/PNA
LAOAG CITY—A water filtration system accessible for every household in Ilocos Norte is a dream within reach following the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) donation of at least 55 units of water filtration systems Wednesday.
In partnership with a United States-based non-government organization Waves for Water (W4W) Philippines, the LandBank’s donation was part of its corporate social responsibility program (CSR) dubbed “Gawad Katubigan.” The program hopes to provide access to clean and safe drinking water among the country’s villages.
The 55 units of water filter were installed Thursday in various parts of the province, particularly in villages hard-hit by previous typhoons.
According to Dennis Alcantara, a Manila-based representative from the LandBank, the program is a great help for the Ilocano communities experiencing water shortage.
The program started in Leyte in 2015, or two years after Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) hit the area. The water filtration systems act as a disaster preparedness response, providing rain catchment and filtration systems to rural communities with limited or no access to clean drinking water.
Alcantara said more than 1,000 people are now benefiting from the implementation of the program.
After the turnover of 55 units, more water filtration systems are expected to be given to other villages in Ilocos Norte, Alcantara said.
Accredited by the Department of Health (DOH), the water filters have been reported to remove 99.9 percent of bacteria that cause water-borne diseases such as cholera, salmonella, and E. coli, among others.
Each filtration system can filter one million gallons of water and provide clean drinking water for 100 people a day. The filters can last from five to 10 years if properly maintained.
