Clock ticking for COWD privatization

CAGAYAN de Oro City residents may end up getting its water from a private company.

An official of the Cagayan de Oro City Water District (COWD) said its bulk water supplier has signified its interest to take over the water distribution of the water facility.

Engineer Bienvenido Batar Jr., COWD acting general manager, said representatives of the Metro Pacific Water Investments Corp. (MPWIC), in a meeting with the COWD Board Directors, said their firm has the capacity to handle water distribution efficiently.

Batar, however, clarified that the firm has not submitted an official proposal to the COWD.

"There is still no definite proposal, if they want to either enter a discussion or a negotiation with us, the board hasn't accepted anything too yet, it is still unclear," he said.

"They showed us their capacity to enter into another joint venture agreement particularly in septic or Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Reduction Program and the distribution. If it's distribution, that means they will take over the operations and management of COWD," he said.

Batar said the scheme is a usual practice for water districts in Luzon. If this happens, the water district will still exist but will be a smaller organization. The water district will become the monitoring body of the performance of the company created out of the joint venture agreement.

"It's possible but if you ask me if such arrangement will happen here, it's too early to tell," Batar said.

MetroPac is not new to the water distribution business.

It is one of three companies that run Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad), the water and wastewater services provider for the 17 cities and municipalities that comprise the West Zone of the Metropolitan Manila area. Maynilad, in turn, is an agent and contractor of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).

Meanwhile, dismissed general manager Engineer Rachel Beja cried foul over the actions taken against her by the COWD management.

In an interview, an emotional Beja said her office has been padlocked and, beginning Saturday, is now off limits to unauthorized individuals.

"The board is aware that my petition for review at the Civil Service Commission (CSC) is still pending, so under CSC rules, the execution will be put on hold. I did not expect their actions, that it is this aggressive," she said.

"It's as if my case is corruption or what for them to act this way, but my conscience is clear I did not commit anything illegal. I'm here because I'll fight for my right because I know there is no basis to terminate me," she adds.

The COWD management has withheld Beja's slary for the month of March and ordered her to vacate the office.

"It is never my intention to disturb or disrupt the operations of the employees, I am just here to fight for my right," she said.

Batar for his part said, he is duty-bound to execute the resolution having been designated as acting general manager.

"I did not wish that it should come to this but then it was very clear to me that a smooth transition was no longer possible," he said.

"I believe that in order to protect the institution, and to make the office of General Manager more consistent with the resolution of the board, I had to padlock the office in the hope that we will be able to show that the I, as the acting general manager is the current and existing and duly designated head of the agency," he said.

Beja was terminated for supposedly disrespecting the board. But Beja defied the board's orders and refused to vacate her office. She also petitioned the CSC to review the board's decision regarding her termination.

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