Liloan council wants MCWD deal terminated

CEBU, Philippines —  Councilors of Liloan town in northern Cebu have approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Christina Frasco to terminate the memorandum of agreement Liloan entered into with the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) almost 30 years ago.

The MOA, which took effect in 1992, allows MCWD to extract water from 17 wells in the town.

“It is gravely unjust and disadvantageous to the Municipality and the people of Liloan that while MCWD continues to take advantage of the natural resources of Liloan and raw massive amounts of water therefrom, the water that is supplied to Liloan’s residents is grossly disproportionate, and the poor and unreliable service of MCWD to Liloan has subsisted for almost two decades, unfairly depleting Liloan’s water resources and annual share for MCWD’s profitable use of Liloan’s natural resources,” reads the resolution authored by Councilor Aljew Frasco that the council approved.

Frasco is the brother-in-law of the town’s mayor, Christina.

Christina, for her part, said that nearly 30 years after the MOA was signed, two of the wells in the town will never be able to provide potable water again as they have been damaged irreparably and Liloan reportedly remains uncompensated.

MCWD reportedly promised uninterrupted day and night priority water supply to residents of Liloan and provide water systems in the mountain barangays, among other things.

But the water district reportedly has not set up water systems in the mountain barangays that the LGU had to do it itself.

“Our people literally thirst for the water MCWD takes from them, giving little or nothing back in return,” Christina said.

She said that while the town has shared its water willingly with the rest of Metro Cebu and is much willing to continue to do so, MCWD has reportedly failed to ensure that Liloan does not lack water.

“The sorry state of the wells they operate in Liloan and the very poor quality of service reflect the lack or absence of care for our people,” she said.

MCWD spokesperson Charmaine Rodriguez-Kara said the MCWD executives have met with Frasco last Thursday but refused to disclose details.

Last Wednesday, Christina inspected wells and reservoir that MCWD operates in Liloan from which it takes at least 15,000 cubic meters or 15 million liters per day (mld)) to supply to Metro Cebu.

She found out that of the 17 wells MCWD operates across four barangays, some wells are in a dilapidated state with two wells damaged beyond repair due to saltwater intrusion, and practically abandoned.

Water Situation

Meanwhile, in a bulletin yesterday afternoon, MCWD said the continued effects of the dry spell on water sources has brought the daily production deficit to 32,000 cubic meters (cu. m.) per day as of yesterday.

“MCWD’s production is now at 215,000 cu. m. per day, with the biggest loss of 10,000 cu. m. coming from its Jaclupan Facility which is now dry at the surface due to the rising temperatures.”

“Due to the lowering of water levels of MCWD's Jaclupan Facility and Buhisan Dam, MCWD is again rationing water through trucks to four barangays heavily affected by the supply shortage in Cebu City.”

MCWD also coordinated with the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Committee (CDRRMC) and the Compostela Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Committee for the location of hydrants where local government-owned trucks or local fire departments can withdraw water from for distribution to barangays with low pressure to no water.

The lower supply from MCWD’s two sources affected consumers in Bulacao, Basak Pardo, Mambaling, Basak San Nicolas, Inayawan Banawa, Capitol Site and Calamba in Cebu City.

Today, it will start daily rationing of water through trucks to Barangays Sambag 1, 2, Sta. Cruz, and Cogon Ramos.

Earlier, MCWD reported a 20,000-cubic-meter per day drop in its production due to the lower delivery from its private supplier in Consolacion because of saltwater intrusion and the effects of the dry spell of the supply from Carmen.

The supply drop from these sources affected consumers in Liloan, Consolacion, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu City, Cordova and parts of Cebu City, like Mabolo, Carreta, T. Padilla, Tejero and Lorega San Miguel, it said.

In Compostela, residents of Purok Lumboy in Barangay Panangban, an upland barangay, asked Mayor Froilan Quino and the LDRRMC for help since their community well has been giving lower supply, forcing family members to stay in line for hours to fetch water.

MCWD committed a hydrant near the municipal hall as a source for the 270 families who have no other source of water for domestic use. The LDRRMC will deliver the water through containers daily. JMO (FREEMAN)