MCWD expansion projects break ground

CEBU, Philippines — At least 5,000 households in nine upland barangays of Cebu City will soon have water connections after Metro Cebu Water District’s expansion projects in Barangays Guba and Agsungot finally broke ground on Monday, September 2.

MCWD chairman Atty. Joey Daluz III and acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia led the long overdue groundbreaking ceremony together with some city and MCWD officials.

Garcia said the project has been delayed for more than a year due to lack of permits from the city government. MCWD’s numerous applications for excavation permit were allegedly not acted upon by suspended mayor Michael Rama.

Garcia said signing the permit applications from MCWD was among the things he prioritized after his assumption as acting mayor.

He said the project is very important for the people in the upland barangays who, for the longest time, have been relying on spring for their water supply.

“For the first time in the history nila, pila na sila ka tuig namuyo dira, makakuha na sila’g direct access from MCWD, ang pipes directly to their homes,” said Garcia.

Aside from Agsungot and Guba, residents from Barangays Budlaan, Pulangbato, Cambinocot, Binaliw, Pit-os, and Mabini will also benefit from the expansion projects. The projects are expected to be completed within 200 days.

Guba Barangay Captain Orlan Herrera said they waited for more than a year to see the project coming into a reality. He admitted going through an extensive process in order to provide water supply for the residents.  Herrera thanked Garcia for immediately acting on all the pending application for excavation permits.

“Need gyud kaayo namo ang tubig especially nga wala mi tubod kaayo,” he said.

According to Herrera, his barangay alone will have 1,800 households to benefit the project.

Daluz said providing water supply to the households in the mountain barangays was his mandate when he assumed as chairman of MCWD in 2020.

He said he immediately applied for permits to undertake several expansion projects in April 2023 but the city government then sat on their applications. — (FREEMAN)