Tubod, Lanao del Norte – To help attain Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7 for the Philippines by year 2015, the Water Supply and Sanitation Unit, Office of the Project Development Office of the DILG Central Office delivered one set of bacteriological equipment and reagents to the provincial government of Lanao del Norte to test municipal waters for the presence of harmful bacteria.

Present during the formal turn-over of the equipment are DILG Provincial Director Mary Jean Quibranza, Provincial Health Officer Melania Untao and Governor Khalid Dimaporo.

“This vital equipment will help ensure that our people will be drinking clean and safe water. We will also be able to identify areas that need our immediate attention on their water sources”, Gov. Dimaporo said.

Costing more than 195 thousand pesos, the equipment includes one unit P/A Comparator, one unit 6-watt fluorescent UV lamp, one unit general incubator, one unit viewing cabinet, one pack shrink branded vessels, and one pack reagent for bacti test.

For the Philippines, MDG 7 targets 86.8 percent of the population to have access to safe drinking water and 83.8 percent to have access to a sanitary toilet facility.

In Lanao del Norte, although majority of the population have access to potable water, the provincial government is ensuring that its fresh water sources are not contaminated with microorganisms that cause water-borne diseases.

“All food establishments, water refilling stations, municipal water systems will be regularly tested for the presence of disease-causing microorganisms. We need to do this to prevent outbreaks of dysentery, leptospirosis, cholera, typhoid fever and many more illnesses caused by drinking contaminated water”, Dr. Untao explained.

The refurbished provincial water analysis laboratory will also be providing the provincial LGU with additional income from the minimal laboratory fees collected from its clients.

The arrival of the new water testing equipment is expected to further improve the quality of life here in this province.

Earlier this year, the total no. of indigent families enjoying free PhilHealth coverage thru Governor Khalid Dimaporo’s PHIP program have already reached its highest level of more than 94,000 families. VNL/PIO-LDN