THE General Alliance of Workers Association (Gawa) hits the Bacolod City Council and the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) board of directors for not listening to their opposition to the proposed joint venture with Prime Water Infrastructure Corporation.
Gawa secretary-general Wennie Sancho, said they have repeatedly sent letters to the Baciwa board, but they were also repeatedly ignored.
Two public hearings were also conducted, but the Baciwa board failed to attend the hearings, with the exception of Director Lorenz Villanueva, who only attended once.
Sancho said they only want to know one small detail over the joint venture, as the transaction is becoming to look like a “privatization.”
He added that they are concerned that if Baciwa becomes privatized, the additional value added tax will increase the water rate by 12 percent and will deeply affect the consumers.
Baciwa Board of Directors chair, lawyer Lorendo Dilag, meanwhile, assured the public that rate increases would be regulated under the agreement.
The Baciwa official noted that increase will still be subject for approval from the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).
“Consumers will be protected considering any increase is with LWUA,” he assured. (TDE)