Kalayaan residents in West Philippines Sea receive basic needs, facilities

Kalayaan island (Photo courtesy of the Municipal Government of Kalayaan)

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — Residents of the Kalayaan island town in the disputed West Philippines Sea received Thursday basic needs facilities from different government and non-government organizations for potable drinking water production.

Donated to the residents were 10 pieces of bacteria-free water tanks, canned goods, and two solar water desalination units.

Kalayaan Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon, who joined the military sortie to the West Philippines Sea, expressed gratitude for the donations that would help 130 residents, or around 20 households.

He said that one of the problems on Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan is potable water, electricity, and agricultural products since residents are very far from the mainland.

Being surrounded by water also makes it hard for them to find safe drinking water.

Meanwhile, the provincial government of Palawan assured that it is doing everything to ensure that development projects would also reach Kalayaan.

Plans are now underway for the possibility of constructing a rural health unit (RHU) that would take care of the well-being of the residents, as well as provide basic medical intervention, Bito-onon said.

He said the RHU is very much needed on the island because just like everyone, residents are also susceptible to ailments.

Bito-onon furthered that his administration is now checking out transportation proposals as plans of opening Pag-asa Island to tourism gains ground.

However, the mayor did not detail their tourism outlook for Kalayaan yet.