Mamanwas receive potable water from mining firm, rotary clubs



Mamanwa chieftain Bae Soledad Cañete receives the water pipeline from Metro Surigao Rotary President Edgar Guerra during the turnover of the P450-thousand potable water system in Byrgy. Mabuhay, Sison, on January 28, 2012. With them is Wallaby Corp. Manager Jon Felipe Agcol (right).

By Eugenio Lira, Jr.

An indigenous community of 40 Mamanwa families from the impoverished barangay of Mabuhay, Sison, has received on Saturday a P450-thousand potable water system from the joint undertaking of Wallaby Corporation, Rotary Club of Metro Surigao and Rotary Club of Brimbank Central (Australia) during a turn-over ceremony attended by local officials and NGO representatives.

The water system was officially received by Bae Soledad Cañete, Mamanwa tribal chieftain, witnessed by Sison Mayor Leicester Fetalvero, Wallaby Corp. Manager Jon Felipe Agcol, Metro Surigao Rotary President Edgar Guerra, Caraga Tri-Media President Roberto Parada, Jr., Brgy. Captain Alfredo Palin, DENR-MGB community relations officer Angie Pacillos, NCIP staffers Juralyn Lorchano and Jose Boboy.

“This is a God-given project for us. Our fellow Mamanwas won’t have anymore difficulty in securing potable water for our households. It used to be our problems for decades already,” Cañete said.

Fetalvero thanked Wallaby Corporation for being helpful to the Mamanwa tribe despite the existing moratorium on their application for mining exploration in the area.

“Aside from this water system, Wallaby had completely rehabilitated the one kilometer Mabuhay barangay road, which connected to the national highway, which was cut off by flashfloods in January 2011. It has also shouldered the salary of a Mamanwa teacher through its “Adopt a School Program,” Fetalvero said.

He also expressed gratitude to the two Rotary groups for humanitarian endeavor in helping the plight of the indigenous people in his town.

The water system has a 14 cubic meter capacity tank made of concrete materials with 350-meter pipeline, measuring two inches in diameter, distributing potable water to Mamanwa households.

Share: