PHP 4 million water system serves 120 San Joaquin households

ILOILO CITY — Access to safe and reliable water is now closer to residents and learners in Barangay Tapikan, San Joaquin, following the inauguration of a PHP 4 million water system facility on Oct. 5.

Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. led the inauguration of the facility in Tapikan, a boundary community neighboring the municipality of Miagao.

Implemented under the Provincial Engineer’s Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project, the facility will provide potable water to about 120 households.

The system will also serve students and faculty of Tapikan Elementary School.

The project is equipped with a solar-powered system, allowing the facility to continue operating during power interruptions.

It also includes well development intended to provide the community with a sustainable, long-term water source.

The inauguration was attended by San Joaquin Mayor Joe Abad Lazaro Jr., Vice Mayor Ivy Mae Selibio-Crespo, Punong Barangay Jobert Nofuente, Acting Provincial Engineer Jeb Escarilla, and other local officials and community representatives.

For Tapikan residents, the completion of the project marked the fulfillment of a long-awaited need.

In an emotional message, Nofuente expressed appreciation to the provincial government for making the community’s long-held aspiration a reality.

“For a very long time, our barangay dreamed of this project. But now, we made it, Barangay Tapikan!”

Nofuente also expressed gratitude on behalf of the community, saying the project would benefit households, parents and children throughout the barangay.

Defensor, meanwhile, urged local leaders and residents to take responsibility for protecting and maintaining the newly completed infrastructure.

He also pledged assistance to the barangay for future maintenance and repairs to help ensure the water system continues serving the community for years to come.

The project forms part of the Iloilo provincial government’s continuing efforts to expand access to clean and sustainable water, particularly in communities where reliable water infrastructure remains a critical need.