THE government has released funding to address the mounting problems in the supply of potable water in 100 poor municipalities across the country.

In a statement, Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad said that the P1 billion funding for potable water supply would mainly go to those areas where the beneficiaries of conditional cash transfer reside.

The allotment— released to the Department of Health (DOH)— will be used to build level I and level II water supply system in beneficiary municipalities or the upgrading and rehabilitation of existing system.

“The Aquino Administration is committed to reduce the number of people without constant access to potable water by half, in line with our Millennium Development Goals. Furthermore, our implementation of these potable water projects will be synergized with our social protection programs such as CCT,” Abad said.

The release is charged against the P1.5-billion budget for Potable Water Supply under the DoH, as approved by Congress in the 2011 General Appropriations Act. This release will be for 100 identified priority municipalities.

The remaining P500 million, on the other hand, will be released eventually for waterless resettlement and relocation sites, municipalities with waterless Basic/Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care Facilities, and poorest barangays which are not part of the 100 municipalities identified.

“At the start of the year, we have already discussed the implementation of this project with the implementing agencies which are the Department of Health, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Anti-Poverty Commission [NAPC],” Abad said.

In January, these three agencies forged a Memorandum of Agreement to collaborate executing agencies of the priority water and sanitation program of the Aquino administration. Under the MoA, the DILG and NAPC will support the DoH in implementing the program in communities and resettlement areas with no access to potable water.

These communities are chosen based on poverty criteria of NAPC, “seal of good housekeeping” standards of DILG, priority areas identified by the DoH for the reduction of water-borne diseases, and guidelines of the National Economic Development Authority-Investment Coordination Committee pertaining to national government grants for devolved services.

To further ensure the effectiveness of the program, the DBM has also released P30 million to the DILG to fund the complementary capacity development interventions for the initial beneficiary-local governments.