A serious talk about our water issues

I recently wrote about the possible solution to our water crisis simply because this was presented to the Cebu media by the officers of the Aboitiz InfraCapital which is willing to invest in projects like the Mananga Dam -- something never been thought of by any group. This could only come at a time when finally the political leaders of Cebu consider themselves as one. As what my dear friend, the late Roberto “Bobby” Aboitiz espoused in his “Bugsay Principle,” for as long as we row together in one direction, there is no stopping Cebu from achieving its ultimate goals.

I learned from The FREEMAN that Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has requested the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) to stop further transaction between the consortium of private companies for 100 million liters per day from a desalination plant, as it would reportedly increase the buying price of water per cubic meter. Apparently, in a letter to MCWD chairman and members of the board, Mayor Labella said that the proposal to supply bulk water is said to cost significantly higher than MCWD’s current average buying price of water per cubic meter.

However, while this was a proposal for a desalination plant, I gathered that among the proposals being sent was the possible Mananga Dam project, which would give Cebu a much-needed surface water just like what Metro Manila has. Meanwhile, Mayor Labella said his office is open to discussing with officials of MCWD about the proposal, water situation in Cebu, and measures that would address other problems and challenges. MCWD also said that it has no agreement or contract with the consortium or any party in relation to a bulk supply of 100 million liters per day of desalinated seawater.

What is happening here is that someone is lost in translation. I would like to believe that MCWD should be totally transparent in their negotiations with private companies and I fully agree with Mayor Labella; whatever is the outcome of any water deals, it should be prized that the ordinary household can afford to pay. However, I must warn you that unless we come up with a dam like in Mananga, the only alternative is a desalination plant simply because it is faster to do and achieve.

On the positive side, at least two private companies have expressed their desire to help solve our water crisis. We know too well that MCWD can only supply 230,000 cubic meters of water per day, which is less than half of the daily requirements for Metro Cebu that needs 500,000 cu. mters of water per day. But as you all know, those who do not get water from MCWD get their water supply from their underground wells. Mind you, many of the underground wells belonging to MCWD have been shut down due to nitrates, which means the wells have become dirty and most of them have dried up due to over extraction of water. Meanwhile, the wells that are still active are already tainted with saltwater intrusion.

Should we simply put all the blame to MCWD? Frankly speaking, you can blame the Cebu provincial government when it sold the 50-hectare Club Filipino Golf Course to the Ayala Corp. for P640 million. When Club Filipino Inc. was still a golf course (yes, I’m one of the oldest members now), the Cebu media then supported the sale complaining that only the rich millionaires played golf and that was enough justification to sell the property to the Ayala Corp.

I was still very new in media when Cheche Lazaro of Probe Team interviewed me and asked why I was against the deal. I told her about the issue of the aquifer which the golf course would bring down rainwater to replenish the aquifer, but then water wasn’t an issue when the Philippine population was only around 30 million. Secondly, I mentioned that the North Reclamation project was very much available for Ayala to develop, especially at that time when SM City wasn’t yet constructed.

Today, the Ayala Corp. came up with a joint venture called the AsiaTown IT Park of the Cebu Property Ventures Development Corp., (CPVDC) which was the runway of the old Lahug Airport. In 2003, there wasn’t a single building that was erected in the IT Park. Today, it has become a concrete jungle and the old Lahug Airport which used to swallow the raging rainwaters from Nivel Hills no longer saves water for the aquifer. So blame MCWD for our lack of water? I think it is time to blame ourselves!

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