PERMITS for the Tamugan Bulk Water Project are still being processed and are expected to be completed on or before March this year, Davao City Water District (DCWD) spokesperson Bernard Delima said.
“Daghan man gud ang permitting, mubalik pa sila sa City Council for the locational clearance (There are a lot of things to do for the permits, the locational clearance is set to be approved by the City Council),” he said.
The Tamugan Bulk Water Project is a P10-billion project under the Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc., a joint venture agreement between Aboitiz Equity Venture and JV Angeles Construction Corporation, which partnered with DCWD for water distribution.
He also said the project will entail land conversion that needs another approval from the 18th City Council as the Zoning Ordinance of 2013 disallows land conversion until 2018.
Delima said the project implementer will try to have remedies on this and will appeal before the Council.
“Mao mana ang hangyoon kay naa may greater good, dili man gud na dili flexible ang balaod as to ma-defeat ang iyang main purpose (It is among the things that they will try to ask, because it is for the greater good, as the laws are also not flexible to the point that its main purpose will be defeated),” he said.
He said they have been assured by Apo Agua that there will be a solution as to the permitting and that assistance will be extended to them.
“We have been assured that assistance will be given in respect to the permits,” he added.
Delima said it is important that the agricultural land be converted into industrial so that pipelines can be installed.
He added acquiring permits from the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Department of Environment and National Resources also took time.