School gets easy access to water for first time in 30 years

MATI CITY – For the first time in more than thirty years, the Pedro Malintad Elementary School has now easy access to safe drinking water, giving respite to the faculty staff and students who are now relieved from the exhausting work of fetching water from the old water pump outside the school.

Parents and teachers, during the turn-over ceremony recently, said they are pleased and overjoyed over the newly-completed Potable Water System (PWS) provided them by the government.

Situated at the scenic coastal village of Lawigan in the City of Mati, the project provides solution to the school’s age-old water problem as it ensures them all-day access to water. “I am truly overwhelmed of the government’s support for this project as it has made a lot of difference in the lives of the staff especially the children,” said School Principal Mary Ann Juezan, noting that the children now will not have to run outside the school premises to get water as there is already water running through the school’s faucets.

Teacher Anifel Lingatong said access to water is one of the many pressing challenges in their area which the government has been addressing. “For more than thirty years of existence of this school, it has never experienced an easy way of getting water. It was never easy for our pupils to fetch and carry pails and gallons of water, climbing up and down to where the water pump is located,” she said, saying that children have experienced a hard time getting water as they have to fetch water in a pump located in a sloped area, which exposes children to accidents. The project, which was completed only less than a year from the time when the teachers requested it from the governor, will serve not only the school but also the nearby community as a new hand-operated water pump has also been installed for the residents’ use. Meantime, the Local Government Unit of the Barangay is coming up with a sound Barangay Development Plan to identify the gaps and interventions in the different sectors in the community. (Karen Lou Deloso)