BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – This city can learn a thing or two from Passi City that has successfully solved its water supply and distribution problems.
Way back in 1993, the people of Passi City were suffering from water scarcity despite having a water district, said Mayor Jesry Palmares.
The water district failed to serve 30 percent of the poblacion alone.
In 1997, two years after Palmares’ election as mayor, the water district was abolished.
The abolition was decreed by the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) which was also the one who established the water district, Palmares said.
Then the local government of Passi designed a new water system it would manage.
In 2008, however, typhoon “Frank” hit Iloilo and brought massive flooding. Passi City was not spared.
All of Passi City’s 11 deep wheels – the sources of water that the city government had been supplying its people – were damaged.
The city’s water distribution pipes were damaged, too.
According to Palmares, the city government tried to rehabilitate the water system but the cost was too prohibitive. Thus they sought a private partner to do the rehabilitation.
In 2010, the city government formally entered into an agreement with the private entity to manage Passi City’s water supply and distribution system for.
Palmares said the private group was the one who fixed and improved the system.
The city government also allowed the private group to expand the water system’s area of coverage from the poblacion to peripheral barangays such as Man-it, Gines, Grande and Agdahon, among others.
From around 1, 000, the number of concessionaires in Passi City ballooned to over 6,000 now.
In their contract, the private group also shouldered what remained of the city government’s bank loan to establish the water system. The city also gets “royalty” from the private group for every cubic meter of water produced.
According to Palmares, their source of water has also improved. Now, their source is the Jalaur River, not anymore the deep wells.
The private group has also set up a water treatment plant to ensure that the water is safe for human consumption.
Palmares clarified, however, that Passi City remains open to other interested groups that may be interested to serve his city’s water needs.
“They could compete…panama-nami serbisyo. Ang importante ang mga pumoluyo ang mabenepisyuhan,” Palmares said.
One important thing though. Palmares said he saw to it that public hearings were conducted regarding the water rate in Passi City. Engaging the public is very important in this regard, he stressed.
Iloilo City’s Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said he prefers that the city government itself find ways to meet its people’s water requirement like what Passi City had done.
“Passi City under Mayor Palmares, sila nag pangita sang ila water distribution system. Subong, bastante ang ila tubig. Ang mga gasalig sa Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD), on the other hand, ga-suffer subong,” said Mabilog.
MIWD was a “good idea” back in the 1950s when the city’s population wasn’t so big, Mabilog said.
Now, Iloilo City is bustling with so much economic activities and water is an essential requirement.
On June 14 and 15, MIWD failed to deliver water to Iloilo City. Its bulk water supplier stopped the supply due to the water district’s failure to pay it.
Mabilog believes the most sensible option at this point is to dissolve MIWD.
“I think they have reached the end of the road. It’s time for them to pack up their things. They are not serving their purpose anymore,” Mabilog said./PN
