APO Agua Infrastructura Inc. and the Davao City Water District (DCWD) were notably absent from the regular session of the 20th Davao City Council. A Davao City Councilor highlighted their absence in an interview held on Tuesday morning, September 5th, at the Sangguniang Panglungsod.
Councilor Louie John Bonguyan disclosed that invitations had been sent to both Apo Agua and DCWD to participate in the session. He said both firms had initially indicated their intention to send representatives to the session, with possible attendance in the last week of August or the first week of September. However, as of the session date, neither entity had appeared.
Despite their non-participation, Bonguyan said Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte plans to arrange a meeting with both entities. He expressed his intent to reinvite Apo Agua and DCWD to the session after the meeting results become available.
Bonguyan clarified that Apo Agua and DCWD are still finalizing details for the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP) and are working on determining when they can initiate water supply operations. While Apo Agua is prepared, both entities have requested more time to iron out the project's specifics.
“With due request sa ilang request gipasagdaan sa naku sila until maghatag na sila ug report kay Mayor Baste (In respect to their request, I have granted them an extension until they submit a report to Mayor Baste),” Bonguyan said.
Initially, the DCBWSP was slated to become operational by the first quarter of the year, specifically by June. However, as of September, there have been no updates on the bulk water supply.
Bonguyan said that the council is willing to provide Apo Agua and DCWD with adequate time to complete preparations for the project. They expect both parties to determine a date for initiating water supply through the DCBWSP soon.
During their closed-door meeting, Bonguyan disclosed that the council has set a September deadline for Apo Agua and will await their official response.
According to him, the primary concern is addressing the pressing need for water supply in areas like Cabantian, Agdao, Panacan, and Sasa.
“Gusto man jud naku na finally unta na once na maka decide and both parties and makaingon na jud sila true to their words kung kanus-a gyud sila makaprovide o makapagawas ug tubig coming from Tamugan (What I want is for both parties to commit to a specific timeline and deliver on their promises regarding when they can actually provide water sourced from Tamugan),” Bonguyan said.
Apo Agua and DCWD also failed to attend the session. The DCBWSP was originally planned to begin full operations in September 2023, but multiple delays have occurred due to various issues. The initial implementation of the DCBWSP was scheduled for 2021. RGP