THIS year’s MassKara Festival will feature 21 days of revelry that officially starts Monday, October 8, with highlights scheduled on October 26 to 28.
Bacolod is expected to put its best foot forward to the surge of tourists. I have to commend Supreme ABF Contractor for finishing the drainage project along Rizal Street going to Capitol Lagoon on Lacson Street from Lacson Street toward Mandalagan Bridge.
I passed through these streets on my way to be with the kids of He Cares Bacolod on Saturday, October 6. The trip was smooth.
I cannot, however, say the same thing that the City of Smiles has showcased its best. Over the weekend, Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) made it a waterless day in Bacolod’s suburbs.
In its present status, its Board down to its management to rank-and-file are still utterly clueless about how to give its consumers water for 24/7.
In 2017, the light at the end of the tunnel for waterless days even during the rainy season was the bulk water project.
Now in 2018, the rainy season, typhoons have come and left. Bacólod experienced floods. Too much water.
And yet where is the water in our taps? It’s vexing to stay at home and see the taps dry as the Atacama Desert.
Recently, lawyer Lorendo Dilag, Baciwa board chair, clarified they are against privatization.
He admitted that Baciwa in the previous years received unsolicited proposals from private companies Metropac, Prime Water, and Manila Water. Nothing happened.
It’s back to business as usual. Albert Einstein was said to have defined insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting the same result.
So what is Baciwa doing? Expect that its business-as-usual attitude will produce different results that water will now gush in our faucets?
Dilag cited water districts in Cebu, Cagayan and other major cities that inked joint ventures and have improved their services.
Is the public utility ready to think about the box? Maybe it’s time to hire new blood. Nothing stifles new approaches and passion faster than the dreaded status quo. Having the same people on the Baciwa board and management over and over means recycling the same ideas, processes and solutions.
(bqsanc@yahoo.com)