The International Committee of the Red Cross — in coordination of the local government of Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental — has implemented a project through a cash-for-work program where a new water supply system was built by residents of Barangay Alagatan.

In line with the thrust to provide better water services in the provinces, the new water supply system was inaugurated on 7 March 2024 during a handover ceremony attended by community members, local authorities and representatives of the ICRC and its partner, the Philippine Red Cross.

Officials said that the project will provide safe water to approximately 700 people in Barangay Alagatan.

The handover was done days before World Water Day, which falls on 22 March 2024.

Previously, the people of Alagatan used to fetch water from a nearby spring but lost access to it in 2022 when an armed conflict occurred.

Now, they can easily get safe and clean drinking water with the completion of the water supply system.

“People in remote areas are at a higher risk of getting life-threatening diseases if they do not have access to clean water. Having a reliable water system improves a community’s hygiene standards, and it also helps them sustain their livelihoods,” said Ishfaq Muhammad Khan, head of the ICRC’s Butuan office.

“This project, completed just a few weeks before World Water Day, is a step toward the improvement of living conditions in Alagatan,” he added.

Almost 85 residents started constructing the water system in September 2023. They installed a five-kilometer pipeline, five storage tanks and 19 water faucets

Meantime, World Water Day is a United Nations observance coordinated by UN-Water. Every year, it raises awareness of a major water-related issue and inspires action to tackle the water and sanitation crisis.

More than 3 billion people worldwide depend on water that crosses national borders. Yet, out of 153 countries that share rivers, lakes and aquifers with their neighbors, only 24 countries report having cooperation agreements for all their shared water.