Ten villages in Bacolod City will host rainwater catchment facilities under a project funded by the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) starting in the first quarter of 2025.

The recipients are Tangub, Mansilingan, Sum-ag, Banago, Mandalagan, Taculing, Vista Alegre, Handumanan, Singcang-Airport and Felisa.

Baciwa general manager Mona Dia Jardin said in an interview yesterday that they have allocated a budget of almost P1 million to establish the facilities.

“We will implement the project for this quarter until the first quarter of 2025. Another set of budgets will be passed for the project in 2025,” she added.

The rainwater catchment facility project aims to provide sustainable solutions to enhance water accessibility, especially in villages with limited supply.

Members of the Baciwa board met with Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez at the Bacolod City Government Center on Monday, November 11, to discuss the project implementation.

In an earlier letter addressed to the mayor, Jardin endorsed the recipient villages to the city government for acknowledgment and support in the planning and coordinating efforts.

She said the villages were chosen following a “thorough selection process to identify areas that will greatly benefit from the additional water resources to address water scarcity and support sustainable development within [the] city.”

“By implementing these facilities, Baciwa aims to increase resilience against water shortages and mitigate the impacts of climate variability,” Jardin said.

In August this year, Barangay Granada was chosen as a pilot area for the rainwater catchment program of the Local Water Utilities Administration.

Granada’s small-scale rainwater catchment facility is located beside the village hall to make it accessible to residents. (PNA)