RESIDENTS of Barangay Pangan-an in Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City, will soon have access to clean and potable water with the construction of a solar-powered desalination plant.
The City Government and the contractor broke ground for the project on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024.
Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan said in his Facebook livestream that the project will solve and give relief to the water problems experienced by Pangan-an residents.
Chan added that once the desalination project is completed, it is expected to produce 200 gallons of drinking water daily, and residents will not depend on mainland water sources.
He added that this pioneering project will serve as a “model for other islands in need of similar solutions.”
Pangan-an Barangay Captain Junrey Casiao said the solar-powered water desalination system in his village will address his constituents’ struggles in obtaining their supply of drinking water.
“This project is important as it will solve problems faced with access to clean water. Although there is available water, it is expensive,” Casiao said in Cebuano.
The project, funded by the office of Lapu-Lapu City Lone District Rep. Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” King-Chan, has an allocated budget of P30 million.
The target date for the completion of the project will depend on the construction works, according to Mark Anthony Bautista, public information officer of Lapu-Lapu City.
New building
Also on Aug. 4, the turnover of a two-story multi-purpose building in the same barangay was held.
The new facility, with a 160-square-meter floor area and four offices, will serve as the new Pangan-an barangay hall.
The P15-million multi-purpose building is a project funded by Congresswoman Chan.
Ongoing repair works are also being carried out in Barangay Pangan-an’s multi-purpose gym, which was destroyed during the onslaught of Typhoon Odette (Rai) on Dec. 16, 2021.
A new four-story school building also broke ground in Barangay Caohagan on Sunday, with an allocated budget of P15 million.
The project aims to provide improved facilities for students on the island and provide access to education without the need to enroll in mainland schools. / DPC