Redesign of controversial Sagada water project set

By Gina Dizon 

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Redesign of Boasaw waterworks project shall soon be done with construction of a breaker tank along the water line to fully enable these hankered waters to reach Palidan distribution tank in Bangaan on to waiting tanks  in SagadaPoblacion.

Mayor Eduardo Latawan told leaders and officials of northern barangayhs here who took part in the Jan. 21 project inspection that a breaker tank shall be installed February this year.

Redesign including installation of breaker tank and two 4 inch diameter pipes have been forwarded by the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project to the local government and the contractor FFJJ Construction of Cotabato midyear of 2015.

The Jan. 7 inspection attended by workers of the projects, representative officials and elders of northern Sagada, CHARMP and the local government unit did not find any breaker tank.

CHARMP coordinator for Mountain Province Beverly Pekas earlier said the inspection intended to know the status of the water project and if recommendations have been installed by the LGU and the contractor of the project 

Speaking at the site of the distribution tank at Palidan, CHARMP   project engineer Felimon Salvador said a breaker tank is’ necessary along the water canal to check  water  pressure and ensure pipes are fully functional and water flow was unhampered.

It was noted in the inspection that leakages emitted from pipes laid  out from Boasaw.

The construction of a breaker tank is expected to bring more water to the Palidan distribution tank currently producing an average of 10.5 to 11 liters per second.

It is desired that there should be 13.6 liters per second generated in order that there be ample overflow for irrigation waters to flow to Tanulongricefields and excess domestic waters to flow to Poblacion, Salvador said.

Excess waters as noted in an earlier agreement among Tanulong folks and witnessed by northern leaders and Latawan refers to situations when Tanulongricefields are in fallow during rainy months that waters are directed to the domestic water supply; and in times where ricefields continuously need water that only one hour is allowed every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the week to be released to the domestic water system.

Continuous waters in rice fields are needed to prevent ‘saktoto’ pest not to get activated.

Salvador and Latawan said another inspection shall be done after the breaker tank is installed and when necessary pipes are laid out.

Salvador added turnover of all CHARMP projects shall be done March much as the agency is in its winding up activities this 2016. 

The amount of 18 million pesos was sourced from CHARMP for the 36 million water project. The other P18 million which served as the LGU counterpart was sourced from the priority development assistance funds (PDAF) of Senator TeofistoGuingona 111.

And with this  P36 million water project bid out in December of 2011 which has been undergoing redesigns since 2012, Tanulong is hesitant of  a turnover and wants to ensure that CHARMP’s redesigns have already been done and  that waters are made certain for irrigation to their ricefields and domestic waters for  Sagada.

Latawan said additional pipes shall be installed should there be a need for more tubes.

And when Tanulong folks are convinced and happy, turnover of the project shall be handed by CHARMP to the beneficiary Tanulong Tribe Irrigators Association.

Declared  as “completed” by mayor Eduardo Latawan during the Jan. 7  visit of Guingona, this  waterworks project  called Improvement of  Buasao  Irrigation System and Construction of  Tanulong  Tribe Irrigators Association Water Services is meant to service the irrigation Tanulongricefields  and domestic water supply for 15 barangays of Sagada.

As of press time however, water is not flowing  to the tank at Bitin, Ambasing, a partner-barangay of CHARMP and one among the intended 15 barangay beneficiaries.

Same is true in barangays Demang and Dagdag named in the 15 beneficiary towns who await these long awaited waters to come by.

In the eastern barangays Boasaw waters has flowed here for at least two months March to May of 2014 then stopped.

In northern barangays of Bangaan, Aguid and Madongo where water pipes pass through, domestic waters from Boasaw within their territory is not a reality to utilize. Bangaan folks earlier called for pipelines specially meant for Bangaan.

Latawan and Salvador said the P36 million waterworks project ends at the Lallalay tank in PoblacionSagada and at Kiltepan.

It was learned that  the 36  million fund have been used up with a remaining 3 million peso retention from CHARMP. 

The Tanulong Tribe Irrigators Association which is the “exclusive authority to manage the domestic water system shall then be installing water meters” once the waters is established leading to town households. 

And that happens when the continuous waters reach the tanks of Bitin, Kiltepan, The  320-day unfinished project, awarded in  December 2011, went through redesigns  and waste of money on some unnecessary fixtures already installed, sources said.

These included questions on project implementation including issues on prior and informed consent like construction of a water tunnel on common grounds with nearby TuboAbra

The Sangguniang Bayan then in 2012 asked why pipes do not reach the main town stopping only in sitioKapinitan despite the project feasibility stating that the  waterworks  shall service 15 barangays. The SB called for redesign of the project.

This led to P2 million from 2013 Bottom up Budgetting (BuB) allotted to pipes to reach intended 15 barangays.                           

Latawan then in said SB  meeting forwarded that  two 4- inch pipes shall be connected from the 6- inch pipe connected from the Boasaw water dam.

A one 4-inch pipe however was installed; and following CHARMP

recommendations a certain length of the water line was recently laid out with 2  four inch pipes along the water canal.

Barangay captain Ayyawan of Tanulong earlier said there should be at least 2 four inch pipes leading to the distribution tank in Palidan to ensure enough supply of water both for the irrigation of Tanulongricefields and domestic water supply for Sagada.

Latawan during said inspection urged the Tanulong elders to have faith with changes in the engineered designs  vis a vis earlier agreements of a  5-inch  orifice to reach the irrigation canal.

It has been stated by Latawan and Salvador that  a 5 inch orifice inside the tank located near the upper end leads the waters to the four inch pipe that leads to the irrigation canal

With the work and ritual done and  redesigns on the way to be installed,  domestic waters are now asked that this finally come to water-needy SagadaPoblacion for households and tourists alike to taste this long craved  Boasaw water.

From the Lallal-ay and Kiltepan tanks where the 36 million peso project ends and where the 2 million peso  BuB funds  begin and ends in  tanks in Antadao,  Ambasing, Dagdag, and  Demang.  the LGU and CHARMP authorities expect respective barangays to let waters flow from these tanks to either strategic common tap stands or  reach domestic homes.