What’s DENR’s beef with Bohol water supply (2)

But not everything about Bohol water is bad news. Weeks ago, we came with Secretary Herbosa to inaugurate the one-million-liter-a-day water treatment plant (WTP) constructed via a PPP joint venture between the Trinidad, Bohol local government and Richli Water.

This WTP will serve at least 6,400 households, which accounts for 93.3 percent of Trinidad town’s population. Great, and people are excited. In addition, the facility will supply clean, potable water to the towns of Ubay, Talibon, Buen Unido, and San Miguel. Ubay, initially, will serve 14,394 households, which makes up over a quarter of the area’s total households. This demonstrates the positive contribution of Richli to the province which DENR guys apparently don’t mind.

Now, why is there a conflict between Sevilla and Balilihan towns? The Bridge learned that Sevilla became a party to the issue — aside from where the spring that is the subject of Richli’s water rights application is located — because Balilihan Mayor Chatto installed a water pumping facility to the same Ohan Sevilla Spring sans any courtesy, permit, coordination, or whatsoever from and with Sevilla officials.

By the way, a P90-M government fund was appropriated for that, but it was spent for naught. A Boholano filed a complaint with the OMB because of alleged overpricing of the pumps purchased by the Balilihan LGU.

Meanwhile, the 10-million-liter-per-day WTP, the first in Bohol, was constructed over five years ago and serves Tagbilaran City, Panglao, Dauis, Baclayon, and Cortes. As of today, a total of 6,514 households and commercial establishments are connected to the service in these areas. Of the total demand, approximately 86.21 percent remains unserved, indicating that around 46,810 households in these towns still require coverage. Despite this, Secretary Herbosa was visibly pleased and noted Richli’s efforts and how it continuously expanded the distribution piping for Tagbilaran, Dauis, Panglao, Cortes, and Baclayon.

This April, an MOA between the Sevilla LGU and Richli, with the latter supplying bulk water, is up for signature. In addition, Loctob Water Inc. will build a four-million-liter-a-day WTP in Loctob Spring, Loboc, Bohol next month for bulk water supply to other municipalities.

Bureaucratic red tape and messy procedures for obtaining necessary permits hinder the water supply projects for Bohol. For instance, municipal engineer Helen Calatrava is delaying the issuance of permits for the construction of the next water treatment plant in Ohan Spring. Maybe it’s because of something we don’t know, which hinders the progress of Richli’s water initiatives in the province. Why, and what’s the beef?

The Boholanos want nothing but water, not the political garbage being dumped by the politically entrenched family in the province. Rotten politics can never be an option. It’s water for the people.

Unless the heated conflict among all the parties is urgently resolved, Bohol province’s water supply will be as precarious as it is now.

The political actors must consider these human elements, the sustainability and economic progress related to water. Over 600 resorts and hotels provide employment and revenues to the government. So popular are Panglao Island, Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, etc., Bohol being an eco-cultural-tourism paradise.

There are no less than 30 hospitals, 1,220 educational institutions, almost 900 business establishments, and about 1.3 million people’s lives at stake that we just can’t take lightly.

To my mind, the people’s interests must be primordial, above anything else. With that, my solemn suggestion is that all parties follow the law, the rules, procedures, and due process. Government officials must act with dispatch and fairness, without favor or subservience to any powers that be. Most of all, follow PBBM’s order.

If it can’t be done, what’s the beef of DENR, MWRB, Balilihan, Chatto, and all the others?

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