274 The Philippive Journal of Science isu 



The Director of Health has said:^ 



With a few exceptions, the towns throughout the Islands are compelled 

 to get their water from small rivers, springs, wells, irrigation canals, rain 

 water, and any other source where water can be obtained; the rivers usually 

 have towns on both banks for almost their entire length, and as the only 

 system of sewage disposal is the ever-present pig or fly, the majority of 

 the sewage is carried into the river by the first rain, if it has not already 

 been thrown or deposited there by the people themselves. 



Springs are never protected, wells are never covered; rain water col- 

 lected from nipa roofs is not clean and soon becomes filled with mosquito 

 larvae and other insect life. 



The only public water supply installation was at Manila, which 

 derived its water from an often dangerously polluted source. 

 Few Filipinos were free from intestinal parasites, and epidemics 

 of water-borne diseases were prevalent. 



After the American occupation, strict precautions were taken 

 to safeguard the existing water supplies from pollution and new 

 sources of supply were developed. It was apparent that surface 

 water, as a general rule, was not safe for drinking purposes and 

 that it was extremely hard to safeguard it against contamina- 

 tion. Hence, a special effort was made to obtain artesian wells 

 in sufficient numbers to insure an adequate supply of potable 

 water throughout the provinces. The Insular Government ap- 

 propriated money for this purpose from time to time. The first 

 artesian well was drilled in 1906, and since that time nearly one 

 thousand more have been drilled by the Bureau of Public Works. 

 Other wells have been sunk by private capital. Further to 

 stimulate the drilling of wells, the Insular Government minimizes 

 the cost to communities and private individuals, as shown by 

 Act 2264 of the Philippine Legislature, which provides 



for drilling artesian wells, for the construction of water supply systems, and 

 for the construction of cisterns where artesian wells cannot be sunk, when- 

 ever the provincial boards or municipalities interested shall adopt resolu- 

 tions for the appropriation of funds covering the cost of one-third of the 

 work, one hundred thousand pesos :^ Provided, That the Director of Public 

 Works is hereby authorized to drill wells for private individuals upon the 

 payment of one-third of the cost of the work, on condition that the public 

 be allowed the use of the well: Provided, also, That from January first to 

 July first, nineteen hundred and thirteen, in case of failure, when potable 

 water is not found, the provincial board or the municipality shall not be 

 obliged to pay part of the expense occasioned: And provided further, That 

 the benefits of this Act shall apply to the special provinces of Mindoro, 

 Palawan, and Batanes. 



^ Anmial Rep. P. I. Bur. Hlth. (1906), 57. 



'One peso (100 centavos) Philippine currency equals 50 cents United 

 States currency. 



