By Citizens of Panagaan
Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur – May 2025
In Barangay Panagaan, Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur, the tap has run dry—not for days or weeks, but for decades. While neighboring communities enjoy steady access to clean, piped water, Panagaan’s residents continue to suffer, forced to fetch, buy, or beg for every drop. This is not merely an inconvenience—it is a long-standing injustice that reeks of inequality and government neglect.
Panagaan is not hidden in some far-flung mountain range. It lies in the heart of Mahayag, surrounded by towns blessed with abundant natural water resources. Yet here, families are still hauling water by hand or paying out of pocket for access to what should be a basic public service.
For years, the community has raised this issue through the proper channels. Letters have been written. Petitions submitted. Promises were made. But administration after administration, mayor after mayor, the situation remains unchanged. Inaction has become the norm, and silence the government’s default response.
Adding insult to injury, the one functioning water source in Panagaan—established through barangay efforts, not municipal assistance—comes with a price tag. Residents must pay to access this water, even as neighboring barangays receive it for free through public systems. In a town where some enjoy the luxury of unlimited clean water, why are Panagaan’s people treated like second-class citizens?
This isn’t just about water. It’s about the denial of dignity. It’s about a system that has ignored a community’s suffering for decades, stripping its people of a right so fundamental it is enshrined in both national and international law.
But the people of Panagaan are done waiting.
This week, they launched a petition calling on the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and all relevant agencies to step in and put an end to this travesty. The message is clear: “We’ve waited long enough. We demand water. We demand justice.”
To the officials of Mahayag, this is a direct plea: “Tabangi mi. Dugay na mi naga-antos”.
To fellow Filipinos: amplify this call. Share their story. Support their fight.
No community in this day and age should be forced to live without water. Not in Mahayag. Not anywhere.
As of this writing, we have sent an official email to the Municipal Government of Mahayag to request comment and clarification. We have yet to receive a response. In the spirit of fair and balanced reporting, we remain open to publishing any official reply from the LGU regarding this issue.