DILG-13 holds workshop on water supply management

By Don Manuelo O. Patrimonio

BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 20 (PIA) -- Technical staff from provincial, municipal and city engineers and planning offices in the region underwent a skills enhancement seminar-workshop on Detailed Engineering Design (DED) Preparation, Procurement, and Fund Management at Samping Avenue, this city.

The four-day event was spearheaded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga Regional Office together with the Office of Project Development Services (DILG-OPDS).

The participants came from the 22 recipient local government units (LGUs) of the 2013 implementation year of the Bottom-Up Planning and Budgeting (BUB) with water supply systems identified as priority projects. Caraga region LGUs received an aggregate amount of P67.242 Million for water projects in this year alone.

During the opening ceremonies, DILG-Caraga Regional Director Lilibeth A. Famacion announced that more funding for water supply projects through BUB are already lined up for 2014.

The seminar-workshop is one of the series of capacity development interventions the DILG will be providing that are intended to enhance capacities of the technical personnel who are directly involved with their LGU’s water supply projects.

The trainers were from Manila and include Engr. Renato L. Lorenzo of the Water and Sanitation Services Unit of the DILGOPDS and their consultant, Engr. Ramon L. Dela Torre.

The discussions and workshops revolved around water system design parameters, key components, drawing plans and standard symbols, technical specifications, Environmental Protection Agency Network (EPANET), hydraulics, fund management and the procurement process.

Also in the training were some representatives of the Water and Sanitation Hub (WATSAN Hub) composed of Fr. Saturnino Urios University, Propegemus Foundation Inc., and Bayugan Water District.

The WATSAN hub is a local pool of water and sanitation experts that is concurrently being organized in various localities across the country. They can be tapped as mentors, consultants or resource speakers to local government initiatives on water supply.

It was hoped that these trainings will improve and fast-track the implementation of the water supply projects—a very dire yet rudimentary service needed by all. With projects such as these, the government is hoping to improve access to potable water across the country. Increasing skills of LGU personnel improves such services that lead to the achievement of this goal—an endeavor we share here in Caraga Region. And as Engr. Lorenzo opines, Caraga Region is known to be among the better performing regions in water-supply project implementation. (DILG-13/PIA-Caraga)