Taiheiyo grants hydraulic water system to hillsfolk
Water Project. SEDC director Takehito Oga (left) and Takahiko Imachi (right), then TCPI SVP for Marketing and HRA, lead the groundbreaking for the hydraulic ram pump water system for residents of Tonggo, San Fernando. The gravity-fed system has after 75 days served the water requirements of the hillsfolk.
System requires no electricity but maximizes gravity
SAN FERNANDO, Cebu (Nov. 29, 2014) — Some hundreds of residents in the hinterlands of Tonggo in this town no longer have to fetch water from afar down the valley for their daily needs and farming requirements.
This diversion pipe conduct water from a stream to an impounding tank.
This after Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Inc. (TCPI) donated, fabricated and installed for them a hydraulic ram pump water system, a concept that requires no electricity but maximizes the force of gravity to distribute water.
TCPI pursued the project with materials supplier Solid Earth Development Corp. (SEDC), funding it from their joint Social Development Management Program (SDMP) and Environment Protection and Enhancement Program (EPEP).
Today, Tonggo residents could use the gravity-fed and hydraulic-distributed clean water to drink, wash, clean, water vegetables and plants, irrigate farms and feed their livestock and domesticated animals, easing and greatly improving their quality of life.
The impounding tank feeds 2 ram pumps by gravity.
It took Tonggo Barangay Capt. Virgilio Siarot and his village council to bring what his constituents had longed for for some years now to the attention of TCPI and SEDC, seeking for help from officials of both firms to help them out.
Through the SDMP-EPEP Committee, they immediately sent a technical team to survey the area. It recommended the use of a hydraulic ram pump water system used by most aid organizations that assist rural communities.
Fed by water from the impounding tank, Ram Pump 1 (left) does its job and feeds the catchment tank (below) set up some meters above. It feeds Ram Pump 2 (right) that further pumps up water to the community above.
The team’s proposal noted that the system will spare the residents from any electrical cost to maintain their water supply, as it recommended the realignment of the SDMP-EPEP fund for livelihood programs.
75 days
TCPI and SEDC entered into a memorandum of agreement with the barangay last June 22, and commissioned the Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. through VE Enterprises and Engineering Services to undertake the project.
As Engr. Pio Tacdoro Jr. of the Cebu installation team had promised, they delivered and commissioned today the new Hydraulic Ram Pump Water System for Tonggo just about 75 days after the groundbreaking ceremony.
Pumped-up water are stored in this reservoir for distribution to the households.
Takahiko Imachi witnessed the groundbreaking on Sept. 12 as he concluded his extended tour of duty as Senior Vice President for Marketing, Human Resources and Administration, and still saw the project he approved come to fruition before he flew back to Japan.
SEDC director and chief technical adviser Takehito Oga and Captain Siarot joined Imachi during both the groundbreaking and commissioning of the water system.
“This is indeed a realization of our vision to have spring water for life in the whole community of Barangay Tonggo,” quipped Imachi.
“This is a tangible example of our companies’ commitment to invest in infrastructure projects that create positive impact in the community, especially for the future generations of Tonggo,” he added.
In his message, Oga underscored the benefit of and the increased confidence in the ram pump technology as “this can bring a lot of savings for you as this will not require electricity anymore. This works simply by gravity.”
Siarot thanked TCPI and SEDC in the name of Tonggo residents, and assured them of their utmost care and maintenance of the facility.
This pleased SDMP frontliners Emylita Ortega and Gines Boltron sa SEDC and Vanessa N. Bongcawil with Efren Labrado and Lando Manalop of TCPI.
♦ This study shows how the ram pump system works. Click here.
♦ These videos explain how the ram pump system works:
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