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Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Handumanan residents appeal for mayor's help over water problem
By Roberto L. Bacasong
SOME residents of Barangay Handumanan complained Monday to Mayor Evelio Leonardia after experiencing a water shortage in their area.
The group, who called themselves Barangay Opposition against Massive Baciwa Abuses or Bomba, blamed the Bacolod City Water District for the operation of the Pumping Station No. 7 situated at NGO Village at Handumanan.
This has reportedly affected the barangay's water supply.
Diego Malacad, Bomba secretary-general, said the water problem started when the mayor lifted last Oct. 17 the cease-and-desist order (CDO) it issued against the water firm.
City Legal Officer Allan Zamora, emphasized that the local chief executive has the authority to impose or lift the CDO against the water firm.
Leonardia imposed the CDO to BACIWA on Nov. 5, 2004 after receiving complaints of water shortage from the residents of Barangays Handumanan and Felisa.
Malacad told Sun.Star that most of the water pumps in his village failed to function because of the operation of the pumping station.
"About 20 members have already complained to me about the water problem. In the 26 water pumps at NGO Village, only four are functioning." added Malacad.
Leonardia, in a separate interview, said he will ask the committee to inspect the village.
Leonardia called the City Engineer's Office to supply water to the affected families, emphasizing that there are always advantages and disadvantages about the imposition of the CDO.
Malacad, on the other hand, said that he and his members have a scheduled committee hearing with Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue on Thursday at the City Council.
He added that Monday personnel from Baciwa and the City Engineer's Office checked the water pumps at the affected area.
On his part, Attorney Vicente Petierre, Baciwa general manager, conducted a board meeting yesterday about the water problems at Handumanan.
The results of the meeting were not immediately made known though.
Condition
On Leonardia's lifting of the CDO, he said before he came up with his decision, several conferences were called between the officials and representatives of Baciwa and Barangays Felisa and Handuman.
In allowing Baciwa to proceed with its projects, Leonardia set the following conditions:
1. Baciwa will prioritize applicants and consumers residing in Barangays Handumanan and Felisa in terms of installation and distribution of the water sourced out from the pumping stations in the areas.
2. Baciwa will be bound to give Options 1 and 2 of Resolution No. 265, Series of 2004 of the Board of Directors of Baciwa approving the options/solutions recommended by its Management to solve the Barangays Handumanan and Felisa problems.
3. Baciwa will provide a communal faucet each for Handumanan and Felisa, the monthly charges of which shall be subject to Baciwa Board Resolution No. 265, Series of 2004, and the installation is free of charge.
4. Baciwa will prioritize the request of Handumanan for the installation of 15 more communal faucets, aside from the one installed for free, subject to Baciwa Board Resolution No. 143, Series of 2005, and payment of installation fee on installment for 12 months. Baciwa will also give priority to the request of Felisa of 10 communal faucets, aside from that one which will be installed for free under the same terms and condition as that of Handumanan.
5. A special technical committee (STC) shall be formed to regularly monitor, study and evaluate the operations of the subject Baciwa pumping stations as well as its effects over the nearby hand pumps and to recommend to the city solutions to address the results of their findings. The STC shall be composed of representatives from Baciwa, National Water Resources Board (NWRB), Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR), Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), City Engineer's Office, City Mayor's Office, private sector representative, particularly from the academe and private geodetic engineer, a representative from BOMBA (Barangay Opposition against Massive BACIWA Abuses of Environment) and representatives from the southern barangays namely: Handumanan, Felisa, Sum-ag, Punta Taytay, Tangub, Pahanocoy, Singcang, Taculing, Mansilingan and Cabug.
6. The STC shall inspect every week the operations of the pumping station and shall prepare and submit a report to the Office of the City Mayor. The STC shall likewise submit to the Office of the City Mayor its one year report with a recommendation whether to continue the operations of the wells.
7. All open canals caused by the digging operations of Baciwa must be rehabilitated or covered immediately.
8. Baciwa shall facilitate the immediate rehabilitation of hand pumps of residents of Barangay Felisa and Handumanan in the case of malfunctions due to the operations of Baciwa. Response on the part of Baciwa shall be made within one week from the complaint.
9. Baciwa will be given a year to observe, subject to the recommendations of the STC after the period, whether to continue with the operations of the wells without prejudice on the part of the STC to recommend for the stoppage, pull-out, extension of time to operate, further evaluation, or whatever solutions that will redound to the benefit of all parties herein on the Baciwa wells at anytime after at least three months of operation.
10. Baciwa will not operate more than two wells simultaneously within a year from effectivity of this agreement subject to the recommendation of the STC.
11. Baciwa will seek detailed studies to monitor and evaluate the impact of the project to the hand pumps of the residents within the radius identified by the STC or outside the said radius provided the same is validly determined to be affected by the operations of Baciwa wells.
12. Baciwa shall be transparent enough so as not jeopardize their operations as regards borrowing or loans to finance this project.
13. Baciwa shall plant trees in Handumanan and Felisa and engage in other activities that will maintain the good aquifers in the areas and ensure the steady recharge of the water, the areas of which shall be identified by Handumanan and Felisa subject to the consent of the landowners, if the same are privately owned.
14. Handumanan and Felisa will form complaint desks to coordinate with Baciwa for any complaints in relations to the operations of the pumping stations by their respective residents.
15. Baciwa will give priority to the construction of distribution main lines to cover Phases 3,4,5, 6A and 6B of Barangay Handumanan as soon as possible after the lifting of CDO.
16. Baciwa will provide water distribution main lines to residents of Barangay Felisa, particularly Purok Bangga Totong 1 and 2 and Purok Daisy, subject to the economic and technical feasibility as may be recommended by the STC and all efforts shall be exerted to ensure the welfare of the residents in these puroks.
17. The STC created shall ensure that the residents of Barangays Handumanan and Felisa are protected from all adverse effects of the operations of the Baciwa wells, especially from loss of water supply.
18. Baciwa, prior to operating their wells, will conduct comprehensive actual survey of all the existing hand pumps, open wells and motor pumps in the presence of representatives of both barangays concerned with the consent and full cooperation of their respective owners in order to measure the water level, and the conditions of said wells and pumps will serve as initial data or reference of the STC.
(December 13, 2005 issue)
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