The Bacolod City Water District Employee’s Union-National Federation of Labor Union (BEU-Naflu) strongly urged Mayor Alfredo Benitez to return the management and operations of the water distribution to Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) as
mandated by Presidental Decree No. 198, which authorized the formation and administration of the local water district.
Bacolodnons were unjustly denied their basic right to reliable and affordable clean water, marking a distressing turning point, BEU president Leny Espina said Monday, September 11.
In 2020, Baciwa entered into a 25-year Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with PrimeWater, owned by Villar family, with the promise of enhancing water services in Bacolod City.
However, the reality has been starkly different, Espina said.
“Since the JVA, Baciwa's services have regrettably deteriorated. Access to clean and affordable water remains elusive, despite the commitments made in the JVA. Many residents now suffer…due to dirty and unusable water,” she said.
Furthermore, the burden on consumers has grown, as they are now saddled with an additional 12 percent value-added tax on top of their water bills, all while water quality continues to decline, she said.
She added that more Bacolodnons are compelled to buy bottled water from refilling stations or grocery stores, highlighting the JVA’s failure to meet its objectives.
Also, Espina stressed that Baciwa failed to reinstate the 59 terminated employees due to redundancy.
“The water district has continued to hire new employees, leaving these terminated workers in limbo. Our diligent pursuit of justice through the Civil Service Commission (CSC) resulted in victory at the Region 6 office. However, the national commission's decision remains pending due to the Baciwa Board's Petition for Review filed in October 2021,” Espina said.
“The BEU-Naflu firmly believes that Baciwa should be under the full control of the government. Water is an essential natural resource bestowed by nature and should never be exploited for profit by private interests. We stand united against any future Joint Venture Agreements, given the distressing consequences exemplified by PrimeWater,” she said.
She added, “it is high time for Mayor Benitez to listen to the voice of the people and take prompt, decisive action to return the Baciwa to the community it serves. We demand accountability for past decisions that have compromised our access to clean and affordable water,” she added.*