Rico, Edgar vow to end water deadlock

Gov. Erico Aumentado and Rep. Edgar Chatto are “pushed to the wall” on how to end the deadlock in the water deal which will ultimately bring potable water to the beach resorts in Panglao, the site of the future Panglao Bohol International Airport.

The two top officials expressed disgust on the local officials’ failure to decide on what company to bring water to the resort town which will soon need thousands of gallons of water once the multi-billion airport project will commence.

Gov. Aumentado said that a public consultation is set on Sept. 5 which will guide the ultimate decision on how to bring water supply to the municipality. He said that together with Rep. Edgar Chatto, under whose district Panglao belongs, the decision has to come soon so the technical work can commence considering that the airport construction is slated to start December this year.

It maybe recalled that the two officials have time and again tried to settle the political bickering between Panglao Mayor Benedicto Alcala and Vice Mayor Pedro Fuertes. After each “reconciliation” meetings, both parties would appear as though they have agreed on a common direction regarding the water issue. But, after weeks, both camps will again be issuing public pronouncements which show their conflicts in deciding on how potable water can be brought to their town.

“This time we will intervene since it is now the call of the time,” Aumentado stressed.

The statement of the governor came after the political deadlock among the officials in the neighboring town of Dauis was resolved during a meeting called by Rep. Chatto two weeks ago.

“If Dauis officials understood the essence of unity for progress, then, there is no reason why the Panglao officials will not do the same,” the governor asked as he requested the solon to be part of the public consultation three weeks from now.

SOLUTION STUDIED

Gov. Aumentado ordered the Prov’l Planning and Development Office (PPDO) to prepare a draft of the project called “Improvement and Upgrading of the Panglao water Distribution Network” which includes a proposed water distribution plan.

The water distribution improvement project is now “proposed for funding for its capital intensive components”, soliciting the assistance of local and foreign funding institutions for its implementation, according to PPDO.

This is in preparation for the expected increase in tourist influx to Panglao in time for the operation of the international airport in 2010.

Provincial Planning and Development coordinator (PPDC), Lawyer John Titus Vistal, gave an update on the project during the weekly radio program, Governor Reports, Friday.

Panglao, as one of the prime tourism destination in Bohol where resorts proliferate, the municipality direly needs an efficient water distribution network that the PPDO considers a capital-forming project, Vistal said.

Its comprehensive project profile stated that the effective and functional water distribution system will support the municipality’s tourism development and socio-economic growth; can complement and adopt with any bulk water source arrangement in the municipality; expand capacity and coverage of existing waterworks system; provide sustainable, safe and accessible water to residents and tourists to promote good health; enhance physical and infrastructure facilities in the municipality to attract investments and economic activities; and increase revenue of the municipality from its waterworks system operation.

As support, the Municipal Engineer’s Office or the Municipal Waterworks System, the Provincial Engineer’s Office, the Department of Public Works and Highways have been proposed to closely coordinate with the Bohol Integrated Water Resource Management Team (BIWRMT), Bohol Environment and Management Office (BEMO), and the DENR for the planning, design, and public consultation and network analysis.

Then, the MEO/MWS, PEO, and the DPWH takes charge of the construction and implementation; while the LGU-Panglao shall handle the operation and maintenance of the waterworks system and its water distribution system.

He explained that the municipality has an existing water distribution network but it needs improvement to be efficient- -upgrading of pipes and expansion of coverage areas.

This is to accommodate high-density development and future mega-projects in the municipality of Panglao, which on same ground Governor Erico Aumentado and First District Representative Edgar Chatto had earlier extended assistance for Dauis, Vistal added.

LGU-Panglao had prepared a proposed piping network in the past, but it would traverse the airport lot, a violation of the Infrastructure and Building Code which prohibits any installation of piping or anything underground that would traverse any permanent infrastructure, Vistal explained.

On this, Aumentado instructed the PPDO to extend technical assistance to the local government unit of (LGU) of Panglao in developing a water distribution plan that would modify the one previously prepared.

In the proposed water distribution plan that PPDO prepared, the modification includes rerouting the piping network away from the entire airport lot.

“This is not just about the 2.5-kilometer airport lot covered in phase 1 of the project. It’s the entire 3.8-kilometer airport lot which includes the expansion of the airport into a complex international airport. Ang tumoy ini naa sa Lourdes ang pikas tumoy naa sa danao. Ang piping network nilikay aning area sa airport. Although naay murag gitawag og take off point or starting point nga gibutang duol sa area where the terminal building is expected to be located aron inig sugod og construct sa terminal building dili maglisod ang contractor pagkuha og tubig for construction purposes (One end is in barangay Lourdes and the other in the Danao. The piping network is veered away from these areas of the airport, though a sort of take off point or starting point is proposed to be in place where the terminal building is expected to be located so that when construction of the terminal building starts, the contractor won’t have a hard time accessing to water supply for construction purposes),” Vistal explained.

Though the proposed water distribution plan is still to be presented to the Provincial Development Council (PDC) for approval, during its executive meeting next week, there had already been a number of service providers who expressed interest on implementing it.

So far, the LGU-Panglao has not decided yet whose offer to accept.

Aumentado and Chatto set a meeting and public hearing on September 5, with the mayor, vice-mayor and Sangguniang Bayan (SB) members of Panglao, and stakeholders, where they can present the proposed water distribution plan that PPDO drafted.

Then, it will be up to the LGU-Panglao who among the interested service providers to choose and deal with for its implementation. The province, through the PPDO, only helps prepare or design the piping network based on the road map, that the chosen service provider can use as basis in drafting a more detailed technical plan.

With the water distribution plan already prepared, as sub-project of the Improvement and Upgrading of the Panglao Water Distribution Network project, the service provider that LGU-Panglao would choose can proceed immediately to the preparation of a detailed technical plan.

This way, the provincial government helps the municipal government “address, not just the domestic water needs of Panglao, but also the industrial water needs in the town, since eco-tourism- -of which Panglao is known of- -is also an industry to consider,” Vistal explained.

“The project would also directly support the improvement of road network of the municipality, improving the utility of road setbacks and accessibility to residential and commercial establishments. Likewise, this will definitely facilitate the development of housing facilities in the locality,” he added.

Sanitation (WatSan) Management, since “a good management of water supply in tandem with an appropriate sewerage and/or sanitation system will ultimately redound to the promotion of healthy environment for residents and visitors of the municipality” according to Vistal.

He also said Engr. Nilo Arcaya, chair of the BIWRMT who is from Panglao, had helped a lot in data gathering during the preparation of the piping network draft.

The upgrading of the waterworks system in Panglao also supports the implementation of the Bohol Integrated Water Supply Master Plan (BIWSMP) “formulated to set the overall development of the water supply in the entire province,” according to Vistal.

WATER SUPPLY MASTER PLAN

Vistal also announced that, as instructed by the governor, the province is now applying for water rights with the National Water Resources Bureau (NWRB) on the seven major watersheds in Bohol that the BIWSMP covers.

The water rights will give the province or the municipality an edge in negotiating for better terms with private developers.

The BIWSMP was “crafted through a multi-stakeholder process where non-government organizations (NGOs), LGUs, and the academe were represented”, Vistal said.

Technical experts designed the master plan under the Local Governance Development Program LGDP) funded by AusAid with the assistance of Woodfields Consultants Inc., he said.

BIWSSMP involves the plan to develop the seven major rivers and watersheds here to address the province’s water supply needs.

“In Bohol, we have many sources of ground and surface water. The problem is its network. We fall short in terms of infrastructure. Generally, our municipal water systems have limited distribution network. Usually, the water supply only reaches the Poblacion areas. So the master plan has been developed for water supply to reach far-flung barangays,” Vistal said.

He said it is hard to implement the master plan all at once because it entails a huge budget to install a water distribution network in the entire province. But it will serve as a good guide in the development of the water distribution network for each major watershed.

One is the Upper Abatan River which is being considered to be tapped for Tagbilaran, Dauis, Panglao and the nearby areas, he said.

“But, again the source for the municipality of Panglao will have to be decided upon by the LGU itself. We keep our hands off in choosing the service provider, because that is entirely their prerogative. We only get involved in providing technical assistance in drafting the pipeline network that the service provider can use as reference for the detailed technical plan,” Vistal said.

As the governor had already mentioned some service providers who expressed interest on the project, Vistal said he hoped that in the future the government can tap some of them to develop water systems for the other areas in Bohol.

The PPDO head also said that first district is already a bit advanced in terms of water distribution system, at least as far as the capital city is concerned, but in other districts, water system lag behind. It is on this aspect that the water supply system master plan will serve as guide.