I THOUGHT I could move on, put the waterless days behind me. After all, Engr. Randolf P. Guintos, officer-in-charge of Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) at its Engineering Department, asked me to be patient for a few more days.
The skeptics in the family, however, chided me. These naysayers said Baciwa people cannot be trusted to keep their word.
Water did flow, albeit a bit more than a trickle. Perhaps, I should count my blessing that water is now coming out of the faucets. But certainly less than the flow before the bulk water project.
Having a direct line, I texted daily for feedback on the water flow. In fact, Guintos proposed to install in our house a data logger to monitor the pressure in our area for 24 hours. I agreed.
These weekend, the family skeptics proved their point. And me, oh so wrong.
As of this writing, my history has turned out to be a current events, after all. Business-as-usual. Is this supposedly the output of the P1.1-billion investment for the bulk water project?
The bulk water project is turning out to be not the magic but a dummy bullet. While at this, where is the Bacolod Water Consumers Watch Inc. (BWCWI)? Singing the 1970 song of Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon: The Sound of Silence? Wherefore art thou, Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr.?
And now we hear this: it turned out that the Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. (BBWI) has not yet submitted to the Office of the Building Official its application for occupancy permit which is a requirement once its facility becomes fully operational.
If the BBWI is conducting a test run after having passed the water quality testing conducted by Baciwa, this is covered by its building permit, says Isidro Sun Jr., head of the Office of the Building Official (OBO).
Once its facility becomes fully operational, it should secure an occupancy permit, after which the OBO will conduct an inspection to determine if the BBWI had followed the “as built plan,” or original plan, of its facility.
Really? Does this mean that BBWI has not done its homework – again? What other state regulations have this project bypassed in project planning?
Look at this contract signed by BBWI and BACIWA: “The BULK WATER SUPPLIER shall ensure continuous water supply at 24/7 in 365 days per year and even during power interruptions, equipment breakdown, adverse weather conditions, except in cases of force majeure.” (Bulk Water Contract for Delivery Point No. 1, Section 10)
There are more provisions that concessionaires need to examine. Implementation it seems is shot full of holes.
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(bqsanc@yahoo.com)