In observance of the Holy Week, the Philippine News Agency’s online news service will be off on March 29, Good Friday, and March 30, Black Saturday. Normal operations will resume on March 31, Easter Sunday.

— The Editors

City dad seeks support for water bulk project

By Lilian Mellejor

October 2, 2017, 6:56 pm

DAVAO CITY -- Desperate to solve the water problem in his district, a city councilor has appealed to city councilors to vote for the measure allowing the implementer of the water bulk project to establish a water treatment facility in the city's third district.

Second District Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang is campaigning hard to muster 21 votes for the Apo Agua bulk water project even if it means getting a councilor out of a hospital for an hour to attend the city council session Tuesday.

Dayanghirang said his move is for the interest of his constituents in the second district which has been suffering from lack of potable water.

Dayanghirang and the residents in the second district pin hopes on the Apo Agua project to resolve their water problem as it has been fighting for two years now to get support for the water project.

"Otherwise, where will we get the water?" Dayanghirang asked during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Annex Monday.

He said residents are not even comfortable using the available water to bathe because of its yellowish color.

Dayanghirang, who is also a resident of the second district, said it’s been a double whammy for them – paying a monthly service to the Davao City Water District (DCWD) for the water they cannot drink and at the same time buy drinking water from commercial sellers.

“I am appealing to my colleagues. Even if they are in a wheelchair I will bring them in to manifest their vote for the measure,” Dayanghirang said in desperation to bring drinkable water to the residents of the second district.

Dayanghirang recalled he has done it years ago when he was majority floorleader that he called for a recess for three hours to wait for the councilor to excuse from the class just to manifest vote for a major project.

Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc (AAII) request for allowable use for the establishment of a water treatment facility in Barangay Gumalang, Baguio District remains pending due to the lack of a quorum in the past two sessions.

The measure is up for the City Council’s approval again.

The project is a partnership between Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) and J.V. Angeles Construction Corp. (JVACC), AAII and has an exclusive contract with DCWD to supply 300 million liters of water per day for 30 years, beginning 2019.

The approval of the request for allowable use would allow Apo Agua to apply for a building permit so they can start the construction.

Dayanghirang explained that the measure needs the support of 21 members in accordance with a provision of the Zoning Ordinance.

However, the city council cannot still muster the needed votes for the measure during the last two session.

Dayanghirang said that in his talk with Majority Floorleader Bernard Al-ag there was optimism to get the number.

“Hopefully most of them (councilors) will be around,” he added.

The request of Apo Agua was presented on June 6 but it was remanded to the committee level for further discussion after several issues were raised including the protest of Barangay Tamugan regarding the assignment of the DCWD water rights to Apo Agua. The barangay has already passed a resolution signifying no objection to the project.

In her state of the city address, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is pushing for an ordinance allowing the DCWD and Apo Agua to tap the Tamugan River for their surface water project.

“This is the alternative water source to allow time for our aquifers to recharge. There is an urgent need to support this project because of the increasing demand for a steady and sufficient supply of potable water in the city,” Duterte-Carpio said. (Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA)

Comments