Ebdane inaugurates 1st project as new governor

SUBIC, Zambales — Governor-elect Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. is fast earning the reputation as the “Action Governor” here after he inaugurated a water system located in the remote village of Batiawan in this town on Tuesday, exactly one week before he is to take oath as governor of Zambales.

The project, the first water supply system in the area since the village was founded in 1955, will benefit some 2,500 residents, mostly Aeta tribesmen, who used to get their drinking water from a creek some three kilometers away.

“We endeavored to provide Barangay Batiawan with safe and potable drinking water because the health of residents is an important concern,” said Ebdane during the simple inaugural ceremony held at the barangay center.

“After this, we plan to build two more deepwell systems so that we can extend the benefit of the water system to a larger area,” he told the people of Batiawan.

The water system project was implemented by the Zambales office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) after Ebdane, a former DPWH secretary, interceded on behalf of the residents in December last year.

DPWH engineers said the project initially met some problems, including equipment breakdown, but was fast-tracked after the elections.

Residents said the water system will now be a big boost to the remote upland community, which could only be reached by vehicles through an access road in Floridablanca, Pampanga.

In the same occasion, Subic Mayor-elect Jay Khonghun and village chieftain Jose Lawag thanked Ebdane for the completion of the water system.

Khonghun noted that while Ebdane has not yet been sworn in as Zambales governor, “he has already solved one of the biggest problems for the Batiawan community.”

“(Ebdane) really deserves to be our governor,” added Khonghun, a former Zambales board member.

Meanwhile, Lawag said that aside from getting the first water system through Ebdane, it was also the first time for the village to be visited by a Zambales governor.

“Nobody among the former governors has visited us before, so we are really honored to have Governor Ebdane here with us,” Lawag said.

“Now, we are very much hopeful that our place would somehow see progress. Our wish is that Governor Ebdane would next build our road to Subic town,” Lawag added. By JONAS REYES - mb.com.ph