MANILA, Philippines - After waiting for decades, coastal communities in Sta. Rosa, Laguna now has access to uninterrupted supply of clean and safe piped water.
Through the “Tubig para sa Barangay†project of Laguna Water, residents of the coastal barangays of Sinalhan, Aplaya and Caingin, including thousands of informal settlers, are experiencing for the first time, readily available running water through the taps in their homes.
Despite being situated near the Laguna de Bay, these communities have been deprived of reliable water supply for many years.
To date, about 30 percent of the 35,000 population in the three barangays had been connected to the newly laid water network specially designed to accommodate the densely packed community up to the farthest point.
To ensure that the intended beneficiaries are made aware of the project, Laguna Water personnel regularly conduct house-to-house visits in these communities to guide the residents on how to have a metered water service connection.
Laguna Water offers payment terms of up to 12 months in consideration of the financial constraints of some residents.
Laguna Water has so far increased its service coverage from 14 percent when it started in 2009 to 38 percent to date. In terms of customer base, Laguna Water is now considered as the biggest water service provider in the province.
Laguna Water is a joint venture company between the provincial government and AAAWater Corp., a subsidiary of Manila Water. Its concession area covers the cities of Biñan, Sta. Rosa and Cabuyao.