Talisay to revisit MOA with MCWD

CEBU, Philippines - The Talisay City council has tapped the city legal office to re-examine the memorandum of agreement signed by the city government and the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) in August 2, 1994.

"It has been almost twenty (20) years since the signing of this MOA thus there is a paramount need to ascertain whether all provisions stipulated in the MOA are being followed strictly by both parties," said City Councilor Antonio D. Bacaltos Jr., who is the chairman of the agriculture and aquatic resources committee said. 

The MOA was signed when the city was still a municipality by then mayor Dehlia Tiu and Alfonso Albaño, who was then the chairman of the MCWD board.

In last Tuesday's council session, Bacaltos pointed out that many provisions stipulated in the MOA are being ignored.

Bacaltos also said then former city legal officer Owen Algoso had initially reviewed the MOA and had come out with a report in June 3, 2009.

Based on the MOA, the MCWD will drill only 19 wells and construct 19 pumping stations in the vicinity of Jaclupan valley.

But in the report of the city legal office, there is an urgent necessity to verify and ascertain if the MCWD has indeed followed the stipulation and limitations of the MOA.

"It is strongly suggested that an actual inventory be conducted to determine how many wells have been drilled so far and how many pumping stations have been constructed by MCWD," the report read.

Not in the provision in the MOA is the limit on the volume of water to be extracted by MCWD per day or per month. There is no provision also in the MOA as to the joint reading of the water meter installed at the MCWD pumping stations in order to determine the volume of the water extracted by MCWD.

Also, no water meter has been installed at the MCWD pumping stations for the use of the city in reading and determining the volume of the water extracted.

"At present, the reading of the water meter at the pumping stations is done by MCWD alone without the presence of any representative from the City of Talisay. The city has no way of knowing the exact amount of water being extracted by MCWD," the report of the city legal read.

"Initial observations of the review would indicate that this continuing implementation of the MOA between the city of Talisay is greatly prejudicial to the other party particularly the City of Talisay," Bacaltos said.

In a statement from MCWD information officer Charmaine Rodriguez, MCWD welcomes the review of its MOA with Talisay City.

Rodriguez said the utility will wait for the official communication of the Talisay City government after the review.

"MCWD is also willing to sit down with Talisay City officials to discuss the MOA as well as MCWD's ongoing projects on environmental protection and solid waste management that are benefitting Talisay City's constituents," Rodriguez said. (FREEMAN)