More than 1.369 million Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and residents from insurgency-cleared barangays are now benefitting from potable water supply projects funded under the Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP) from 2021 to 2025, amounting to a total of P5.085 billion.

According to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), a total of 1,286 level 1, level 2, level 3, and sanitation water supply projects have been implemented in 1,161 geographically isolated and conflict-affected (GICA) barangays across the country over the last four years.

In San Jose, Tarlac, Municipal Engineer Ramil de Vera shared that the Aeta-Abelling community of the Balog Balog Dam Project (BBDP) now enjoys access to safe drinking water through an SBDP-funded water system in their resettlement site in Barangay Maamot, which also benefits pupils of Maamot Integrated School.

“Dahil maganda ang kalidad ng tubig mula sa proyektong patubig ng SBDP, naibsan ang hirap ng mga residente sa kakulangan ng tubig, lalo na sa inumin na dating binibili nila mula sa mga purified water stations,” De Vera said.

In Balognonan, Pandan, Catanduanes, Municipal Engineer Sheridan S. Icawat said the solar-powered potable water system has finally resolved the long-standing water problem of residents who used to rely on jetmatic pumps or walk kilometers to neighboring barangays just to fetch water.

“Sa pamamagitan ng proyektong patubig ng SBDP, ang mga taga-Barangay Balognonan ay mayroon nang malinis at sapat na tubig para sa pang-araw-araw na gamit, at kahit anong oras ay kaya nang supplyan ng tubig,” Icawat said.

As of October 2025, 1,062 of the 1,286 SBDP water supply projects have been completed, 72 are under implementation, 80 are in the procurement stage, and 43 are in the pre-procurement phase.

Aside from potable water systems, SBDP also funds other priority projects such as barangay health stations, agricultural facilities, housing, rehabilitation, farm-to-market roads, and rural electrification.

SBDP, a flagship program of the National Task Force Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), is part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s whole-of-nation approach to achieving sustainable development and lasting peace in former conflict-afflicted communities.

Original Article At: https://www.dilg.gov.ph/news/DILG-Over-P5-B-worth-of-SBDP-funded-water-projects-benefit-IPs-residents-in-insurgency-cleared-barangays-nationwide/NC-2025-1256