T A LEGISLATIVE MEASURE backed by a referendum of city residents to recover the ownership and control of Tagbilaran’s water supply systems could be the only solution to the mounting water problems in the city. This is an option based on a recommendation made by former city lawmaker Zenaido “Djingo” Rama who raised the urgency of addressing the water crisis experienced by city residents served by the Tagbilaran City Waterworks System (TCWS) and the continuing conflict over the privately-controlled Bohol Water Utilities Inc. (BWUI). Rama said the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) may enact an ordinance based on either one of four possible proposals that will be submitted to a public ballot for the operation of an efficient and revolutionized waterworks. “Depletion of our existing groundwater resource is compounded by the increasing needs of a growing population and salt-water intrusion,” Rama stressed. Citing a report submitted by a group of Australian hydrologists who conducted studies of Tagbilaran’s water supply situation as early as 2003, Rama noted that warnings on an impending water crisis were not addressed during the past 9 years. “We have been wasting millions of pesos for the revamp of dilapidated city waterworks facilities and equipment yet these are just stop-gap measures, not the real solution to the water miseries of Tagbilaran residents.

If we cannot deal with the problem now, it will only get worse,” Rama added. Similarly, BWUI is confronted by the need to find other water sources, as extreme hot weather conditions experienced during the past weeks proved that the privately-operated utility firm could not meet the demand of its service areas. This is apart from the issues surrounding the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) initiated by the provincial government which turned over the control of the water supply, which failed to recognize the city’s ownership of water reservoirs and pipelines now being used by BWUI. Complaints from water consumers have become a daily fare over the airlanes – TCWS and BWUI consumers alike, according to Rama. In fact, in one radio interview, Engr. Servando Acedo of the TCWS, admitted that their system cannot even fill-up to the maximum capacities of existing reservoirs because they do not have new water sources (aside from the old wells that have been drying up over the years) because the city government cannot afford, relative to the current budget, to undertake expansion projects tapping into other sources such as surface water from nearby towns of Cortes and Maribojoc. The TCWS, which is supposed to be operating as a business enterprise unit of the city government, is “grossly mismanaged in recent years” that it is turning out losses instead of revenues to the city. These issues cannot be resolved with the city’s limited financing and technical capability to overhaul the local water supply system. “These concerns and issues can only be resolved through a referendum,” Rama said.

PROPOSALS FOR REFERENDUM

Rama explained that through a referendum, city electors will have the opportunity to directly participate in the decision-making – whether they prefer our waterworks to be publicly-run, fully-privatized, a public-private partnership (PPP), or through a concession with a limited period of lease to a private entity. “Whatever mode the majority decides, we should not lose sight of the objective of this exercise, Tagbilaran’s water supply must be developed not as a mere waterworks project or as a financial venture, but a comprehensive development endeavor taking into consideration the growing demands of our local economy and that city folks will finally benefit from a reliable service of potable water,” Rama added. Rama is optimistic that in the course of conducting public discussions on the proposal, the public will come to a comprehensive solution.

Although City Hall officials claim to have addressed water woes of thousands of city residents in five barangays serviced by TCWS, many areas and city households are actually suffering from poor water service. According to Rama, residents in areas which he has visited during campaign sorties confirmed they are still experiencing intermittent water supply, far from the 24-hour running water that used to flow from their faucets. Many water consumers in barangay Cogon, Booy and Taloto still suffer 2 to 3 hours of water service. According to residents in some parts of barangay Ubujan and Manga, where City Hall claims to have restored TCWS services, water flows for just a few hours, usually in the wee hours of the morning or late at night. In fact, Rama said, several Taloto residents who wanted to transfer their water connections to BWUI said they have lost hope in waiting for the promised “permanent solution” which the city mayor keeps harping about in his daily radio program and during his previous visits to their villages. "We have to stop making excuses. It is the duty of all sectors, not just government, to provide safe, clean, accessible and inexpensive drinking water to all. The time to act, is now," Rama ended.