I MIGHT be accused of masochism. For some quirky reason, I like visiting Baciwa’s website where I’m constantly reminded that the water utility’s mission is “to provide our stakeholders’ with quality and reliable water and waste water services through effective and efficient stewardship of resources that (it) manage.”
For one thing, Baciwa is not—repeat—NOT—providing water in Alijis for 17 hours. We Alijisnons get to enjoy modern urban living only for eight hours. That’s 24/7.
Last I checked, Alijisnons are paying Baciwa stakeholders. By any stretch of the imagination does it provide with “quality and reliable water services.”
It brags about the bulk water project that’s supposed to fix waters shortages. Hello, it’s getting worse than last year when we could we expect to flow by 10 p.m. Now we get it past 12 midnight.
In that website, Baciwa reminds us that Bacolod has such a thing as the Bacolod City Water Watch Council Inc. (BCWWI). Heading the consumer watchdog is Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr.
The Bacolod City Water Watch Council Inc. (BCWWI), the only accredited water consumer’s watchdog and member of the Bacolod City Water Supply and Quality Monitoring Council.
The website says that the Bacolod City Water Watch Inc. (BCWWI) seeks and ensures water sufficiency and security, ensures consumer protection against water rate increases, and unreasonable fees and imposition.
So we have no water most of the time. Instead, all we get is hot air from BCWWI. Where are they when we need them?
Last week, I got to talk to Engr. Jenelyn Gemora, Baciwa general assistant manager. I demanded a solution to the water shortages. As a civil engineer and hydrologist, I expected her to engineering solutions as well as project timelines. She failed me.
Engineering solution? She recommended that I invest in a cistern. That’s an engineering solution?
And whoa, I’m supposed to shell out more money for a service that Baciwa is mandated to perform? That’s a not too subtle way of passing the buck to the paying public. (You have no water because you’re too stingy to pay for Baciwa’s inefficiency and ineffectiveness).
And while at that, it’s not their worry that Alijisnons are suffering from lack of water. Why should the Baciwa folks do that? They get paid whether they do a good or bad job. They work 8 to 5, five days a week.
Come to think, Gemora did a Pontius Pilate. They’re not obligated to give us water, they can always pass the blame to the Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. (BBWI). Which in fact Gemora did. She told me to get in touch with BBWI through their landline: 709 1380.
Cute. And how is Baciwa getting to accomplish their mission? Go to BBWI.
(bqsnc@yahoo.com)