• CHERYL G. CRUZ
More than 600 residents of Barangay Handumanan in Bacolod City have signed a petition urging the Baciwa-PrimeWater management to ensure the continuous supply of potable water in their community.
“Nagabayad kami sang intsakto sa mahal nga tubig, pero daw sa wala klaro ang ginahatag nga serbisyo para sa amon,” the residents from 13 puroks of the barangay told the Bacolod City Water District-PrimeWater in their letter-petition. “Kabay nga ini nga petisyon mangin rason sang inyo pag-giho nga mauntat ang pag-antos sang pumuluyo”.
Handumanan punong barangay Ma. Febe Legaspi attached a copy of the signed petition in her letter to Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran recently.
Legaspi said “a certain number of pumping stations are located here in Handumanan but the people of the barangay have been experiencing shortage and scarcity of water supply… (and) do not get the service they deserve.”
She asked the help of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on this issue, and for the latter to urge PrimeWater to provide and maintain adequate water supply to its consumers in the barangay.
`The SP decided to endorse Legaspi’s letter to Baciwa-PrimeWater, and to require the water concessionaire to immediately take action on the petition and submit a report to the sanggunian.
In a water summit initiated by Mayor Alfredo Benitez Jan. 19, Baciwa-PrimeWater executives admitted that they need about 20 MLD (megaliters per day) to provide a 24/7 water supply in Bacolod.
Benitez said the City “will now lean backwards and extend assistance to bulk water suppliers” as one solution to the continuous supply scarcity. “Indi na insakto na ang tubig naton tag duwa ka oras lang, it’s unacceptable!”
The mayor said about 15MLD will come from the Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. and an additional 5MLD spring water from Alangilan. “It’s just a matter of laying down the pipes…we need to make alternative plans para maka provide sang better service sa mga pumuluyo. According to BBWI kag Baciwa-PrimeWater, magasugod kita batyag sang improvements this October”. | CGC
