THE Provincial Board of Bohol has approved the purchase of a lot in Loboc town for the proposed bulk water supply project funded by the World Bank.
The said purchase is said to be one of the requirements for the provincial government for approval of its application for water rights to be issued by the National Water Regulatory Board (NWRB).
The acquisition involves 1.5 hectares of land in barangay Tigbao of said town just approximate to the Loboc river where supply is abundant and water treatment is to be built. The cost of the land is Php400/square meter per fair market value. The total cost would be Php6.3 million.
The project is funded by the World Bank’s grant to the tune of some Php8 billion, it was learned.
If realized, the treated water will be supplied in bulk to the towns nearby the city.
Meanwhile, the Capitol’s media bureau, Provincial Information and Media Office (PiMO) said that World Bank had spearhead the holding of the Pre-Appraisal Mission of the Accelerated Water and Sanitation Project in Selected Areas (AWSPSA) recently.
It is said that the move of the WB’s funded initiative for the purpose of enhancing water supply and sanitation services in underserved regions.
Aside from Bohol, the funded project’s beneficiaries included Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte and Jolo in Sulu, PiMO said in its press release.
Gov. Aris Aumentado participated in the meeting even as he “reaffirmed the Provincial Government’s commitment to supporting sustainable infrastructure, access to clean water, and environmentally responsible development strategies.”
Officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the World Bank also took part in the discussion.
Among those who attended were technical and policy experts such as Mike Alpasan and Dindo Taberna from DPWH; Fe Crisilla Banluta from DILG; and World Bank officials, including Ma. Fiorella delos Reyes Fabella, Midori Makino, Takeshi Murakami, Mohammad Abbass, Aileen Castro, Harinath Sesha Appalarajugari, Hiromi Midika Hashimoto, and Roman Constantin Skorzus. (rvo)
