• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The bidding for the P1.2 billion bulk water project of the Negros Occidental provincial government was moved to October 28 this year, in compliance with the request of the bidders, Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Alberto Nellas Jr. disclosed yesterday.
Nellas said almost all of the interested bidders requested for an extension, saying they wanted more time to come up with good proposals for the project.
They initially set the bidding for Thursday, to accommodate a lone bidder, who was given until 1 p.m. for the submission of bid documents. But when the bidder did not submit the bid, Nellas said they granted the request for an extension, made by majority of the bidders.
The Negros Occidental Bulk Water Supply Project (NBWSP), involves the financing, engineering design, construction, operation, and maintenance of a bulk water supply system with a minimum capacity of 34.5 million liters/day (MLD), to be sourced from the Imbang River and/or Malogo River.
It is expected to supply treated bulk water to six water service providers in the Negros Occidental in the cities of Bacolod, Silay, Talisay, and Victorias, and the municipalities of Manapla and EB Magalona.
The project shall be implemented through a joint venture agreement (JVA) with the provincial government for a period of 38 years, inclusive of the construction period.
The municipalities of Manapla and E.B. Magalona, cities of Victorias, Talisay and the highly urbanized city of Bacolod, have already issued RONO (Resolution of No Objection) to the Capitol Bulk Water Project. Only Silay City has not issued a RONO.
Nellas said they were informed by the Silay City Sangguniang Panlungsod that they will hold another committee hearing, and invite business and agricultural sectors, before taking any action with regard to the RONO sought by the provincial government of Negros Occidental.
Citing the stand of Silaynons, Mayor Joedith Gallego earlier said that they are not in favor of the move of the provincial government to tap the surface water of Imbang River, claiming that it will affect their sources of water.
Based on the certificate of water availability issued by NWRB, about 100 million liters per day (MLD) will be sourced from the Malogo River, and 34 to 36 MLD will also be generated from the Imbang River, Provincial Government Focal Person for Public Private Partnership projects, Atty. Jessa Genteroles disclosed earlier.
While the Malogo River is the main intake point, Nellas said they included Imbang River because of its proximity to cities of Silay, Talisay, and Bacolod.
Even without water from the Imbang River, Nellas admitted they already have enough water from the Malogo River for the Capitol Bulk Water project.*
