WATER SCARCITY. The Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) visits barangays in Iloilo City affected by water scarcity. The proposed water rationing in Iloilo City still hangs, almost three weeks after this highly urbanized city was placed under state of calamity due to water crisis. (Photo by CDRRMO)
ILOILO CITY -- Almost three weeks since Iloilo City was placed under a state of calamity due to water crisis, the proposed water rationing for 73 affected barangays is still hanging.
In a phone interview Wednesday, Joren Sartorio, General Services Office (GSO) head, said there are issues still needing to be clarified regarding the procurement whose documents were transmitted to the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) on May 14.
For one, the approved budget for the contract (ABC) rests upon the approval of the Board of Director of the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD), he said. “That needs to be resolved first because otherwise, we cannot deliver any water to barangays,” he added.
Sartorio said as proposed by the end-user, they will be under an emergency procurement. And since MIWD was identified as the provider, then they will try to work it out with the former.
“If that fails, then it depends whether there are interested parties; maybe we will invite them also to the negotiating table if they can offer a similar price. The approved budget for the contract is only PHP23 per cubic meter,” he said.
Sartorio said that since it is negotiated, given the proper responses, then the city government can release the contract within two weeks.
The price of PHP23 per cubic meter was offered by the MIWD to the city government. But then, the water utility is also waiting for the city government to send a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) indicating its interest to procure water from them at the said given rate.
Sartorio said what was transmitted to the BAC was only a purchase request.
“We have to stop there because we cannot proceed if we don’t have basis for negotiation for the procurement of water,” he said.
Currently, the proposed procurement is “pending”, waiting for the MOA to be approved by the water utility.
He added that he has no idea whether or not the MOA is already ready.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod placed the city under state of calamity last April 26.
During the special session, Donna Magno, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management officer, presented the result of the April 22 meeting of the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council showing that at least 20 percent of the city’s population was affected, there was widespread destruction of fishponds, crops, poultry and livestock and other agricultural products and there was disruption of lifeline such as potable water in Iloilo City. (PNA)
