Desalination plant rises in PH's northernmost military outpost

From the Philippine News Agency (May 27, 2021): Desalination plant rises in PH's northernmost military outpost (By Priam Nepomuceno)

SAFE WATER FOR TROOPS. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (2nd from left) and other military and local officials raise a glass of potable water during the inauguration of a desalination plant in Mavulis Island, Batanes on Wednesday (May 26, 2021). The project was initiated in July 2020 and is part of the government’s efforts to improve the facilities and living conditions in the country's military outposts. (Photo courtesy of DND Public Affairs Service)

MANILA – Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday led the inauguration of a desalination plant system in the country's northernmost military outpost, Mavulis Island in Batanes.

"The desalination plant, which is capable of producing 1,500 gallons of potable water daily, was completed through the partnership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) and the AFP Savings and Loan Association Incorporated (AFPSLAI), with the organization donating PHP3,089,600 for the facility's construction," DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement on Thursday.

Also present during the inauguration were AFP chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Nolcom commander Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco, and other senior officials of the DND and AFP.

With the construction of the desalination plant, troops would no longer have to travel for eight hours to Itbayat Island just to get supply of potable water.

The project was initiated in July 2020 and is part of the government’s efforts to improve the facilities and living conditions in the country's different military outposts.

"In 2018, the DND began the electrification project in Mavulis by installing a 1.2 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system in partnership with the One Meralco Foundation," Andolong added.

Mavulis Island, where Nolcom personnel are permanently stationed, also serves as a shelter for Filipino fishermen, especially during rough weather conditions.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141680