NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
A gigantic grant from the World Bank amounting to a quarter of a billion was approved for release to finance a waterworks project in the the town of Jagna
Regional Director Angel Enriquez of the Department of Agriculture-7 announced the approval of the grant during the launching of the Buyback program and the Jagna Agri-Fishery Project last Friday with Jagna officials led by Mayor Joseph Rañola and Vice Mayor Jojo Pagar. Inaugurated last Friday were the Cold Storage Facility, the Rice Posat Harvest and the Agri-Eco Park
In his remarks, the outgoing mayor said during his first term as mayor in 2019, his administration identified the insufficient water supply was the first problem citing that the same Jagna Waterworks System was serving the populace for 90 long years.
He recalled that he assumed office with the issue of “murkiness and coliform level of the water”.
Five years in the making was the town’s application for a grant with the World Bank through the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) of the Department of Agriculture amounting to P249 million with a 10% counterpart from the local government. The application of a municipal governance was not the usual kind since the provincial governance usually works out for a big stake project.
He recalled that the Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) endorsed the application on December 2023 with Notice To Proceed (NTP) to the winning bidder and construction can now be started with the approved Contract Price of P244,042,785.80.
This project can benefit 30 barangays, namely, Balili, Buyog, Laca, Kinagbaan, Faraon, Can-uba, Ipil, Cantagay, Bunga Mar, Bunga Ilaya, Can-upao, Looc, Malbog, Cantuyoc, Malbog, Canjulao, Calabacita, Mayana, Boctol, Lonoy, Can-ipol, Odiong, Faraon, Looc, Cambungaan, Cambugason, Faraon, Alejawan, Naatang, Tubod Mar, Larapan, Nausok and Pangdan.
Using new technology through Solar Power and DC Pumps, this project will model its methodology and design to deliver efficient and low cost water supply to the beneficiaries considering the difficult terrain and mountain ranges obstructing along its way, particularly in the water sources in Balili and Boctol.
With the presence of this project, the LGUn assures the 33,892 beneficiaries of this project for a sustainable and affordable supply of potable water in every household.
The Jagna Integrated Potable Water System from the PRDP is the long-term solution of this problem and became a legacy of the LGU to the people of Jagna with their full support for the realization of this proposed sub-project.
BUYBACK &
AGRI FISHERY
The three-in-one launching last Friday made the official kick off operation of the Cold Storage Facility, the Rice Post Harvest Facility and the Jagna Eco-Park Facilities.
The three-room cold storage accommodates fish, vegetables and meat which provide fishermen, farmers and meat suppliers the right place to have their produce stored ready for selling to the public.
At the Agri-Eco Park were the swine multiplier and techno demo farm, composting facility for biodegradable waste and the nursery-GreenHouse,
Because of this storage facility, Jagna LGU is now the lone middleman between the farmers and the buying public thus eliminating the layers in the distribution network thereby reducing the selling prices of the basic commodities.
Rice was sold at P29 per kilo while fish at P180 per kilo and vegetables sold at surprisingly low prices since they are produced nearby.
DA Director Enriquez, in her brief remarks at the Jagna Fish Port, asked the public to appreciate this “big blessing” of having a cold storage which can be a great factor to pull down the prices of basic goods.