• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
For the third time, the bidding for the P1.2 billion bulk water project of the Negros Occidental provincial government was moved, this time to December 11, as requested by the Public Private Partnership Center, which is assisting the provincial government in the realization of the project.
While the bidders are already there, Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz disclosed on Monday that they accommodated the request of the PPP Center to have enough time to prepare and process all the documents submitted to them.
The bidding was initially set July 27, reset to October 28, moved to Nov. 22, before the latest date of Dec. 11 was announced yesterday.
Under the project, the winning bidder will enter into a contractual joint venture with the provincial government to finance, design, construct, operate, and maintain a bulk water supply system with a minimum capacity of 34.5 million liters per day, to be sourced from the Imbang River and/or the Malogo River.
It is expected to supply treated bulk water to six water service providers in the Negros Occidental 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 a RONO (Resolution of No Objection) to the Capitol Bulk Water Project. Only Silay City has not issued a RONO.
Diaz said the Silay City government expressed concerns that the Imbang River, which is among the sources of water to be tapped in the project, will be affected as among 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 be generated from the Imbang River, Provincial Government Focal Person for Public Private Partnership projects, Atty. Jessa Genteroles, disclosed earlier.
The provincial government would like to assure all stakeholders that we are not just taking water. We are here to develop a water security plan that includes water resource management to secure our watershed areas, Diaz said.
He reported that the provincial government already has nurseries for its replanting and tree growing activities in the upper areas of the two major rivers.*
