South Cotabato — Indigenous families in Sitio Lemlong, Barangay Klubi, Lake Sebu now have access to clean and sustainable water supply following the partnership of the Provincial Government of South Cotabato’s CATCH-UP Program and the Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI).
The project, called the Level II Ramp Pump Water System, is specifically designed to deliver water to upland and hard-to-reach communities, particularly those inhabited by Indigenous Peoples (IP) who have long struggled with limited access to safe and clean water.
According to Cris Pingkunn Fuentes, Project Development Officer, the Provincial Government’s role is to complement AIDFI’s mission by helping the foundation seamlessly extend its services to the people.
“𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆—𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑰𝑷 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑨𝑰𝑫𝑭𝑰’𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕,” Fuentes said.
The initiative underscores the foundation’s commitment to empowering communities by addressing one of their most basic needs—reliable water access.
While AIDFI provides the technology and resources, the Provincial Government of South Cotabato serves as a bridge, ensuring that the project is successfully delivered by handling site preparation, community coordination, legal documentation, road clearing, and continuous monitoring.
“This partnership shows that when government and development organizations work hand in hand, even the most remote communities can gain access to essential services like clean water,” Fuentes said.
Work on the project began on August 6, 2025 and has already reached 40% completion. Once finished, the water system will significantly uplift the daily lives of residents who previously relied on unsafe and distant water sources.
Through this partnership, the Provincial Government of South Cotabato reaffirms its commitment to inclusive and sustainable development, ensuring that no community is left behind, especially in far-flung areas.
“Our role is to make sure that these projects are not only implemented but also sustained for the long-term benefit of our indigenous peoples,” Fuentes added.
