About 836 households in Cawayan, Masbate now have access to an alternative source of clean, potable water after the municipality inaugurated its first-ever Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) on Monday.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian led the inauguration of the PHP19-million project, implemented under the Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Pamayanan–Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) program.

DSWD Bicol Director Norman Laurio said the initiative is part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s efforts to address basic community needs, particularly access to safe and reliable water.

“With Secretary Gatchalian’s efforts to explore and bring innovative technologies closer to communities, the AWG provides an alternative source of potable water by extracting moisture from the air and converting it into water for community use,” Laurio said in an interview.

Laurio said the project was developed as a pilot intervention to address Cawayan’s long-standing water-access challenges. It was funded by a KALAHI-CIDSS grant, with additional counterpart funding from Cawayan’s local government unit.

The AWG produces water by extracting moisture from ambient air through condensation. The moisture is collected and converted into liquid water for community use.

For residents of Cawayan, an island community, the technology could provide a more accessible water source, particularly when transportation to other barangays or the mainland is disrupted.

“As an island community, residents often rely on water transported from other barangays or from the mainland,” Laurio said.

“With the AWG, it would save residents time, effort, and transportation costs while ensuring that water remains more accessible during periods when rough seas prevent travel.”

During the inauguration, Gatchalian witnessed a demonstration of the AWG together with project beneficiaries, members of the Gilotongan Water and Sanitation Association (GIWASA), and barangay officials.

The activity also showcased KALAHI-CIDSS’ community-driven development (CDD) approach, which enables residents to identify community needs and develop local projects to address them. (PNA)