M.D. lives in the far side of Purok 5 of Barangay Delusom, the place known as Napu. It is the part of Delusom where farming plays a major role in their lives. She is 65 years old, though with a lot of vigor, she is suffering from Diabetes and High blood. She lives in their humble hut with his 8 year old grandson. Despite living in humility, she is a known figure in the Barangay, assuming different roles in different organizations and associations. As a devoted catholic, she fulfills her obligations through teaching values and morals in the Barangay’s Elementary School.
Residents doing their laundry in the sandayong
Living in Napu, nanay M.D. is also having problems with their Drinking Water Supply. Napu is the part of Delusom where access to a Level 3 water facility seems like a distant dream. She even jests if she would ever live to that day where there is free flowing water from the faucet at the reach of her own home. Back in 2012, she admitted in one of our interviews that all of their available water even for drinking came from an unprotected spring and river located a few meters away from their home; same spring where few years ago was considered a source of a Schistosomiasis outbreak. This is the same spring where they share water with the animals while some of the young ladies wash their clothes; unprotected; not safe. Due to deep concerns for her grandson, she opted to spend an ample amount of money for access to safe drinking water by buying mineral water from the barangay Poblacion, located two to three barangays away from home, carrying 10 Liters of water in a gallon downhill back to their home. On the way, she has to pass along a steep cliff, which we medical students call as the “Stairway to Heaven.” She said that a few years back, there has been an incident of diarrhea in their area where a child died due to its complications. This leads to her utmost concern for the safety of water in their place. Despite her condition, she opted to endure the struggle of giving her grandchild the safest water he could drink, not knowing that there are alternatives in providing it through the available resources within the community.
Residents doing their laundry in the sandayong
Living in Napu, nanay M.D. is also having problems with their Drinking Water Supply. Napu is the part of Delusom where access to a Level 3 water facility seems like a distant dream. She even jests if she would ever live to that day where there is free flowing water from the faucet at the reach of her own home. Back in 2012, she admitted in one of our interviews that all of their available water even for drinking came from an unprotected spring and river located a few meters away from their home; same spring where few years ago was considered a source of a Schistosomiasis outbreak. This is the same spring where they share water with the animals while some of the young ladies wash their clothes; unprotected; not safe. Due to deep concerns for her grandson, she opted to spend an ample amount of money for access to safe drinking water by buying mineral water from the barangay Poblacion, located two to three barangays away from home, carrying 10 Liters of water in a gallon downhill back to their home. On the way, she has to pass along a steep cliff, which we medical students call as the “Stairway to Heaven.” She said that a few years back, there has been an incident of diarrhea in their area where a child died due to its complications. This leads to her utmost concern for the safety of water in their place. Despite her condition, she opted to endure the struggle of giving her grandchild the safest water he could drink, not knowing that there are alternatives in providing it through the available resources within the community.
A resident fetching water in gallons from a protected water pipe
Water is one of the biggest concerns of communities in far flung areas. Since water is one of the basic necessities to survive, a question of safety of the source is often a common concern. An establishment of potable water system requires a lot from the municipality’s budget, definite blueprint of the piping system, presence of a steady supply and assurance of a safe source. To be able to compensate for the demand of water supply, the people of Barangay Delusom, Mahayag, ZDS resort to near natural water forms surrounding the barangay’s vicinity, specifically the Panagaan river,
Salug Daku River, and Delusom creek, down to their branches. The people of the community also have man-made water sources like the Sandayong, “poso”, deep well, and centrally-established piping system. Apparently, the easy accessibility of water supply from these sources by the majority of the households in the barangay is the major apprehension.
The neglect of a coherent environmental policy led to the actual situation, in which 58% of the groundwater is contaminated. Water borne diseases remain a major public health concern in the country. About 4200 people die each year due to contaminated drinking water. (World Bank Water and Sanitation Program, 2003)
In barangay Delusom, Mahayag Zamboanga Del Sur, potability is the one in question. With its recently built water system by DILG, safety is still of concern. The recently built water system supplies only half of the houses near the high way. Households located far from it still get their water from different bodies of water. During rainy season, water from the river rises and contaminates the water sources near the vicinity, considering the fact that many animals like the carabaos and dogs take a dip at those rivers.
Aside from those animals, snails also inhabit the river at one purok where schistosomiasis is endemic. Environmental causes for the pollution of water source are not the only thing to be considered, man has also played a part in it. Residents near the water source at times throw their trash in it, polluting it and making it not conducive for drinking. Most people in the community also don’t practice water purification methods before drinking, making them more susceptible to water-borne diseases.
Potability of the water source can only be determined through examination of a water sample obtained from it. That is the only way to determine if it is safe or not. This would also ensure that the current water sources would be upgraded to Level 1 Status. What we could do the most is to disseminate information about the things to do to secure the waters potability. Some would say “ignorance is a bliss”, but if ignorance contributes to the detriment of the community, then one should take action.
Our project for this problem consists of different steps.
First step is community empowerment. Focused group discussion “Impormasyong pang Kausuagon” about Water source’s Storage, Purification and Protection or “WaSSPP” alongside with disease prevention was done. Pre- and post- evaluation was done before and after discussion to assess whether they understood or not. “WaSSPP” posters and IEC materials were integrated to supplement necessary knowledge. We will also be penetrating schools. A poster making “Batang Kaugmaon” contest about “WaSSPP” was conducted enhancing our scope not to adults only but to school age also. “Clean and Bloom, Delusom” clean up drive program near water source was done to protect the safe water and to remove probable cause of contamination. Also the proposition of that any newly built pig pens or compost pit must be 25 meters away from any water source.
Second step is to encourage the community dwellers to ensure method of protection with all identified water source, and to practice gathering samples and submit it for water analysis. This is the only way we could assess the water status of the community. After examination, treatment of the water source that is tested positive must be emphasized to encourage and empower the community for behavior modification. Point of use of methods of protection will also be utilized. Research on Chlorination was conducted since it is the best method that suits the situation in the barangay.
Formulation of ordinance or resolution was done to support the said annual water analysis as well as to ensure the protection of the water sources. Another possible action is to create an ordinance that requires newly established source of water to be tested prior to its utilization. Sustainability of these said plans will still lie in the hands of the community people. All of this plans and projects will be of lost if the community people themselves don’t see it as important as how it should be seen--for community involvement is the key to success and sustainability.
In the final community exposure last January – February 2016, the access from protected sources was maintained at 100% which is shown on the previous table for specific sources. Also, 84/220 households have access to its own faucets while 71/220 households gather from protected springs. These households are from the Purok 5 and Purok 7. Other households which do not have access to a Level 3 Facility opted to spend money and purchase safe water from a nearby barangay. Accessing to these protected sources, equates to the maintenance of 91% (200/220) of households who maintain their sources protected.
By the Extensive Lecture on the use of SODIS and Chlorination we have been able to increase the practice of water Purification from 22% (50/220) to 50.9% (112/220) during our final exposure. The graph below shows the number of households using various forms of Water Purification wherein most of them use water chlorination.