Minister Motohiko Kato, Embassy of Japan's Deputy Chief of Mission, will attend the turnover ceremony of “The Project for Construction of Potable Water Supply System in Barangay Latbang in the Municipality of Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya” on November 19, 2010. Kayapa Municipal Mayor John D. Balasya also witnessed the ceremony . The p roject, amounting to US$ 37,302 (approximately 1.7 million pesos), is funded through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP).
Barangay Latbang is the farthest of the 30 barangays from the center of the Municipality of Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya. While it has numerous springs and creeks, the barangay has no source of potable water in its vicinity . Residents have to hike at least two hours to get their drinking water from a mountain or use rain water to sustain their other basic water needs.
To address this problem, the Municipal Government of Kayapa sought the assistance from the Embassy of Japan. Using the grant from GGP, a Level II Water System has been constructed in Barangay Latbang that include four units of reservoir and 19 faucets strategically located around the community. Now, thanks to the operation of the water system, women and children will no longer have to walk for hours just to fetch drinking water. It is also expected that the project will decrease the incidence of water-borne diseases that has long been the problem in the area.
Japan launched, as the top donor of the official development assistance, GGP in the Philippines in 1989 for the purpose of reducing poverty and helping various communities engaged in grassroots activities. As of March 2010, 434 grassroots projects funded by GGP – ranging from roughly 1 to 4 million pesos – have been implemented by NGOs, local government units and other non-profit organizations. The total grant for these projects so far amounts to US$ 18,982,775. It is expected that this project will add to fostering the strategic partnership between the two countries towards the future.
