BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
An ordinance establishing the Bacolod Drinking Water Quality and Safety Monitoring Committee was recently approved by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on first reading.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Em Legaspi-Ang said the SP deems it proper to pass this ordinance to protect the health of the consuming public of drinking water from water-refilling stations and from other water sources in the city while complying with the national government directive.
The ordinance said the committee will develop and implement a Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Plan which include the parameters, sample sites, sample frequency and action plans for the corrective and preventive actions consistent with the 2017 Philippine National Drinking Water Standards.
The committee will be composed of the mayor as chairperson, vice mayor as vice chairperson, and members composed of the chairpersons of the SP Committee on Health and SP Committee on Environment, City Health Officer, City Environment and Natural Resources Officer, City Planning and Development Officer, City Engineer, City Agriculturist, City PIO, Baciwa/Primewater manager, and representatives from the Local Health Board, non-government organization, civil society organizations, and sanitary inspector.
The ordinance said the CHO will serve as the secretariat of the committee, while the sanitary inspector will serve as the focal person and head of the secretariat. The three representatives from the NGO or CSO will be appointed by the mayor.
The funding for the initial implementation of Section 7 under this ordinance will be P300,000 to be taken from the General Fund. Thereafter, an appropriation for the purpose will be determined on an annual basis according to the program’s prior year utilization report and other relevant indicators, it said.*
