THE Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) is now evaluating the loan application of Bacolod Water District (Baciwa) to improve the water services as well as to address the water shortage in Bacolod City.
LWUA Administrator Jeci Lapus, who paid a courtesy call to Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday at the Government Center, said he already received the loan proposal of Baciwa to serve the 18,000 households in the city who do not have water connections.
He said LWUA has its own funds to allow the water districts apply for a loan to address the water shortage within their areas of jurisdiction.
“We are ready to help and our rate is the lowest in the area in all the banks. We are lending at two percent and they can borrow between 15 to 20 years,” Lapus added.
Lapus noted that he will talk to the Baciwa Board their proposal, adding it will not take more than four months that it will be approved.
Baciwa has a total of 52,805 member-consumers.
Lapus said the loan application of Baciwa will take hundreds of million to materialize their project proposal.
“Within the year, Baciwa could deliver water to the remaining 18,000 households or to deliver 20 million liters a day,” he said.
Based on the 2015 Census of Population (Popcen 2015), Bacolod City, a highly-urbanized city in the province of Negros Occidental, posted a total population of 561,875 persons as of August 1, 2015.
Lapus said that aside from Bacolod, the usual problem in other areas he already visited like Iloilo City and Cagayan de Oro is the water shortage and the water quality.
“The mandate of the water district is to deliver safe drinking water because safe water is life. For as long as we find a source, the water shortage in Bacolod is not alarming compared to Cebu City because Cebu needs to develop another 200 million liters per day,” he said.
He added the water problem in Bacolod is manageable and they will also evaluate to implement the water rate increase of Baciwa because of the new projects.
At present, Baciwa is charging a minimum rate of P208 per 10 cubic meters for residential
Baciwa water rate increase will take effect once their loan will be approved and it might be implemented next year.
“This is for the people. Nobody in the water district should make money, we are non-profit,” Lapus said.
Lapus will meet all the officers of Negros Island Siquijor Water District Association and water district officers of Western Visayas at the 21 Bar and Restaurant in Bacolod City today.
Baciwa general manager Juliana Carbon said about 70 representatives from various water districts are expected to attend the conference.
She added their representatives will be given time to present their concerns.