BACOLOD City Water District (Baciwa) Director Mona Dia Jardin was appointed as the new general manager of the water district effective May 13, 2022.

Jardin said Tuesday, May 17, that her appointment was approved by the Baciwa Board of Directors led by its chairman, Atty. Lorendo Dilag, vice chairman Lawrence Villanueva, and members Rebeca Filasol and Rich Ann Zayco.

“Four of them unanimously approved my appointment as the new general manager of Baciwa,” she said.

Under the law, Jardin added, the general manager of the water district should be appointed by the Board of Directors.

Jardin noted that the position of the general manager was declared vacant from the time when lawyer Juliana Carbon retired in November 2020.

She explained that the officers of Baciwa are separate from the officers of Prime Water Infrastructure Corp. (Prime Water) who earlier took over the operation and management of the water district.

In 2020, Baciwa signed a 25-year joint venture agreement with Prime Water for the management and development of the water district.

“This is a joint venture agreement so Prime Water and Baciwa have their separate employees,” Jardin said.

She said Prime Water, as a private entity, has its branch manager and employees while Baciwa is a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) also has its structure like the general manager and its employees.

She added that currently, Prime Water has its branch manager in the person of Farah Jenny Monteclaro.

Jardin stressed that when Prime Water took over the operation and management of the water district, the Baciwa Board of Directors was still there to monitor and supervise the Prime Water.

“As a government institution, Baciwa is still here to ensure that Prime Water is doing their job based on our joint venture agreement,” she said.

Jardin noted that her appointment as a board of director of Baciwa, representing the women sector, will end in December 2022.

They will notify the city government that she had already resigned from the post and it’s now vacant since she was already appointed as the general manager.

Then, the city government will also send its nomination to occupy the post, Jardin said.

“As the new general manager of the water district, we will ensure that our partner (Prime Water) will do its best to provide safe and potable water supply to our consumers,” she added.