WATSAN GOVERNANCE. XU Governance and Leadership Institute director Dr Dixon Yasay serves as the resource person on “Human Rights based Local Water-Sanitation Governance.” Supplied photo.

By Wilson J Hormeguera

The Governance and Leadership Institute (GLI) of Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan, in partnership with Department of Interior and Local Government - Regional Office 10 (DILG-X), conducted a seminar on the “Governance of Water and Sanitation (WatSan)” from November 22 to 25, 2016 at Hotel Koresko, Cagayan de Oro City.

The seminar formed part of the TubigYaman Project which is aimed at helping LGUs, water service providers, and communities in providing access to safe water supply and sanitation services to waterless municipalities in the country and in promoting and protecting people’s right to water.

XU-GLI director Dr Dixon Yasay served as the resource person on “Human Rights based Local WatSan Governance.” He emphasized the obligation of the state and the governance principles which serve as guides in fulfilling this obligation.

Besides Yasay, Engr Ermin Stan B Pimentel, Quilin Veen Babaylan, and Robert de la Serna also served as resource persons. Pimentel and Babaylan handled the session on the major challenges of implementing human rights-based WatSan governance while de la Serna shared on strategies to effectively communicate WatSan governance.

The participants were members of the Local WatSan Council from Bacolod, Kauswagan, and Maigo of Lanao del Norte; Panaon and Aloranof Misamis Occidental; and New Bataan of Compostela Valley.

“XU-GLI has been our partner in this project and we are glad that XU shares its expertise especially on governance,” said DILG-X director Arnel Agabe. ∎