Daluz may head MCWD board

CEBU, Philippines — Former Cebu City councilor Jose Daluz III is groomed to be the next chairman of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District.

However, Daluz said their appointments still have to be confirmed by the Local Water Utilities Administration before they can convene and elect among themselves the chairman.

Mayor Edgardo Labella appointed last Monday five new members to the MCWD Board.

Aside from Daluz, other appointees include lawyer Francisco “Frank” Malilong Jr., former city mayor Alvin Garcia, lawyer Manolette Dinsay and Miguelito “Mike” Pato.

Daluz, during the Kapihan sa Sugbo yesterday, said that once their appointments are confirmed by LWUA, on top of the agenda during the first board meeting will be the election of chairman.

Daluz resigned as head of the South Road Properties Management Office on November last year saying that one must not hold any government position prior to his appointment to the MCWD Board.

However, Daluz said he was asked by Labella to continue as consultant at one peso a year of the said office.

Labella earlier sacked the old members of the MCWD Board, majority of them appointed by former mayor Tomas Osmeña, for failure to provide solutions to address the water crisis in Cebu.

Daluz admitted that as new board they cannot solve the water crisis overnight as they still have to immerse how MCWD is managed.

Although among the solutions they are considering is through desalination of surface water knowing that the main current source is underground water.

They are also going to take a look on how the previous board took years to negotiate with water companies for the supply.

Based on Labella’s directive, the new board has to provide solutions to Cebu’s water crisis.  GAN (FREEMAN)