Remote islands in Zamboanga get potable water

ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/ 3 April)—Residents of a remote island in Zamboanga City finally has safe drinking water after years living without potable water.

Over three thousand residents of Barangay Tumalutab used to travel for two hours to the mainland to buy potable water for P70 per 5 gallons of drinking water.

Tumalutab village chief Joemer Abunawas said residents usually take small passenger bancas to Barangay Sangali where they also purchase all their other needs.

“Antes ta anda pa kami Manicahan o Sangali para cumpra agua. Si puerte marijada, hinde gayod puede anda (We used to go to Manicahan or Sangali to buy potable water. But we can not do that during bad weather),” Abunawas said.

Department of the Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna with Tumalutab Barangay Chairperson Joemer Abunawas drink water from the water filtration and desalination system. MindaNews photo by QUEENIE CASIMIRO

With the completion of the water filtration and desalination project in December 2025, residents of Tumalutab now only have to pay P30 for 5 gallons of safe water.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna had gone to Tumalutab this week to inspect the newly operated water facility.

“Dati kumukuha lang sila sa deep well na alam naman nating hindi ligtas, ang iba sa kanila sumasakit ang tiyan (They used to source drinking water from deep wells which we know is not safe),” Cuna said.

Cuna said the P30 cost per 5 gallons of water will go to the maintenance of the equipment to ensure uninterrupted water supply in the island.

Three personnel of the barangay were trained on how to clean and maintain the facility.

One of the residents, Nurmina Diu said, the project has brought immense relief for them.

“Mas maganda po kasi di na kami nahihirapan sa inumin. Mas malinis na ngayon. Dati magpainit pa kami ng tubig.”

Cuna said the DENR’s Water Resources Management Office spent P2.4M for the water filtration project in Tumalutab. A similar project was installed in Barangay Manalipa, another remote island barangay in the city.

A total of P483M was allocated to bring safe water to 26 underserved island and remote communities before the end of the year.

“Ang Pangulo natin wants to make sure ang mga basic services ay nakakarating sa pinakamalalayong isla sa Pilipinas. Nakapagtataka na at this day and age, meron pang mga lugar na walang malinis na tubig-inumin (The President wants to make sure that basic services reach even the farthest islands of the Philippines. It is surprising that even in this day and age, there are still places without clean drinking water),” Cuna added. (Queenie Casimiro/ MindaNews)