BY MATÉ ESPINA
AN ARTICLE from the New York Times highlighted the devastation caused by Typhoon “Ulysses” in Cagayan with this line – it is hard to distinguish where the Cagayan River ends and the land begins.
Indeed, footages of the havoc that left more than 70 people dead and scores still missing in Cagayan has eclipsed the equally horrific scenes left behind by typhoons “Rolly” and “Quinta”. All three storms that passed through, just a week in between each other, is estimated to cost tens of billions to implement the recovery plan.
The NT Times recounted the fate of a farmer who said his family survived the rising floods but they were no match for the landslide that buried his two sons and mother-in-law as portion of the mountainside slid down the slopes towards their village due to heavy rainfall.
In Negros Occidental, the topic is also water after the province was included in the P900 million Safe Water project of the United States Agency for International Development, along with the provinces of Palawan and Saranggani.
The three provinces were identified as having recurring water shortages, degraded watersheds and inadequate access to water supply and sanitation services and the MOU was signed by the governors of the three provinces virtually along with USAID Acting Mission Director, Patrick Wesner.
Negros Occidental Gov. Bong Lacson said this is a significant step to a more serious and in-depth water governance as the province is “one of the most highly vulnerable to drought and desertification and these concerns are further aggravated by water pollution, water-borne diseases, and climate change.”
He lauded the initiative of former Rep. Albee Benitez who led the water summit here and brought the matter to USAID who will provide technical assistance that will help communities harness reliable clean and safe water.
In Bacolod City, talk of the town is the takeover of the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) by Villaw-owned Primewater Infrastructure Corporation just this week after the petition for nullification of the Joint Venture Agreement filed by opposition Councilor Jun Gamboa, was booted out by the local courts.
Some 197 casual and job order employees of BACIWA were absorbed by the new company while another 190 employees availed of the retirement packaged offered by Primewater while another 69 employees refused to take both options offered.
General Manager, Atty. Juliana Carbon is a good friend and has taken the side of the employees to no avail. She too was removed from office.
Of course there were talks that this takeover will lead to steep water rates in the coming months as it had in other communities which went through a similar fate.
In fact, even the passage and signing of the agreement was questioned as it happened while Bacolod was under lockdown and travel then was simply relegated to frontliners and the overseas workers who were sent home.
Ah, but politics seems to be a great factor here as all of the directors of the water utility company were appointed by the city mayor. The public was not allowed to protest their sentiments against this takeover due to the pandemic and thus, we may have to suffer the consequences of this partnership in the future.
Speaking of Gamboa, the virtual session this week of the city council got heated after the lone opposition in the council proposed for Bacolod Mayor Bing Leonardia to use whatever available credit line we have for the construction of our own city hospital.
Indeed, many have been hammering for this proposal because it seems incredulous that a highly-urbanized city like Bacolod does not have its own hospital and has been dependent on the services of the DOH-managed Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.
The regional hospital, as a tertiary hospital, is supposed to function and help in severe cases that cannot be handled by city and district hospitals in the province. However, since the city does not have its own hospital, it has been servicing Bacolod residents that oftentimes lead to over capacity.
However, officials allied with the mayor said it is impossible to touch the remaining credit line in banks as this is already appropriated to other projects. Among the contentious projects bragged by the city is its own coliseum and museum which unfortunately are mere aesthetics just like the Halandumon Tower at the Public Plaza that has been the source of jokes and memes from the residents.
Ah, but what can Gamboa do as he is the lone opposition in that council. Although there is a proposal from Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya for the expansion of the regional hospital, at this point when the national government is prioritizing funding for COVID-19 and post-disaster issues, we may not see that proposal come into fruition in the next three to four years.
Unfortunately, basic health services seem to be far from the minds of our elected officials even when this very issue was highlighted during this pandemic. But based on people’s reaction during this crisis, we may hopefully see a change in the political landscape come 2022./PN
