THE City Government of Cagayan de Oro has allocated P50 million for a sewage system project, which will be implemented in 2018.
But Councilor Teodulfo Lao, chairman of the City Council's committee on public utilities, said this is not enough, as the City needs about P350 million to rehabilitate the entire sewage system.
The sewage system project, Lao said, is among the Public-Private Partnership projects identified by the City Government for bidding.
"Merong bidding kung marami ang sasali. Kailangan ng malaking halaga. Siguro kung merong private entity na gustong sumali, sila na ang gagawa at merong agreement na gagawin between the City Government and the private sector (There will be bidding if several private sectors will enter. A huge amount is needed for the project. If there's a private entity interested in the project, they will be the done to implement the project and an agreement will be signed between the City Government and the private sector)," Lao said.
He said the planned sewage system is to comply the environmental laws, which require wastes from throughout the city to pass through the sewage system before going directly to the drainage system.
"Isang highly urbanized city ito tapos walang sewage system na nailagay. Supposedly, dapat meron na yan, meron na tayong sewage system, hindi itong mga malalaking buildings (This is a highly urbanized city but there is no sewage system. Supposedly, in the first place, there should be a sewage system in the city and not these huge buildings)," Lao said.
Lao said in the sewage system project, pipes will be installed throughout the city where wastes from septic tanks from household, companies, establishments, etc. will pass through and will undergo treatment in a water treatment facility.
The treated water, then, will be discharged to the drainage system and subsequently to the Cagayan River and Macajalar Bay.
At present, Lao said they are still in the process of planning and identifying the location where the water treatment facility will be placed.
The sewage system project, Lao said, is a project proposed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the United States Agency for International Development.