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Sunday, June 27, 2004
‘Dagdag-bawas’ in water supply, San Fernando residents gripe
By Elias O. Baquero
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
FOR residents of Sitio Tugas, Barangay San Jose, San Fernando, Cebu, “dagdag-bawas” does not only happen during elections but also in the waterworks system in their town.
About 36 San Jose water consumers headed by Neil Papas and Saturnino Basalo Sr. met last June 19 and denounced the “discrimination” and inequality in the allocation of water.
Papas said that instead of equally distributing the water, the waterworks system, which is managed by the Municipal Government, supplies water to Barangay San Isidro 24 hours a day.
On the other hand, San Jose enjoys running water for only one hour a day.
“They pour more water into San Isidro and give less to San Jose,” Papas said.
Using a diagram to illustrate the present water system in the southern town, Papas explained that a water pump was installed to augment the water supplied by the spring to the reservoir.
Papas said that before the operation of the pump, water supply was sourced from the spring contained in a reservoir. Water service time then was two hours or so, and the flat rate was pegged at P10 a month.
Despite the pumping of supposedly additional water to the original source, Papas said that surprisingly, water service time in San Jose was reduced to only 30 minutes.
“The payment was increased to a minimum of P40 per month, with or without water,” Papas said.
Worse, Papas said, San Isidro, where most bara-ngay officials reside, enjoy 24-hour water supply.
The waterworks management installed four pipelines from the reservoir, which Papas said is unusual because under the standard design, only one pipe should be connected to the reservoir and all other pipelines are connected to it.
Three pipelines are serving the favored areas in San Isidro, Papas said.
“This situation is a classic case of dagdag-bawas. Gibawasan and atong tubig para idagdag sa uban (They took water from us to give it to others),” he said.
Aside from being unfair, the waterworks management also violated the equal protection clause guaranteed in the Constitution.
San Fernando Mayor Antonio Canoy, who was in Davao City when contacted for comment, said he will look into the matter when he comes back to Cebu.
(June 27, 2004 issue)
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