Four Decades of Water Struggle Finally Ends
For over forty years, the residents of Panacan Relocation in Davao City endured unimaginable hardships just to access one of life's most basic necessities - water. Their daily existence revolved around deep wells, water delivery trucks, and storage drums until a remarkable transformation began in 2024 with the operationalization of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP).
Today, families who once spent nights waiting for water and days worrying about their next supply now enjoy strong water pressure and a consistent flow directly from their taps. The change has been nothing short of revolutionary for this community that had learned to accept water scarcity as a permanent condition of life.
Personal Stories of Hardship and Hope
Jerry Dagatan, who has called Panacan home since 1976, vividly remembers the challenges his family faced. "It was very difficult before," he recalls. "Sometimes we had to fetch water from the Water District in Bajada if there was service. If not, we just had to wait for when the water would come."
The financial burden was substantial, with three drums of water lasting only two days for typical households of five to six members. Many families spent hundreds of pesos weekly, with expenses doubling because they needed to purchase separate drinking water.
Grace Olacao, a resident for more than five decades, described the extreme measures families took. "We used to stay up from 2 AM to 4 AM," she shared. "Our days were reversed. We slept during the day because we had to wait for water at night. That's what we endured back then."
The Transformation: From Scarcity to Abundance
The Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project, a strategic partnership between Apo Agua and the Davao City Water District (DCWD), has fundamentally changed the water landscape. The project is designed to deliver 300 million liters of safe water daily to more than one million Davaoeños.
This infrastructure achievement has allowed DCWD to dramatically expand service coverage, particularly in previously underserved areas of District 2. Service connections have skyrocketed from 8,600 in 2022 to 21,000 in 2024, representing an incredible 200% increase in just two years.
For Jerry Dagatan, the improvement is tangible and life-changing. "Now, everything comes from the faucet," he says with visible relief. "Sometimes we even drink it. It's even better than distilled water - cold too."
Grace Olacao echoes this sentiment, noting that she no longer buys mineral water. "Now it's really clean. I drink straight from the tap. As long as it flows 24 hours a day, it's fine. Water is really more important."
Community Impact and Future Implications
The project's success extends beyond convenience, representing a fundamental improvement in quality of life and economic relief for residents. No longer do families need to sacrifice sleep, time, or significant portions of their income to secure water for basic needs.
Dagatan perfectly captures the community's sentiment: "Water really is life. We can't survive without it. Before, you'd have to spend so much just to do laundry or take a bath. Now, it's finally available from the faucet. That's truly the biggest improvement in our community."
The Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project stands as a testament to what strategic infrastructure development and public-private partnerships can achieve, transforming not just water access but the very quality of life for an entire community.
