AN OFFICIAL of the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) said on Saturday they are expecting the water utility’s contract with Rio Verde Water Consortium Inc. (RVWCI) to be terminated next month.
"We're going through that process in the court. Hopefully with the final hearing in the first week of December, ma-terminate na ang contract (the contract will be terminated)," engineer Bienvenido Batar Jr., COWD assistant general manager, said Saturday, November 25.
Batar said once the contract will be terminated, the COWD will be open to new players.
"Pero at this time, we are still in agreement with Metropac (MetroPac Water Investments Corporation) na for them to supply pero after that, if the Water District is in need for an additional water, we can always allow for other players to come in," Batar said, adding that their contract with MetroPac is not exclusive.
He also said that after the termination of contract, their agreement with the Metropac will be implemented, as such, “the delivery of water will be done by MetroPac, no longer by Rio Verde.”
With Metropac as its new water supplier, Batar said the water rate for consumers will not change and will still remain as P218.40 for the first 10 cubic meters.
Last Wednesday, November 22, lawyer James Judith said officials of the COWD must have known about the management and operations contract entered into by MetroPac and Rio Verde which came before the COWD’s agreement with MetroPac.
Batar said COWD knew of the contract but they do not know of its full details.
“Kung anong detalye nun, hindi namin alam. Walang binigay na details sa amin (We do not know about the details of that contract. They did not give us the details). We just read it in the papers. We were also informed by the metropac that they have entered in a management and operations contract with Rio Verde. Pero ang (But the) details we do not know about it,” Batar said.