Driven by its purpose of building better lives and resilient economies, the corporate social arms of Prime Infra and Manila Water, together with Prime Waste Solutions (PWS) Pampanga, recently turned over the newly completed deep well facility to the Katutubo Village, an Aeta community in Barangay Planas located in Porac town.
The facility was built to provide the community with long-term access to clean and safe water, addressing the challenges of limited supply that had affected health, hygiene, and sanitation.
A total of 257 households in Katutubo Village and surrounding communities of Barangay Planas will benefit from the project.
Present during the handover ceremony held last October 11 were Prime Waste Solutions Pampanga General Manager Jake Lachica, Prime Infra Foundation Executive Director Dave Jesus Devilles, Manila Water Foundation Executive Director Reginald Andal, and Barangay Planas Chairman Alfer Nacu.
About 50 members of the Aeta community were also present at the event.
During the program, Lachica highlighted the role of clean water and how the facility can foster better health for the community.
“Ang malinis na tubig ay buhay at sa tulong ng bagong pasilidad na ito, maiiwasan natin magkaroon ng sakit na dala ng maruming tubig,” he said.
Andal underscored that the collaborative efforts of the Razon Group made it possible to achieve the milestone project, creating a sustainable impact on the Katutubo Village.
“Bilang bahagi ng Razon Group, ito ay higit na patunay na marami kaming magagawa at malaki ang aming magagawa kapag kami ay sama-sama…Mas higit kaming makapagbigay ng mga proyekto na masasabi nating may impact talaga sa buhay ng mga tao,” Andal said.
Devilles emphasized that the new facility is a valuable asset, and its proper maintenance and protection now lie in the hands of the community.
“Sabi pa nga nila, ito ay biyaya; pagyamanin natin, pag-ingatan natin ang biyayang binigay. At ito po, sa atin na po nakasalalay,” he said.
As part of the ceremony, a manual and tool box were also handed over to the barangay local government unit (BLGU) and the WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) team to support the operations and maintenance of the facility.
The WASH team, which includes members from the Katutubo Village, received training on how to operate the facility, while the BLGU will provide support in monitoring the maintenance activities of the WASH team.
Jonalyn Abuque, a resident of Katutubo Village and a member of the WASH team, expressed her joy and gratitude for the new facility, which will significantly enhance the quality of life for the IP community she represents.
“Bilang magulang, sobrang saya ko po na nabigyan kami ng ganitong kalaking tulong. Hindi na po mararanasan ng mga anak ko pumunta pa sa ilog para maligo, iigib lang po ako dito at siguradong malinis ang tubig. One million times po na pasasalamat na isa po ang aming komunidad na nabigyan ng tulong para mapaayos po ang buhay naming mga katutubong kapatiran,” she said.