• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is not yet giving up on the proposed Negros Bulk Water Supply project in Barangay Guimbalaon, Silay City, despite the refusal of the city government to the requested Resolution of No Objection (RONO), needed to pursue the project.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environment Management Bureau – Negros Island Region is slated to hold a public hearing on the proposed Negros Bulk Water Supply project on April 27 in Brgy. Guimbalaon, Silay City, which is expected to be attended by various stakeholders, including local government officials.
The public hearing, according to DENR-EMB, aims to achieve efficient exchange of information and views between and among the project proponent, and the EMB-DENR, relevant agencies, LGUs, and other stakeholders on the environmental impacts of the proposed project presently applying for an Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Prior to the EMB-DENR consultation, representatives of the provincial government also attended a series of consultations with the Silay City government with various stakeholders, in relation to the proposed P1.2 billion bulk water supply project, before the City Council decided to deny the requested RONO.
One of the primary reasons that Silay City did not issue the RONO is related to environmental concerns, Lacson said.
We will leave that to the experts, Lacson said, as he acknowledged the effort of EMB-DENR to call for a public consultation.
We will try to address every issue that Silay raised in objecting to the project, the governor said.
The provincial government is targeting to source 20 Million Liters per Day (MLD) water supply for its Imbang Water-Hinalinan River Project in Brgy. Guimbalaon, Silay City, Negros Occidental.
After the EMB-DENR consultations, the governor said he is still hoping for a positive response to the project. “Who knows. We just have to be positive,” Lacson said.
Continuing the bulk water project in a smaller scale is also an option being entertained by the provincial government of Negros Occidental.
If we didn’t believe in the project, we would not have done this far, Lacson said.
Silay City Mayor Joedith Gallego expressed his concerns that drawing water from the river would endanger supplies for local residents and farmers, noting past shortages during the El Niño phenomenon.
The Hinalinan River/Imbang River has been chosen as the venue for the project upon the recommendation of the consultants engaged by the Asian Development Bank and United States Agency for International Development, according to the provincial government.
The Silay City Council cited a strong opposition from stakeholders, its environmental impact, insufficient clarity on project implementation, and lack of inter-agency technical alignment on the proposed project.*
