"When God finished all His creations, He looked at them and found them to be very good and God had created man and woman to cultivate and care for them", so does the Bible say. Indeed, the province of Zamboanga Sibugay is endowed with rich natural resources, and fresh water springs are some of them. But life's natural resources become scarce as population grows. Hence, we consider privileged those people who have access to life's necessities as basic as the potable water. Conversely, how unfortunate are those who have less or no access at all to it. Many then have been longing and dreaming for a sufficient supply of potable water but only few got the chance of realizing the same. Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) of Barangay Lutiman, Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay are some of this "few".
To address this problem, BALWASA's BODs, through the Chairmanship of Ismael Escamillan, Jr., recognized the need and advocated to upgrade the water services into individual household connections (Level III). Notwithstanding the RIS Specialist's previous remarks and the resistance of other members, BALWASA persisted and dared taking the risk. Water shortage however, becomes imminent when some of the installed tapstands started serving individual connections of 45 households, more or less. BALWASA then convened and called a General Assembly to discuss the problem with the members. The body came up with a resolution to look for another water source with much higher flowing capacity, approximately with 5 liters per second, to cater the need of those who established individual connection with BALWASA. There is also a need to install bigger pipeline connections to accommodate new subscribers
The Water and Sanitation (WatSan) Project of the Belgian Integrated Agrarian Reform Support Programme (BIARSP) Phase II as external support to the Agrarian Reform Communities in Region IX has opened this chance to residents-ARBs. Thus, Barangay Lutiman Waterworks and Sanitation Association (BALWASA) was organized and came into existence until today. This people's organization was created under the auspices of the Department of Agrarian Reform, which is tasked to operate and maintain the water system project. At the instance of the Department and other partner-agencies, capability-building initiatives were introduced to the members, equipping them and enhancing their skill for the project's sustainability. The water system was turned over to BALWASA sometime in 2001. It was then a Level II project with 18 tapstands or communal faucets installed in strategic points in the barangay, originally serving only 88 households.
The RIS Specialists, had cautioned BALWASA officials not to convert the said water system into Level III considering that the water supply from the source will likely be insufficient for the entire consuming public. As operations however went on, issues on uneven distribution of water supply as well as in the collection of the corresponding share for each consumer in the payment thereof, escalated. Misunderstandings among the consuming members became a constant scenario in the community.
Sharing resources, refreshing lives, fulfilling dreams
Reservior of Bry. Lutiman Water Sanitation Association
