MCWD stance on lwua takeover: Not all want ‘status quo’

CEBU, Philippines — It seems that not all Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) employees are in favor of the utility firm’s status quo declaration that essentially pledged continuing support for embattled Board of Directors Chairman Jose Daluz III and two others, despite the Local Water Utilities Administration’s (LWUA) takeover last March 15.

In a communication sent to The Freeman, the employees, who requested that they stay unnamed for their job security, expressed “dissatisfaction” over the status quo stance pronounced by the management earlier on, during the LWUA partial takeover.

Following the LWUA intervention, the MCWD management released a statement essentially honoring the current policy-making body led by Chairman Jose Daluz III.

However, approximately a week later, another wave of employees released a statement to the media expressing their contradicting opinion on the stance made.

"We, the concerned employees of Metropolitan Cebu Water District, feel compelled to voice our profound dissatisfaction with the current stance of the management regarding the temporary takeover of Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) in shaping the policy decisions of our Board of Directors," reads an excerpt of their statement.

They said the stance endorsed by the rank-and-file union, managers association, and the supervisors association, has left them "disheartened".

"We find it distressing that our opinions and perspectives were not sought or considered in this matter," their they said.

They further said their position is the collective stance of the true majority. They, however, refused to be named to avoid potential repercussions.

They said the current situation has reached a point where they could no longer remain as silent observers.

They said the MCWD's resistance to LWUA's intervention is not justifiable, adding that the LWUA's move is just and reasonable in safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders, particularly the public, whose greater interest MCWD should be serving.

The employees also said that utmost motivation in airing their sentiment is the management's focus on procuring bulk water from private suppliers, whose expenses could strain the financial resources of the water district.

" Despite the exorbitant costs, essential pipeline rehabilitation efforts have been neglected for the past three years, resulting in a staggering Non-Revenue Water (NRW) rate of 36% as of the first quarter of 2024," they said.

"You do not need an engineering degree to understand hydraulics. The more water you introduce into the system, the greater the likelihood of leaks occurring within the system," they added.

According to them, they cannot also comprehend as to why the management would resist the measures done by LWUA, especially when the need for tariff adjustments is "undeniable".

They likewise highlighted the management's proposal to expand the water supply through the addition of six desalination plants, with water priced at 73 to 74 pesos per cubic meter, which raises serious concerns about its long-term financial viability.

That is why, they said, they were "deeply apprehensive" about the future trajectory of MCWD under the current management's leadership.

"It appears evident that personal agendas may be influencing decision-making processes, raising questions about the motives behind the resistance to LWUA oversight," the employees said.

In line with this, they urged the management to reconsider its stance and prioritize the long-term sustainability and welfare of MCWD and its stakeholders.

"Collaboration with LWUA should be embraced as a constructive step towards achieving these shared objectives, rather than resisted out of unfounded concerns," they said.

In a conversation with The Freeman yesterday, an MCWD employee who refused to be named, confirmed that he, too, share the sentiments expressed in the statement.

He said the management’s expression of support for the old board was not made by the general assembly and that their opinion on the matter was not included in what was presented to be a supposedly collective stance.

He said he was in favor of the LWUA's intervention, adding that he observed that the MCWD management is no longer aligned with the water district’s objectives.

In particular, he said the management has been focusing on the bulk procurements that would correspond to higher water ratesm defeating the purpose of MCWD's lower water rates.

According to him, their in-house projects and the maintenance of their water lines would take time to be approved.

"Nya kani na nuong mga bulk supply, mura’g dali man nuon kaayo ang approval, makaingon ta ba nga murag naa gyud dili maayong ginabuhat ang management karon, ang kanang board," he said.

He further said that despite the divided opinion on the current MCWD situation, he pointed to the seeming greater number of those who opposed the stance of the status quo.

"Mag duha-duha man gud sad mi og voice out sa amoang kuan (opinion) kay mga ultimo ra man gud sad mi...nya hadlok pud mi nga dumtan," he said.

He admitted that a workforce meeting was called up last Friday that gave the current management an avenue to explain its status quo stance. He said he would have wanted to personally air his side, but he decided against it for fear of being singled out. Speaking out, he said, might cost him his job.

He alleged that should the leadership of the current board continue to function, MCWD operation would further be misaligned due to the mismanagement of finance among others.

"Padung gyud ni sya, kung sa barko pa, mayabo kay mura’g ang ilaha nalang kaugalingon ilang gitan-aw, wala na sila gatan-aw sa kaayohan sa Cebuano," he further said. — (FREEMAN)