Tuesday, September 04, 2007 P100 million loan pushed to replace water pipes By Joy Romares-Sevilla
AMID opposition, the Davao City Water District will pursue with its P100 million loan this year purposely to fund one of its development programs.
"We are planning to avail of the loan this year, pero hindi pa sigurado kung saan namin kukunin ang (but we are not sure where to get the) funds. It could be sa mga government financing institutions, depende (it depends) if we agree with the terms and conditions," said Imelda T. Magsuci, DCWD spokesperson and officer-in-charge of the finance and property division.
Magsuci said the loan will be used to reduce the non-revenue water in the city by replacing pipes which are prone to leaking.
She said the pipe replacements will be done in sites within the downtown area including the Magsayasay Avenue, Ma-a, CM Recto, Mamay Road, R. Castillo Street, Lapu-Lapu, Sasa, San Pedro Street, and Quirino Avenue.
"Comprehensive Mainline Replacement Program ang tawag namin sa program na ito (is what we call this program). Nakita ng management na dapat lang talaga palitan na ang mga (the management saw the real need to change the) mainline pipes kasi (because) ranging from 27 to 30 years na ang mga pipes," Magsuci said.
She said water rates in Davao City will not be affected with DCWD's plan to pursue with the loan.
"Hindi ito makakaapekto; makaka-save pa tayo ng water; mas malaki kasi ang cost na masasayang na tubig pag hindi papalitan and pipes," (this will not affect; we can even save water; the cost of water wastage, if we will not change the pipes, is bigger), she said.
Magsuci said the replacement program is just one of the programs under the Non-Revenue Water agenda of water utility.
Other programs are the implementation of the illegal connection detection and the replacement of the stock meters.
Meanwhile, Magsuci claimed that DCWD is vigilant against the privatization of the water utility.
She said if the DCWD union opposes privatization, the management is also resistant of the idea.
"Kung ayaw nila ng (if they do not want) privatization, ayaw din namin kasi kung (we do not also want) mapa-privatize na, mawawala na ang (it will dissolve the) board, mapapalitan din ang (will also change) management, so ayaw din namin sa ganyang ( so, we do not also want the) idea," she said.
The water utility's union bloc is also against the management's plan to push through with the loan.
