• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
An ordinance laying down the policies and guidelines for the grant of non-exclusive franchise to construct, establish, commission, operate, and maintain a water supply system for Bacolod City, was passed on first reading by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod Wednesday.
The ordinance was authored by Councilor Vladimir Gonzalez and co-authored by Councilors Renecito Novero and Claudio Jesus Raymundo Puntevella.
The Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) was created by the SP by virtue of SP Resolution No. 4460 series of 1973, under P.D. 198, which in 2020 entered into a 25-year joint venture agreement (JVA) with the Villar-owned Prime Water Infrastructure Corporation for the financing, development, improvement, rehabilitation, expansion, operation, and maintenance of BACIWA, it said.
Despite the BACIWA-PrimeWater joint venture agreement and mandate, Bacolod City today is faced with a water supply crisis, in that most service areas of BACIWA-Primewater are either suffering from frequent water interruptions and inadequate water supply, poor quality of water, or lack of water supply in many of its service areas, as well as in other communities in Bacolod City, the ordinance said.
Recognizing the people’s clamor for affordable and better quality of water supply and services, and realizing its duty and responsibilities of seeing what is best for its community, Bacolod City is in need of a more efficient and effective water utility provider capable of constructing, establishing, commissioning, operating, and maintaining a water supply system that sufficiently addresses the public need and convenience of the people of Bacolod City, it said.
In order to comply with its sworn obligation, the City Government of Bacolod deemed it necessary to grant a franchise to any individual, partnership, corporation, or cooperative, having proven qualifications and competence in providing potable, reliable, and sustainable water to Bacolod City communities, is willing and capable of addressing the need of the people of the city by providing affordable, more efficient, and adequate water supply and distribution system covering all households and other establishments within the city, and qualified under existing laws and ordinances, the ordinance said.
The ordinance provides for a non-exclusive franchise for a period of 25 years to a qualified franchisee to construct, establish, commission, operate and maintain a water supply system to service the population of Bacolod City. The franchisee shall pay the City Government of Bacolod franchise tax in accordance with Sec. 137 of R.A. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991.*
