Some 30 day care centers/ 15 public schools and other coastal and far-flung barangays in the province of Camarines Sur have been identified as beneficiaries of the second phase of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Project or WASH initiated by Governor LRay Villafuerte in partnership with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) which intends to provide rural residents hygienic lavatory facilities to reduce the risk of the outbreak of water borne diseases such as diarrhea and cholera.

        The WASH project was first launched by the energetic governor on July 20 this year in Barangay Hamoraon, Minalabac, a coastal barangay that suffered diarrhea outbreak that afflicted many households mostly children as a result of inadequate and/or lack of sanitary facilities.

        The governor himself spearheaded the initial launch in Hamoraon along with personnel from the Provincial Health Office (PHO) providing the residents there sets of porcelain toilet bowls/ pipes and other construction materials for which to build a more salutary lavatory facility.

        To further lessen the incidence of morbidity caused by water borne diseases, Governor Villafuerte is once again launching the WASH project in coordination with UNICEF in areas still without hygienic toilet facilities.

        Comfort rooms with jetmatic pumps will be built in some 30 day care centers which were among the structures throughout Camarines Sur that suffered the brunt of typhoon Reming. The 30 centers are located in the towns of Del Gallego, lupi, Milaor, Ocampo., Camaligan, Bombon, Lagonoy, Goa, Garchitorena, Caramoan, Nabua and Balatan.

        Two-seater comfort room and hand pump with water tank will be constructed and installed in Baliuag Viejo E/S, Minalabac; Sta. Cruz E/S/ San Fernando; Dr. Nelson Mejia H/S, Libmanan, Camaligan C/S, Bombon C/S, Ocampo National H/S/ Pili National H/S, Lagonoy North Central, Gogon Central School/ San Jose Central School/ Goa Central School and Maangas E/S ( Presentacion), Pararao E/S (Balatan) and Rinconada National Technical and Vocational H/S (Iriga City).

        The resettlement sites in Itulan/ Pasacao and Masoli, Bato will both be beneficiaries of five communal faucets and 100 porcelain toilet bowls each/ also under the WASH project.

        Program implementors will also tap the lines of the water district in the area so that Barangays Tapayas/ San Francisco and Cabungan in Balatan will have a steady source of potable water. On the other hand, around 265 households will benefit from the scheduled rehabilitation of reservoir which had been non¬functional for many years in Cabacungan/ Caramoan so that the residents there would have access to clean water.

        The provincial government of Camarines Sur under the administration of Governor Villafuerte always puts a high premium in the delivery of prompt and consistent basic services to the constituents. These could be gleaned from the many health-related programs and projects he had already initiated and established during his term like the LRay Vita Kidz Nutrition Program, the province wide rehabilitation of rural health units, barangay health centers and the 11 provincially-administered hospitals because of his firm belief that health is crucial to progress and prosperity of the province of Camarines Sur. SNieves