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[av_heading heading=’ ‘City gov’t must have a say in MIWD’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ 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 GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Tuesday, December 5, 2017
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ILOILO City – Mayor Jose Espinosa III wanted the authority to appoint the directors of the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) board returned to the city mayor.
The current appointing authority is Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. of Iloilo province.
Section 3 of Presidential Decree No. 198 or the Local Water District Law provides that if more than 75 percent of the total concessionaires are found in the city, the appointing authority shall be the city mayor. If the total number of concessionaires in the city is below 75 percent, however, the appointing authority shall be the governor.
Espinosa wanted a new count of the number of active MIWD concessionaires. He believed the water district now has more concessionaires in this city.
MIWD serves this city and the towns of Oton, Pavia, Santa Barbara, San Miguel, Leganes, Maasin, and Cabatuan in Iloilo province.
In September 2013, the power to appoint the members of the board of MIWD shifted from the Iloilo City mayor to the Iloilo provincial governor. Judge Danilo Galvez of the Regional Trial Court affirmed the findings of the body he created to look into the number of active concessionaires of MIWD to determine who between the provincial governor and city mayor had the power to appoint the members of the MIWD board.
A fact-finding commission reported on June 13, 2013 that the total number of concessionaires in Iloilo City as of April 30, 2013 was 21,130 or 66.14 percent of the total number of concessionaires in the entire MIWD coverage area, which was then at 31,948. The combined number of concessionaires from Cabatuan, Leganes, Maasin, Oton, Pavia, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara reached 10,818 or 33.86 percent of the grand total.
“Wherever those numbers naghalin sang una, ako ‘ya nga nagapati nga now it needs to be reviewed. It needs to be revisited kon bala diin na ang mas damo,” said Espinosa.
His main concern, according to the mayor, was the city government’s apparent lack of voice in MIWD’s operations even if the water district was primarily created for Iloilo City.
“Nga indi man ma-disadvantage ang syudad,” said Espinosa. “Sa matrix nila kag mga charges, kita man gihapon iguon sina.”
In July 21, 2011 then city mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog filed a civil case against the Local Water Utilities Administration in determine who had the authority to appoint MIWD directors.
“Wala gid kita sang say sa MIWD. Wala kita nakahibalo sang nagahinabo subong. How are they negotiating with private entities? Nakabati lang ta ‘ya nga may ara na Maynilad, Manila Water nga gusto magsulod. Waay gid kita ‘ya bala sang partisipasyon,” said Espinosa.
Recently, Manila Water Philippine Ventures, Inc. (MWPV), a subsidiary of the country’s oldest conglomerate Ayala Corporation, wrote Espinosa expressing interest in meeting the city’s water supply and distribution needs.
“Sa akon ‘ya basta public utilities…whoever can assure me of (good) service, welcome gid,” said Espinosa.
MWPV particularly wanted to apply for a franchise to distribute and sell water in the districts of Mandurriao, Molo and Arevalo.
Espinosa said he forwarded MWPV’s letter to the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s (SP) committee on public utilities for further study./PN
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