A total of 15,679 families are now benefiting from reliable source of potable water after years of struggle for its access, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Sunday, June 19.

The DILG- Regional Office 10 said it was made possible through the Salintubig, a government project that aims to provide the waterless municipalities in the country with access to clean and safe water.

DILG-10 Regional Director Arnel M. Agabe thanked the local government units (LGUs) for their support for the Salintubig with thousands of families now enjoying regular water supply.

“We laud the efforts and contributions of our LGUs in ensuring that these water resources are properly utilized and for giving their people the opportunity for a better quality of life. Together with our LGUs, we aim to make these projects sustainable over time so these will be enjoyed by the coming generations,” Agabe said.

As highlight to the impact of the Salintubig , the DILG 10 in partnership with the Regional Hub and Sanitation (RHub) and Peace Crops Inc. unveiled the program’s success stories during the launching of the project’s coffee table book, video showing premiere and photo exhibit.

Agabe said the coffee table book and the audiovisual presentation contain personal stories and testimonies from the people who experienced first-hand the hardships of water scarcity while the photo exhibit showcases the grateful faces of the beneficiaries.

He noted the event highlights the Salintubg’s best practices, stories of hope, change, and triumph of the beneficiaries since its implementation in 2013.

For her part, DILG 10 Assistant Regional Director Yvette Tolentino-Sunga cited the fruitful works of the storytellers and emphasized the importance of documentation in communicating the government’s efforts in public service.

“We are elated and grateful because the hard work of the matino, mahusay, at maaasahang DILG 10, together with our partners, has borne fruit and this documentation is a testament that we are doing great and we have shown to the community that the government is working for them,” Tolentino-Sunga said

According to the Peace Crops Executive Director Robert dela Serna, the Salintubig coffee table book featured stories from four provinces and 10 municipalities in the region that spring hope to communities who struggled their way to a better quality of life.

“Our formula to capturing the stories was simple: Find the hugots (sentiments). Hugots we got to hear from the mayors, engineers, teachers, students, women, fisherfolk, health workers, barangay captains, plantitos and plantitas, religious Imams, and entrepreneurs. The whole lot whose lives and livelihoods are intertwined with water as an elixir of life,” dela Serna said.

Among the participating members from RHUB present during the event are Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan (XU), the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD), the Group Foundation, the Malaybalay City Water District, Safer River Life Saver Foundation, XU Development Communication Department, and Seeway Incorporated.

Also in attendance were the local chief executives, Municipal Local Government Operations Officers, Municipal Engineers, and DILG Project Development and Management Unit staff. (Chito A. Chavez)