MCWD open to talks with Talisay officials

CEBU, Philippines - The Metropolitan Cebu Water District yesterday said it welcomed Talisay City Council's move to review the memorandum of agreement that it signed with the local government 19 years ago.

"We welcome the review and we will fully cooperate," said MCWD Public Affairs department manager Charmaine Rodriguez-Kara.

Last week, Talisay City Councilor Aldin Diaz, who is the chairman of the committee on Labor, Trade and Industry, recommended before the City Legal Office to review the memorandum of agreement that was signed on August 2, 1994.

Diaz, through unanimous approval by the members of the council, also wanted the presence of any representative from MCWD in today's session in order to answer queries, particularly on the sharing of revenues.

Diaz wants the revenue sharing to be clarified if it is necessary to ascertain that the city government has benefitted from the projects that MCWD had done in the city.

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

But Rodriguez-Kara said they cannot appear in today's session since they have not received any formal invitation from the City Council, and that they only learned about the inquiry from the media.

"We are waiting for the formal invitation but until this afternoon, we have not received any communication from them. Anyway, we are very willing to present and answer any queries to the members of the City Council," Rodriguez-Kara said.

As far as the inventory of wells that MCWD drilled and the number of pumping stations that have been constructed within the perimeter of Jaclupan Valley, Rodriguez-Kara said the MCWD has 19 wells and 19 pumping stations.

Rodriguez-Kara said the management is amenable to having a joint-water meter reading with the city government that will be installed at the MCWD pumping stations in order for the city to determine the volume of the water extracted.

Based on the revenue share of the MCWD to the city government of Talisay for the period of October to December 2013, the city government received P492,862.17.

The barangays where MCWD is drilling also receive their revenue share, which include the barangays of Tabunok (P31,905.93); Jaclupan (P211,181.53); Lagtang (P21, 699.08) and Lawaan III (P600.78).  (FREEMAN)