CH, MCWD dispute hurts water supply
Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival said the ongoing dispute between Mayor Michael Rama and the members of the board of directors of Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) has affected the dynamics in releasing the needed permits to address the water supply problem of the city.
In a news forum yesterday (Tuesday), Archival discussed his earlier resolution that calls for an executive session, inviting the management of the MCWD, National Water Resources Board, and the University of San Carlos (USC) - Water Resources Center to apprise the City Council on the current status of the groundwater volume and to discuss the continuous petitions for water permits in Cebu.
In his resolution, Archival cited some reports that laid down the threats of groundwater particularly on the potable water source of Metro Cebu.
According to Archival, the MCWD has disclosed that the supply of water has already been in the pipes and is ready for distribution. The only “hindrance” for this water supply to be distributed is the lack of permits from the city government.
“It’s a matter of getting that water and bringing it to the barangays so klaro kaayo na, ang hindrance lang ana is the permits nga i-release aron maka sugod na sila og trabaho,” said Archival.
In the absence of the permits, Archival said that the water lines particularly in South Road Properties (SRP) going to Mambaling will not be distributed.
“Until now wala pa na ma aprobahi kay of course wala man na maaprobahi sa CITOM,” said Archival.
He added that aside from the water lines at SRP, the permits for the distribution for the mountain barangays were also not approved. Archival further said that the city council has been constantly urged by the bulk water suppliers to help address the problem and facilitate the distribution.
“The water is there, it’s only a matter of transferring it to the locators so ang klaro ani, ang dispute between the manager and the government maoy nakapahunong,” said Archival.
In line with this, Archival said he will be making a resolution urging the management of the MCWD and the City Government to settle the dispute in order for the water shortage to be addressed.
An ongoing dispute between MCWD Board and Rama stemmed from the latter’s move to oust MCWD chairman Jose Daluz III and two other board members. Rama appointed retired general Melquiades Feliciano as the new MCWD chairman, which the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) rejected.
Aside from this, the Cebu City Legal Office has recently responded to the ultimatum of MCWD to vacate their satellite office claiming that the city government is in “lawful possession of the property”.
In a letter addressed to Edgar Donoso, MCWD’s General Manager, dated February 20, 2024, the Cebu City government responded through the CLO emphasizing that they will not be heeding the demands of MCWD.