In their shared commitment to promoting sustainable access to water resources and supporting improved water, sanitation, and hygiene practices in schools, Central Philippines State University (CPSU) and Philippine Red Cross – Negros Occidental Bacolod City Chapter turned over and installed water tanks to five elementary schools.

 The undertaking is under Phase Two (2) of the Bridging Rural Infrastructure Development for Growth and Empowerment (BRIDGE) Project, targeting the installation of rainwater harvesting systems and water storage tank facilities in selected far-flung elementary schools in Kabankalan City.

 The formal Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Signing and Turn-over Ceremony took place last August 14, 2026, at the Mini Hotel of CPSU-Main Campus, with the representatives from recipient schools and the presence of Dr. Ferdinand S. Sy, CESO VI, Schools Division Superintendent, Department of Education (DepEd), Kabankalan City.

 The recipient schools include CPSU-AEOP-FVTC Elementary School, NOAC Elementary School, Nabung-an Elementary School, President Osmeña Elementary School, and Tagukon Elementary School.

 The signed MOAs included stipulations about the construction or installation of a Rainwater Harvesting System and water storage tank for each project recipient school, including all system components and fixtures, to support the schools’ implementation of DepEd’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools (WinS) Program. Approximately 800 pupils will benefit from the project annually across five school recipients.

 The project was designed to contribute for the attainment of the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 3 or the Good Health and Well-Being, which encompasses Target 3.3 or “By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases”, and SDG No. 6 or Clean Water and Sanitation, which includes Target 6.2 or “By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.”

 Moreover, the project also aims to promote food security and cultivate the consciousness of young pupils towards food security, as the trade-off in the realization of the project turn-over is the commitment of the schools to establishing a garden to grow vegetables in school, and encouraging pupils and their families to plant fruit trees in their homes.

 Through this trade-off, the university and its partner aim to address SDG No. 2 or Zero Hunger by promoting agricultural productivity among pupils, teachers, and families—the school-based activities made easier by access to water.

 Led by CPSU’s Dr. Aladino C. Moraca, University President, and Philippine Red Cross – Negros Occidental Bacolod City Chapter’s Ms. Rita Benita Mirasol, Chapter Administrator, with the support of CPSU’s Production and Enterprise Development Office, headed by Dr. Maryvic P. Pedrosa, and its Extension and Community Services Office, headed by Dr. Jimmy O. Degillo, the project aims to contribute to a healthier, safer, and more conducive learning environment for learning, teachers, and the entire school community.

 Through the technical assistance of CPSU, other state universities, namely the State University of Northern Negros (SUNN) and Carlos Hilado Memorial State University (CHMSU), also aim to replicate the model and expand the project in the northern parts of the province to extend services in more elementary schools and serve more pupils and teachers.

 It is noteworthy that one of CPSU’s counterparts in the project, the water tank platform, was created through the resourceful repurposing of available materials for austerity and sustainability measures.