Suspension of water rate hike sought

NAVAL, BILIRAN ,Philippines  — The Municipal Council of Naval in Biliran province recently approved three resolutions calling for the suspension of the proposed water rate increases by the Naval Water District.

The first resolution requested the Commission on Audit provincial office to furnish the Council a copy of the audit report conducted on the water district. The second requested the Local Water Utilities Administration for the suspension of any increases applied by the NWD pending the COA report, while the third requested President Noynoy Aquino to suspend any increases for the same reason.

Vice-Mayor Redentor Villordon, during a public hearing on the issue conducted last Thursday, said there were some alleged anomalous fund allocations involving the implementation of the P25 million water improvemen/expansion project of the water district.

Among the transactions found anomalous by the Council were six project signboards amounting to P90,000; a car worth P1.7 million for use of the resident LWUA project engineer; field office with expenditures totaling P686,000; equipment like mixer, compactor, jack hammer worth P400,000 that should be part of the contractor's equipment; safety equipment like helmet, boots with no amount mentioned; and the winning contractor whose permit expired in January, 2010 but still was able to win the bidding held on February 2010.

Villordon added that the local government, through Mayor Susan Parilla is now considering steps to prevent NWD from implementing the water rate increase.

NWD general manager Mario Robenta, for his part, said during the public hearing that the main objective of NWD for the rate increases is for continued water improvement and expansion project to serve concessionaires better and provide potable drinking water to residents including those un-served yet by the district.

Robenta said the NWD board of directors approved only the P80.75 water rate increase for a minimum consumption of 10 cubic meters instead of the schedule of water rate increase proposed by LWUA or P 8.75 per cubic meter.

NWD is presently collecting the amount of P64.60 for a minimum consumption of 10 cubic meters that was implemented since 2002, he said.