Emerging basic human rights issues

Deep well pump in Mapantig

On the surface, no one spoke about the fact that drinking water was a problem. The respondents who could afford it purchased drinking water at P 40 per 5 gallon per week. At first, I overlooked it because I thought it was a norm. Then I realized some were fanatical about purchasing drinking water when more started talking about it.

The loose fruit pickers however obtain drinking water from the deep well. It was only during Doris Blanco's interview that Zenia spoke about the contamination of ground water sources. The increase of septic tanks in the barangay has resulted in the contamination of ground water. Some have electronic pumps which purified water for consumption in their homes however they are not the majority. There had been a proposal to build a water treatment plant to supply water but it fell through due to lack of finances. Out of the 24 interviewed nearly half obtained drinking water from the deep well. Some may not even be aware of the contamination or may be unable to do anything about it because it is financial burden.

I need to learn about waste contamination of ground water. I also need to find out what kind of contamination exists. I need to put this element into the training module of the loose fruit pickers. The areas I can focus on are sources of drinking water and transportation costs.

Dirt road that connects Mapantig dwellers

I discovered from Lyndette about the high cost of transportation going in and out of Mapantig. Although, it is only about 5 kms from Ala River the beginning of Mapantig but the homes of the women I interviewed are about 5 - 7 kms from the entrance. There is no regular affordable transportation which they can take to town. On average, a bike ride to Isulan can cost P 40 - P 50 per trip. Most of the staple foods - rice, canned goods, sugar, coffee, detergent, cooking oil and others can be obtained from the co-op store at a cheaper price and credit is also available for 15 days. Most find this benefit very helpful to make ends meet.

Little girl purchasing household items at the co-op

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MAPARBEMPCO

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Unseen Faces, Unheard Voices

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