governance for a more inclusive and sustainable development in the province of Negros Occidental.”
According to USAID, the assistance will focus on increasing the access to resilient water and sanitation services, improving water resource management to ensure sustainable supply, and strengthening water sector governance.
The US agency said it would also scale up successful approaches and models by using the best practices from policymakers and other sector players.
The signing event also highlighted Safe Water’s partnership with the private sector and non-government organizations.
USAID’s implementing partner for Safe Water, DAI Global LLC, will work with the Philippine Business for Social Progress, Water.org, Mahintana Foundation Inc., Conrado and Ladislawa Alcantara Foundation Inc. and the Foundation for a Sustainable Society Inc. to empower communities to become better environmental stewards, build local capacity to deliver clean drinking water and improved sanitation services, and strengthen stakeholder engagement toward long-term water security.