THE town of Bantayan in northern Cebu will soon have its own water desalination plant.
The Bantayan Municipal Government aims to complete the construction of the plant located in Barangay Luyongbaybay on the islet of Doong by March 15, 2022.
Around 75 percent of the water desalination plant has been completed as it already has a booster pump, pressure tank, product tank, carbon filter and sterilizer, the Bantayan Municipal Government reported on its Facebook page.
Bantayan town is on Bantayan Island, and it is neighbor to the municipalities of Santa Fe and Madridejos.
Twenty-five barangays comprise Bantayan, a town of over 86,000 based on the 2020 census.
The water desalination plant is a project by Bantayan Mayor Arthur Despi. A desalination facility uses chemical or physical processes to reduce or recover salt concentrations from water supplies intended for drinking or industrial purposes. Removing salt from the source water renders it fit for human consumption and reduces the occurrence of salt-induced corrosion of any metal in contact with the treated water (Corrosionpedia).
The plant would provide potable water to residents of Doong and other islet barangays.
Despi has been aiming to provide potable water to islet barangays, and to also make the electricity and water supply in the mainland stable.
The mayor is also trying to strengthen Bantayan's digital connection by building good telecommunication facilities; building access roads from the farm to the market and ports; and improving the transportation system to prepare Bantayan for its growing economy.
The Cebu Provincial Government has eased travel restrictions on vaccinated and unvaccinated foreigners to revive the province's tourism industry, which suffered amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Capitol has also lifted the 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew for adults, but it is status quo for teenagers below 18 except for those accompanied by adults.
The provincial government made these moves amid declining active Covid-19 cases as it wants to reinvigorate the local economy, including tourism, which is a big contributor to the economies of Bantayan and the entire island itself.