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[av_heading heading=’RURAL UPDATE ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY JOHNNY NOVERA
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LIKE A GOOD father of the family, what Iloilo City’s Mayor Jose Espinosa III is trying to do with his moves on the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) is protect his constituents and be assured of improved service from the water concessionaire.
Certainly it is not meddling because our city mayor validly represents 450,000 water consumers in the city. It would not cost MIWD much except maybe a few minutes of time for their general manager or some other senior official of the firm to arrange for a courtesy call or visit the mayor’s office and at the same time brief or update him of the water supply situation and their project. That is good PR rather than be very legalistic.
With its inefficiency in supplying water only to 21 percent of its coverage area, MIWD must realize that Iloilo City as a major consumer represented by its mayor must not be treated badly.
An advocacy that was promoted by then Department of the Interior and Local Government secretary Jessie Robredo during his term before he died in a plane crash was the system implementation of Republic Act 6716 or the Rainwater Collector and Springs Development Law of 1989, which tasks the Department of Public Works and Highways to construct water works and rainwater collectors, develop springs and rehabilitate water wells in all barangays.
Unfortunately, Secretary Robredo died and his plans of implementing the water collection law died with him.
But with the bad treatment of its customers and the prospect of the water rates of MIWD going higher and higher, we wish that our city government can set up a program of rainwater collection and springs development in Iloilo under Republic Act 6716 as described above, under the Office of the City Mayor for closer supervision. This will certainly increase the water supply.
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A TRIBUTE
Laid to rest on Dec. 21, 2017 was a revered personality of Iloilo, Doña Amparo Divinagracia-Sarabia whose family has been in optometry, jewelry and hotel business, although they divested later from the hotel line. She would have been 95 years old by Dec. 25, 2017.
Mrs. Sarabia with husband Dr. Salvador Sarabia Sr., now both deceased, were originally jewelers and optometrists but later expanded to the hotel and restaurant line.
How they came into the hotel and restaurant business is a good story to tell.
Dr. & Mrs. Sarabia had nine children and built a Japanese-style home for the family, providing a room each for the children plus one master’s bedroom for the couple.
When the children went to college, they left to study in Manila and abroad, thus leaving their rooms empty in the house and the couple offered them to boarders. Business turned out very good and they later obtained financing from a bank and built a hotel where their residence stood.
Their nine children, now all with families of their own, are as follows: Dr. Sandra and Raymond T. Gomez; Salvador Jr. and Ma. Teresa L. Sebastian; Suzanne (+) and Celso G. Javelosa; Dr. Ramon and Dr. Marcia V. Guanio; Dr. Arnaldo Federico and Bernadette R. Flores; Rosalie and Cong. Jerry P. Treñas; Gina Agnes and Mayor Jose S. Espinosa III; Dr. Melvin; and Dr. John Paul.
Our condolences to the Sarabia family! (For comments or reactions, please e-mail to jnoveracompany@yahoo.com)/PN
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