For the past five years, Jaime V. Ongpn Foundation, Inc. has been working with AES Power plant foundation in bringing safe water access to three communities in Masinloc, Zambales.
This year, the level 3 water system project was turned over to the three (3) water associations particularly to Bani Advocacy Network for Community Water Administration (BANCWA) for Brgy. Bani, Tugue-Taltal-Relocation Water Association (TATUREWA) for Barangay Taltal and Pinagrealan Lauis Upland Famers Association (PILUFA). The turn-over marks their independence as managers and operators of their own water systems.
To ensure that these associations are capable and responsible to manage these water system, several training on Financial, Organizational and Technical (Operations Management, water meter installation, meter reading and pump operations) were provided to prepare them to manage and operate their water system.
Last July 23-24, 2018, members of these three organizations were invited in a culmination activity of the project. The culmination activity served as a review of the various milestones of the project implementation. They also looked into the best practices of the project that they can strengthen and replicate. Through this activity the organizations also recognized their own efforts in making this project successful.
In her speech, Ms. Maria Rosario Lopez, JVOFI Executive Director thanked Ms. Cynthia Pantonal the Executive Director of APPFI for giving the project to JVOFI. She also reminded the organization to plan on how to take care of their water, and the water source, since water is a basic necessity.
The project made it possible to bring water to these communities, and as this was turned over to the organizations, sustainability of the project now depends on them. JVOFI and AES trust that in the five-year run of the project these organizations are equipped and prepared to handle the sustainability of the water system.
