Mambaling Badjao community to get clean water, livelihood project

CEBU CITY, Philippines — For decades, access to clean and reliable water has remained a challenge for members of the Badjao community in Alaska, Mambaling, Cebu City.

Some residents say that water would only flow at night or disappear altogether during the day.

That may soon change as members of the community are set to benefit from a water purification system and a livelihood program. Both are aimed at addressing long-standing concerns over unsafe water and limited income opportunities.

READ ALSO: Badjaos, displaced by fire, to be relocated in massive housing project

Decades-long water problem

A non-government organization and partners from Japan support the initiative. Organizers expect it to benefit around 2,000 residents of Alaska, including students of the Nano Nagle Learning Center.

Project proponents said that the ¥2 million, or around ₱750,000, water purification system will address concerns over unsafe water and inadequate sanitation.

For 42-year-old Arlyn Daomani, president of the Badjao community’s livelihood group, the lack of reliable water supply has been a problem since she was a child.

“Tubig. Tubig gyod,” she said when asked about the community’s long-standing concerns. (Water. Definitely water.)

Waiting for steady, clean supply

Born and raised in Alaska, Mambaling, Daomani said that residents often experienced irregular water supply.

“Usahay dili siya moagas. Unya moagas, kanang ting-klase na. Unya usahay moagas siya gabi-i unya pagkabuntag wala na sad,” she said.

READ ALSO: Cebu inflation rises to 13.6% in May 2026 on higher food and transport costs

(Sometimes, the taps run dry. And when the water flows again, classes have already started. Sometimes, we only get water at night and lose it again in the morning.)

According to Daomani, residents also experienced stomach ailments, especially during the rainy season, when water quality became a concern.

She said that residents were happy that their community had been chosen to receive the project.

“Dako kaayo og tabang kay lisod baya ang tubig. (This will be a big help because water isn’t easily available here.) Nalipay mi nga kami ang napili nga natagaan og tubig,” she said.

Jay Alegarbes, project chairperson, said that the organizers chose Alaska, Mambaling after site visits in northern Cebu, southern Cebu, and Metro Cebu showed that the area faced serious concerns involving waste and water sources.

According to him, the water purification system will benefit the entire Alaska, Mambaling community and provide safe drinking water to about 2,000 individuals.

He added that residents would undergo training on how to operate and maintain the system to ensure that it remains sustainable.

“Since the system is coming from Japan, this system is self-sustaining. We have a training for the community as well, on how to maintain it,” Alegarbes said.

Livelihood for mothers

Aside from providing clean water, the project also seeks to provide livelihood opportunities for around 20 Badjao women through the production of eco-friendly hand soap using purified water from the facility.

According to Alegarbes, the soap-making initiative will be built as a social enterprise that would eventually allow the women to sustain the program themselves.

“For this project, it’s not limited to a water purification system because we want to make it a circular economy, so that’s why we are trying to establish soap-making for a social enterprise in this community as well,” he said.

Organizers have tapped hotels and restaurants as potential markets for the products.

“After that, they will self-sustain. So, from the proceeds, we will create jobs for them. At the same time, we can create more soap and then advertise it, for sustainability,” Alegarbes said.

Project proponents also plan to oversee the initiative for a certain period before gradually turning over its management to the community through a shared ownership arrangement.

New opportunities

Daomani said that members of the community are excited about learning how to make soap and having another source of income.

“Excited na mi kay amo i-try nga kami gyod magbuhat ba. Makakita mi nga kami gyod nakahimo og sabon,” she said. (We’re excited to make something ourselves.)

Alegarbes said the livelihood component aims to help members of the community become more self-sufficient and provide alternatives to relying on other people for support.

“This is a way to help them realize that there are still opportunities for them and ways for them to have a better life,” he said.

By combining access to clean drinking water with livelihood opportunities, project proponents hope to establish a sustainable program. They hope it would continue benefiting the Badjao community and the wider Alaska, Mambaling area in the years ahead.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Read Next

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.