Water company vows to provide 24/7 water supply
BARUGO, Leyte – A new water facility is set to operate in this town, with the mayor expressing high hopes that it will lead to better water services for his constituents.
On Tuesday, July 30, JE Hydro and Bio-energy Corp., a Cagayan de Oro-based water company, inaugurated its water treatment facility located in Barangay Calingcaguing, about five kilometers from the town center.
Town Mayor Aron Balais expressed his satisfaction with the arrival of JE Hydro and Bio-energy Corp., as he believes it will help address the town’s persistent water supply issues.
“The lack of water supply here in Barugo has always been a problem, and we see the coming of JE Hydro as a solution to this recurring issue,” he said in an interview.
According to Balais, the current water district serving his town and nearby municipalities fails to deliver adequate water supply, making it a daily challenge for residents.
“We are paying our monthly bills with no water coming out from our taps,” he lamented.
Balais shared that when the representatives of JE Hydro and Bio-energy Corp. approached him earlier this year with their proposal, he immediately agreed.
“For one, the local government will not be spending even a single centavo on this project, except for facilitating the necessary documents like the building permit,” he explained.
He also mentioned that the company would provide meters and connections at no cost and that there would be no maintaining monthly bills.
Currently, out of the more than 7,600 households in the town, which has a population of over 34,700 people, 70 percent have water connections served by the Carigara Water District, a private entity.
Mayor Balais noted that the residents are pleased with the arrival of JE Hydro, with officials from all 37 barangays passing a resolution expressing their support.
Peachy Hapitan, president and COO of JE Hydro and Bio-energy Corp., stated that their initial operation, expected to begin in May next year, will supply water to 2,500 households, primarily in the town center.
“By November 2025, a total of 5,000 households in Barugo will benefit from the JE Hydro Level-3 Water Supply Project,” she added.
Hapitan emphasized that the project will provide continuous safe and potable water to households, schools, health centers, and other essential facilities in Barugo, a 4th-class town with a local income of P12.5 million and a P175 million tax share from the national government.
The water company will source its water from the Himanglus River, located about five kilometers from the future site of their water treatment facility in Calingcaguing.
Nino Gabon, the authorized managing officer of JE Hydro and Bio-energy Corp., explained that they will extract 5 million liters of water from the Himanglus River, which will be delivered directly to households.
“The river has more than enough to meet our supply needs,” he assured.
The company will fund the project at P200 million.(JOEY A. GABIETA)
