BACOLOD City – It is high time that the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) embark on a public-private partnership (PPP), according to lawyer and former board member of the city’s power concessionaire Enrique Tabino.
Tabino said as a Baciwa consumer, he believed that the privatization of the city’s water utility could be the long-term solution to the metro’s worsening problem on water supply.
He added that the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel – which runs Baciwa – could no longer fund the much-needed improvements of the water utility’s operation.
“The problem of the board now is how to improve the system, kay bisan diin kamo subong magkadto wala sang serbisyo nga 24/7,” Tabino said.
Tabino claimed that in 1979, Baciwa availed a P50-million loan from the Local Water Utilities Administration allotted for its expansion.
“Until now Baciwa is still paying the interest only, but there was no improvement,” he said.
Recently, Baciwa’s board of directors approved the recommendation of the Joint Venture Selection Committee, which include the approval of the negotiation and terms and condition between the water district and the Prime Water for 25 years.
Baciwa chairman of the board Lorendo Dilag said the joint venture is one proposed answer to the water problem in this city.
“This will improve potable water availability to 24 hours-seven days a week. It will provide efficient and responsive customer service,” Dilag said.
This joint venture bid, however, was firmly opposed by Baciwa’s labor union leader Leny Espina.
Espina earlier said the proposed privatization would be a disadvantage to the consumers as well as to the water district employees.
City councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. also expressed his opposition on proposed joint venture as he regarded it as “take over not a partnership investment.”
Several villages in this city passed a resolution citing the joint venture will be grossly disadvantageous to Baciwa, to its employees and residents of the three barangays.
“As soon as the joint venture is approved a 12-percent value added tax will be applied to water delivered,” cited on the resolution.
On May 27, members of the Baciwa’s labor union, Diocese of Bacolod Social Action Center and consumers group staged a protest to denounce the joint venture proposal./PN
