Archival orders TMC, CCTO to simplify excavation permit

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival is pressing the Traffic Management Council (TMC) and the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) to streamline the excavation permit process for the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) and its contractors when addressing pipeline leaks and related repairs.

In his press conference yesterday, he stressed that the long review and approval cycle is too tedious and risks wasting large volumes of water at a time when El Niño is expected to strain supply.

“Kung naa gani leakings, especially dako kayo nga volume, dili na unta madugay pagsugod sa trabaho… So, together with the TMC and CCTO, akong hangyo nga magtinabangay, considering nga karon, kanang nay El Niño,” Archival said, while emphasizing that exemptions should be on a case-to-case basis.

Archival explained that Cebu’s water security depends on faster interventions, citing Commission on Audit findings that MCWD’s non-revenue water losses have remained high at nearly 30 percent in recent years.

The mayor also proposed that MCWD adopt a “pay-with-cure” scheme, where contractors are compensated only for successfully repaired leaks and recovered water.

“Kuha mo (MCWD) og contractor pag-repair, not necessary ang atong organic sa MC(WD), kung kinsay maka-cure, ang gi-cure ra, ang na-save nato nga tubig, maoy bayran,” Archival said.

Archival’s directive is part of a broader water resilience agenda that includes quantifying unused storage tanks across the city and negotiating discounted bulk water supplies. (CEBU NEWS)