By PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA — Iloilo City’s Cong. Jerry Treñas believes there is more than enough proof showing how problematic water distribution in the city is.
But if further studies are needed to evaluate the city’s water system, then let them be conducted, said Treñas.
“If necessary, we can hire experts to study the situation,” he told Panay News yesterday.
Treñas is pushing for the privatization of Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD). In fact, he has been campaigning for it since 2010.
There is growing clamor to privatize the city’s sole water distributor. But Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. refused to be drawn to it.
Defensor said that there is need for a “serious and careful study” of what is the best option to address the city’s water problem and that he wants “experts” to have a say on MIWD’s fate.
But the governor said he won’t hesitate to endorse privatization if it should be deemed the “ultimate” solution.
While he respects Defensor’s call, Treñas hinted of impatience. “When are we going to decide,” the congressman asked.
“Remember that we are growing (in population) every second and that the households increase in the same proportion,” he said.
Treñas said a study commissioned by World Bank and Castalia revealed that households connected to MIWD experienced “intermittent” water supply.
He said the study also showed that MIWD can serve only 20 percent of the total households in the metro.
Treñas said the remaining 80 percent, which has no access to piped water, turns to “expensive” potable water.
He said these consumers still have to buy water in plastic containers, drums or tanks.
If the water distributor makes potable water available to all households, more people, particularly the poor, can benefit, Treñas said.
“Piped water is not only cheaper than water sold in (plastic) containers, drums or tanks, but also cleaner,” he stressed.
The congressman said he requested for the World Bank–Castalia study.
Treñas said there is nothing “bad” in privatizing MIWD as long as all sectors are consulted and involved in the process.
“If we improve (MIWD’s) capacity to work on actual distribution lines and additional distribution lines,” more residents can access water, he said.
Former Tourism secretary Narzalina Lim, who is from Antique, also called for the privatization of the water district.
Parameters can be set to protect consumers from unreasonable price increases, the current president of the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation, Inc. told Panay News.
Panay Consumers’ Alliance has warned that privatization could result to increases in the price of water. Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) Iloilo Chapter was also against it, sounding alarm over what it perceived to be an orchestrated plot to make MIWD look incompetent.
In a petition, FDC-Iloilo said MIWD’s privatization would “violate (the) people’s fundamental right to water.”/PN
