THE Cebu City Council is studying a measure that seeks to help low-income families get clean, affordable water in their homes. A new proposal aims to remove the expensive upfront costs and legal hurdles that currently stop many households from connecting to the main water line.
Councilor Mikel Rama has introduced a draft law called the “Cebu City Inclusive Water Access Program,” or Tubig sa Tanan.
The goal is to help the city’s poorest residents.
Because they lack a formal connection, many families have to buy water from resellers or vending machines, according to Rama.
Helping with connection costs
One of the biggest problems for families is the P10,000 fee required to set up a new water connection. To solve this, the proposed ordinance suggests the creation of a Revolving Water Connection Fund.
Under this plan:
[]The City covers the initial connection fees and deposits.
[]Families pay the city back in small, manageable amounts over 24 months.
[]The payments are simply added to their monthly water bills.
Solving issues
In many informal settlements, landowners often block water connections, leaving families stuck. This measure would allow the City Government to act as a "guarantor" for these households to help bypass those legal roadblocks.
The proposed ordinance also seeks the creation of "priority expansion zones." If at least 30 households in an area need water, the City will group them together to convince the MCWD to extend its pipelines to that neighborhood. Engineers will oversee the work to make sure the pipes are safe and do not block public roads.
Qualifications
To get help through the program, the measure states that residents must meet a few requirements:
[]They must be registered Cebu City residents.
[]They must be certified as low-income or indigent by the Department of Social Welfare and Services.
[]They must not already have a water connection.
The proposal even includes a safety net: if a family's home is destroyed by a fire, a typhoon, or a lawful demolition, the city treasurer would have the power to clear their remaining debt. / EHP