Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Zozobrado seeks attention on idle water supply project By Grace L. Plata
DAVAO City Councilor Rachel Zozobrado on Tuesday requested concerned City Council committees to conduct hearings on a water service project that remains unused in Sitio Cebuda, Barangay Bago Oshiro, which was spearheaded by her late father, councilor Jesus Zozobrado.
The project was completed in 2007 but has remained unutilized.
In her privilege speech Tuesday, Zozobrado said it was in 2005 through a barangay resolution from Barangay Bago Oshiro officials that her late father allocated from his Annual Development Fund for the installation of main line water Pipes in Purok 5 of Sitio Cebuda.
The project was to benefit more than 120 residents in the area who have lived for more than thirty years without any access to a potable water system.
According to Zozobrado, when the project was almost completed in March 2007, the Bureau of Plants and Industries (BPI), through its head, Lorna Herradura, wrote a letter to the Office of the City Engineer and Davao City Water District (DCWD), asking them to stop the project construction.
"She claims that the area upon which the project traversed belongs to the Republic of the Philippines and under the administration of the BPI," Zozobrado said.
With this claim, DCWD allegedly refused to conduct the last stage of the project, which is the hydro testing, until and unless the issue raised by Herradura was addressed and resolved.
Zozobrado said attempts were made by the barangay officials of Bago oshiro to reach a win-win solution with the BPI, but Herradura stubbornly refused to compromise claiming that the installation of a main line water system will only encourage squatters to infiltrate BPI's property.
"Na-frustrate and mga barangay officials mao nang niadto sila kay (The barangay officials became frustrated and so they sought) Mayor Duterte for help and the mayor ordered the City Engineer's Office to look into the matter and not delay the implementation kay para sa mga tao man (because it's for the people)," Zozobrado said.
Zozobrado added that the City Council committee on energy, transportation and communication, chaired by Councilor Pilar Braga, conducted a hearing last March to discuss the matter.
He said in the committee hearing, attended by Herradura as representative of the BPI, that the barangay officials and the City Engineer's Office have agreed to come up with a compromise agreement to complete the project after it was found out that 90 percent of the project traversed a city road and only 10 percent has passed through the area claimed by the BPI.
After the hearing, DCWD conducted a hydro testing and the project was completed.
Contrary to her undertaking during the committee hearing, Zozobrado said, Herradura failed to attend the previously agreed meeting with the barangay officials and the residents. Instead, she sent a draft of a memorandum of agreement which contained terms and conditions highly detrimental not only to the residents but also that to that of the city.
"Naka-state sa MOA na kelangan mu-admit daw ang residents na squatters sila or mu-provide daw ug relocation site ang city (It's stated in the MOA that the residents admit they are squatters and that the city should provide relocation)," Zozobrado said.
Since the residents did not accept the MOA, BPI allegedly made sure that the water pipes could not be used nor enjoyed by the residents.
"Almost a year na nahuman ang project. Pangtayaon na lang ang water pipes, wala gihapon nagamit (It has been almost a year since the project was completed, the pipes will soon be rusty, but it has not been used). For one reason or another, DCWD will not open the pipes. Applications for connection filed by residents were turned down by DWCD," Zozobrado said.
What Zozobrado wants to know now is if the project did really encroach the alleged area of BPI, why then did the DCWD and the concerned agencies allow the said project to be programmed, awarded and implemented.
"When this project was proposed and submitted as part of the ADF of the late councilor in 2005, this was subject to a year-long study not only by DCWD, but also by concerned departments and agencies of the city. That is why implementation started only in 2006. During that period of time, why was the BPI factor, if it really exists, not considered?" Zozobrado asked.
"Sadly a belatedly sent one-page letter has turned a city-funded project into a proverbial while elephant," Zozobrado said.
As a response to Zozobrado's appeal, Floor Leader Bonifacio Militar to have the matter looked into by a joint hearing by the committees on rules, privileges and ordinances; energy, transportation and communication; and public works and highways.
