LOOKS like a bigger “pandemic” is silently choking Bacolodnon and neighboring cities.
The so-called joint venture of Baciwa turns after all like a fraudulent scheme. What is touted as a joint venture of Villar owned Prime Waters and Baciwa turns out a big-time broad daylight hold-up cum privatization.
Prime Waters is now in full and effective control of the administration and operations of Baciwa. Unfortunately, the bigger supply and efficiency of services it promised did not come and looks bleaker now as more water consumers get little or nearly nothing at all, and those who still get water have one that looks sourced from contaminated canals. Worse, rates are bound to increase, insiders opined.
The original Baciwa doesn’t exist anymore. It is just a name fronting for Prime Waters, the real operator of the water district.
The Bacolod City government is definitely not in control. It is helpless even if the keyboard officers of Baciwa are City government appointees. The boss chief of the remaining appointed board of directors is no longer the city government but in deeds the Prime Waters.
In condition like this, the only remedy is for city water consumers to petition the President to retake Baciwa by receding the so-called joint venture of Prime Waters and Baciwa or the city government, and turn it into a community-based or cooperative water system amending the PD 198 as amended in 1980.
The question is, can or will the President do it, now that elections are near, and that the billionaire Villars, still an ally of the President’s camp, might push the father to run again for any national position?
Looks like legal remedies are narrowing. What are the options?
Oppressed and exploited water consumers may at some point organize a protest movement and forcibly take over operations of “PRIMECIWA” A risky proposition.
Others like some brilliant patriotic out-of-school youth, in tandem with unregistered engineering and science practitioners, may organize a movement and boycott “PRIMECIWA” and establish their own ala community-based water systems (cluster of barangays), to be operated by pure renewable energy system?
There could be more if frustrations reached an uncontrollable level.
My point is simple though not quite. The city government plays a pivotal role in this whole row. And I believe the city government has enough good brains, talents, and experience under the solid trinitarian leadership of Mayor Leonardia, Vice Mayor Familiaran and Cong. Gasataya to find solutions to the problem.
After all, their managing and directing a great Highly Urbanized City (HUC) is no ordinary governance feat and water and power are the top resources that the city government has to have solid control to sustain the growth of the city and earn the endearment of its people through the entire century.
For that, I strongly suggest that somehow the city government, water consumers and Baciwa old guards, and representatives of Prime Waters, should come into real dialogue, in the spirit of one community, one humanity, and chart to work on win-win solutions. As Bacolodnon, mindful of the city’s interests first, we can solve our problems by ourselves. No fuss, no muss. No outside vested interest groups needed.
I believe in the power of real dialogue. Wherever in the world, they produce amazing results, beautiful fruits for humanity.
Dialogue for water, one of the two biggest and precious resources on our planet is a dialogue for life.
After all, the PD 198 as amended states in its Declaration of Principles that the creation, operation, maintenance and expansion of reliable and economically viable and sound water supply and wastewater disposal systems for population centers of the Philippines is a national policy of high priority.
And I say the same situation and course of actions on Ceneco problem, now on the edge of extinction, not just privatization, as another hungry power dynasty based in northern districts is hellbent on eliminating all power distributors from north to south and replaced by their own.
Bacolod City government and most sectors behind it have already waved the flag of battle against the greedy landed comprador elites out to impose their will, whims and caprices on the city.
It is high time to make the city battle a real, comprehensive war for sustainable development. That includes defense not only on political seats but over its precious lands, water and energy resources.