In the pursuit of fulfilling its mission of delivering world-class services tailored to the needs of the communities it serves, especially providing water access for marginalized communities, Boracay Water, a subsidiary of Manila Water Philippine Ventures and a concessionaire of Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), recently spearheaded and completed a project under the ‘Tubig Para sa Barangay” or TPSB program, which aims to provide sustainable water to low-income households.

The TPSB project in Sitio Balinghai, Barangay Yapak in Boracay Island, was launched by Boracay Water together with the Barangay Yapak Council and residents of Sitio Balinghai.

Sitio Balinghai is one of the areas of Barangay Yapak that had issues with water access due to right of way disputes. However, when the Municipal Planning and Development Council and Barangay Yapak led a project of building new road access in Sitio Balinghai last year, Boracay Water also took the opportunity to implement the TPSB project, laying a 63 millimeter with 700 meters of water lines to give access to 24/7 safe, clean, and potable water to 120 households in Sitio Balinghai. The project, which costs P1.4-M, started last December 2022.

The residents of Sitio Balinghai expressed its gratitude to Boracay Water, with Barangay Yapak Chairman Hector Casidsid saying that that are delighted and will surely enjoy having access to clean and potable water supply 24/7.

“I thank Boracay Water for the Tubig Para sa Barangay (TPSB) project. Water access has been difficult for the residents of the remote parts of our barangay due to land disputes. Some of them have to extend their water lines from their location to the water network in the main road, which is costly. With Boracay Water extending their water lines to these areas, access to quality water supply is now easier and can be enjoyed 24/7,” says Hector Casidsid, Chairman of Barangay Yapak in Boracay Island.

“Boracay Water has been very accommodating of my requests and proposals for the benefit of the community. They are one of our very supportive partners for the development of our barangay.” he added.

In 2013, Boracay Water also led a TPSB project in Sitio Lapus Lapus in Barangay Yapak, providing water access for 20 households, and in Sitio Pinaungon, Barangay Balabag in 2014 where 90 households benefitted. More TPSB projects were done in Boracay Island with the help of the Manila Water Foundation through World Bank’s Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid (GPOBA).

The “Tubig Para Sa Barangay” program is a flagship program of East Zone concessionaire Manila Water, which also aims to solve issues on illegal water connections, system losses, and pipe breakages which commonly results to water contamination and spread of gastrointestinal diseases.