THE Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) announced it will prioritize providing water to communities without access in 2025.
During the December 4, 2024 Media Forum at Ayala Malls Abreeza, MinDA Chair Leo Magno revealed that the water program has been completed and submitted to Congress and the Senate for approval.
“It is our priority to address waterless municipalities in Mindanao,” he said.
Magno explained that MinDA, in collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), is assessing water access in three levels of waterlessness: level one, level two, and level three.
He clarified that while DILG has had a program for waterless communities for years, MinDA is now identifying areas without water connections, working alongside local government units (LGUs).
Magno also said that MinDA's list of waterless areas was outdated but expressed hope that the national government would approve the funding. If not, MinDA will seek alternative funding.
At the 18th MinDA Board Meeting on June 27, 2024, MinDA Deputy Executive Director Asec. Romeo Montenegro noted that many water-scarce areas are located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm).
The program aims to address water access issues in municipalities where 50 percent of the population lacks clean, accessible water. A total of 121 areas across six regions, mostly in BARMM, will benefit from the program, with most classified as having a level 3 water system.
Scheduled for implementation from 2025 to 2028, the program has an estimated cost of P3.9 billion. RGP
