Three Hundred Fifty Two families from four barangays in Malangas, Zamboanga Sibugay benefitted the Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig Para sa Lahat (SALINTUBIG) program of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

 

    DILG, as the implementing agency, granted a total of Php 3.5M to Malangas town to be used in the construction and rehabilitation of the water supply in the identified four barangays of the said town.

 

Municipal Engineer Victor L . Laguna noted that Malangas is one of the waterless municipalities of Zambonga Sibugay.

 

    “Out of 25 barangays, 13 barangays are still sourcing out water for drinking in Level I sources in dug wells and shallow wells, which are not safe for human consumption,”he added.

 

   “With the given fund and LGU counterpart, Municipality of Malangas utilized it in the construction of water system level II in the Barangays of Sinusayan, Guilawa and Buntong as well as rehabilitation of water system in Barangay Overland.”he said.

 

    As to the specific beneficiaries, most number of families are coming from Barangay Guilawa with 137 households, followed by Sinusayan with 90 families, Overland with 85 families and 40 families from Buntong.

 

    Municipal Mayor Alfredo A. Atilano who personally received the second tranche check on June 17, 2014 from Regional Director Paisal O. Abutazil expressed his gratitude and the people of Malangas for the financial grant.

 

    For his part, RD Abutazil said that he is glad for this development that more and more LGUs in Zamboanga Peninsula are now benefiting the program which at present has 35 LGUs implementing the 2013 Salintubig Program.

 

   SalinTubig provides potable water to poor communities with no or limited access to safe, drinking water as part of the government’s effort to achieve Goal No. 7, specifically Target 7C of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.